Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Muppets face backlash over return to ABC mockumentary
The upcoming return of "The Muppets" in an adult-themed show on ABC this week is being widely anticipated by young and old alike, but there are some concerned parents who have petitioned to have the show canceled.
A pro-family organization called One Million Moms (1MM) has criticized the return of The Muppets in a TV mockumentary on ABC. Because the well-known childhood characters that first came out in the 1970s are set to make a comeback in show with sexual connotations, 1MM is now calling for ABC to call off the Muppets' show altogether, according to Yibada.
Ahead of the airing of the Muppets' mockumentary, ABC aired clips focused on Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The clip also shows Fozzie Bear romantically involved with a young woman, plus Kermit wearing a scarf bearing the words "Finally, a network TV show with full frontal nudity."
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Because of the adult theme of the upcoming Muppets show, 1MM feels that the wholesome image that the childhood characters have portrayed in the past is now being distorted. The group started an online petition on its website to call of the ABC show.
According to the organizers, the new Muppets may catch parents unaware and the petition is a bid to warn them that the childhood characters in the ABC mockumentary will not be the same characters they have loved in the 1970s.
Producer Bill Prady has waited a decade for his dream of the Muppets in a mockumentary sitcom to come true. The characters' fans congratulated him, and at the same time, admonished him to not do anything to "screw up" the characters that played an important part in their childhood.
Miss Piggy will host a segment called "Up Late With Miss Piggy," which will invite famous personalities including Josh Groban, Reese Witherspoon, and Laurence Fishburne. The show will cover outrageous topics such as star tantrums, office romances, and the Muppets' lives beyond the limelight, Vindy reports.
The producers say the Muppets' new show will aim to showcase humor that will fit both adult and kid levels. It will be the first time that the Muppets gang will go on air in a prime-time show since their "Muppets Tonight" gig in 1998.
The original "The Muppets Show," which was well-loved by kids and adults for its family-oriented theme, aired from 1976 to 1981.
