“It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights” — or as ABC said in an announcement earlier today, “It's time to change the music, it's time to change the lights.” Deadline and Spinoff Online are reporting that “The Muppets” show will get a soft reboot when it returns from hiatus in the spring.
Deadline is also reporting that showrunner Bob Kushell has stepped down as executive producer of the series, leaving room for “Galavant” producer Kristin Newman to possibly replace him. “The Big Bang Theory” producer Bill Prady is still set to stay on board as co-executive producer.
This news comes as a surprise, considering the show was just picked up for a full season a few days ago. As of right now, “The Muppets” will air 10 episodes this fall, then will finish its first season with six more episodes in the spring.
The big question about the soft reboot is, will the show continue to center around “Up Late with Miss Piggy”? Right now the series takes place entirely on the “Up Late” studio lot with the show following the lives of the “Up Late” cast and crew. While this has been entertaining and provides a great format for celebrity guest appearances like Elizabeth Banks, Imagine Dragons, and Josh Groban, this setting may be a bit too meta for the viewer at home. A show that is about a show, that's also a reality show? It may be wise to shift the focus a little bit.
If you could change the format of “The Muppets”, what changes would you make? Let me know in the comments below.
“The Muppets” airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8/7C.