Kill the Mup-pet, kill the Mup-pet, kill the Muuuuuu....
ABC has ordered a script and five script outlines for "America's Next Muppet," a reality TV parody in which viewers may actually get a chance to pick Kermit and Miss Piggy's latest colleague....
No! Stop it now!
The Muppets are dead. They had a great run, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Kermit Thee Frog is welcome to make all the award ceremonies and cameo appearances he wants. If Miss Piggy makes more pizza commercials, I won't mute them. DVD reissues? Bring 'em on.
But ABC has made a huge mistake thinking it can make the Muppets (which it acquired in 2004) relevant to a new generation. Technology has moved on. Society has moved on. There is no reason to watch unfamiliar puppets when CGI can create fictional creatures that are a whole lot more interesting. No, we aren't ruling out the possibility that a Muppet-inspired critter, like the ones on the long-lamented "Farscape," could spice up a live action program cast mainly with humans. But that requires imagination and creativity, something more than just commenting on pop culture phenomena, which the Muppets haven't done to any great effect since the "Treasure Island" movie 10 years ago.
When the "Family Guy" parody is funnier than anything you've done in a decade, it means you're done.
