6 Underrated 'Muppets' Productions

After a few years away from the spotlight, The Muppets are back with a brand new show, Muppets Now! recently debuting on Disney +.

The iconic characters have been a fixture of the entertainment industry for decades, facing many ups and downs in that time. Amidst these ups and downs, there have been a few great movies and series lost in the shuffle.

In honour of the premiere of Muppets Now!, let's take a look back at a few underrated Muppet productions from over the years.

1. 'A Muppet Family Christmas'

First aired in 1987 during the Muppets heyday, A Muppet Family Christmas is a beloved favourite of die-hard Muppets fans, only slipping into underrated territory with wider audiences due to the shrinking number of people who have seen the special in its entirety.

The special begins as the Muppets arrive, uninvited, to spend Christmas at the home of Fozzie's Mother, Emily Bear. Their arrival derails the plans of both Emily, who was just about to leave on a trip to Malibu, and Fraggle Rock's Doc and Sprocket, who were supposed to be renting Emily's house while she was away. In typical Muppet fashion, things devolve further into chaos when a dangerous blizzard approaches. A group of familiar carollers (The Sesame Street Muppets) are forced to take shelter in the house, and Kermit fears Miss Piggy, who was running late, will end up lost in the storm.

Unfortunately, no legal, uncut version of A Muppet Family Christmas exists, as many musical sequences in the special were only licensed for television, and had to be cut from all video and DVD releases. It's also unlikely that the special will ever air on TV again, as the rights to The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock are now tied up in three separate companies.

2. Muppets Tonight

Airing twenty-two episodes between 1996 and 1998, Muppets Tonight was effectively an update of The Muppet Show, shifting the action from the old Muppet Theatre to a TV station, KMUP TV. The show consisted of various sketches, most including special guest stars, and was hosted by a former background Muppet, Clifford, with the excuse that no one else wanted the pressure of the job.

While the show was mostly well received by critics, fans were unhappy about Kermit The Frog, who acts as a behind-the-scenes producer on Muppets Tonight, being pushed out of the spotlight in favour of Clifford. However, there is an understandable, if heartbreaking reason for this. Muppets Tonight was the Muppets first prime-time TV series to be produced since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson, and Steve Whitmire, who inherited the role of Kermit from Henson, did not feel ready to take the lead.

Despite being one of the least remembered Muppet series, Muppets Tonight introduced characters such as Bobo The Bear and Pepe the King Prawn, who remain part of the franchise today.

3. The Muppets At Walt Disney World

After the other Muppets become bored while visiting Kermit's family for the annual Frog Festival, they leave and sneak into Walt Disney World, which happens to be right next to Kermit's swamp. Kermit follows, wanting to make sure his young nephew Robin doesn't miss the festival Bug-Fry. As the Muppets never paid for entry, they are pursued through the park by an angry security guard.

The Muppets At Walt Disney World is a great special with plenty of fun moments, such as Miss Piggy taking part in an Indiana Jones stunt show, and Gonzo and Camilla becoming stuck in the Disney World laundry. Any opportunity for Kermit to bust out 'Rainbow Connection' is always a heartwarming highlight.

Sadly, the special is often overshadowed by the tragedy surrounding it. Jim Henson passed away suddenly just ten days after The Muppets At Walt Disney World first aired, and The Muppet franchise went on hiatus until the release of The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992.

4. Muppets From Space

Suffering an identity crisis and unsure of his place in the world, Gonzo is delighted when he begins receiving a series of mysterious messages, supposedly from his long-lost family. As it turns out, Gonzo is actually an alien, and his family are coming to retrieve him. Unfortunately, some of Gonzo's messages are intercepted, and he is captured by government agents, forcing the Muppets to embark on a daring rescue mission to save him.

While not a complete flop, Muppets From Space didn't quite meet studio expectations, leading the characters into a 12-year big screen hiatus, although a few direct-to-video films were released during that time. In recent years, however, some fans have developed a deeper love for Muppets From Space after making a connection between the events of the film and Gonzo's heartwarming solo song, 'I'm Going To Go Back There Someday'. from the original Muppet Movie.

5. A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

Things take an unfortunate turn for the Muppets when, after a few lacklustre shows, cruel banker Rachel Bitterman threatens to send the Muppet Theatre into foreclosure. Blaming himself for the trouble the group finds themselves in, Kermit wishes he had never been born. Cue the arrival of Daniel, a trainee guardian angel, to show Kermit why this would be a bad idea.

It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie was the Muppets first direct-to-video film, and the first movie produced without veteran Muppeteer Frank Oz, who had recently retired. However, it's still worth a watch for the numerous cfun continuity references to The Muppet Movie.

6. The Muppets, 2015 series

In 2015, The Muppets returned to prime-time TV in The Muppets. Filmed in the style of The Office, the cameras go behind the scenes of the fictional talk show 'Up Late with Miss Piggy'. The show mostly centres around Kermit and Miss Piggy attempting to navigate a civil work relationship in the aftermath of their break-up before the series begins.

While The Muppets only ran for one sixteen episode season, it broke new ground for the franchise as the first Muppet show with ongoing storylines, allowing some formerly minor characters, such as Sam the Eagle, and Janice and Zoot of Electric Mayhem, genuine character development. The improving relationship between Kermit and Miss Piggy over the course of the series is also cleverly dealt with in the show's intro. For most of the series, the intro features Kermit arriving at the refreshments table at the last minute, frustrated to discover all the coffee is already gone. In the final batch of episodes, however, the intro changes, with Miss Piggy bringing a coffee to Kermit.

Muppets From Space and The Muppets (2015 series) are both available to stream on Disney +, along with the first three episodes of Muppets Now!

We can't wait to see what else the future has in store for these beloved characters.