We’ve got bad news for fans of The Muppets and their famous band Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem: The Muppets Mayhem, the Disney Plus series that follows the hilarious adventures of The Muppets‘ house band, isn’t being invited back for an encore.
Per TVLine, the feel-good musical comedy show won’t be rocking out for another session on one of the world’s best streaming services. Disney hasn’t officially announced it won’t be back, but executive producer Jeff Yorkes all-but-confirmed The Muppets Mayhem‘s streaming tour is over in a post on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account.
What a long, strange trip it’s been!The highs (thanks Zoot!), the lows… A huge thank you to our loyal fans and viewers. I hope audiences continue to discover our little show and that it brings them some joy… and some Mayhem!! Rock on!!???????????????? https://t.co/widGnavgqtNovember 21, 2023
“What a long, strange trip it’s been!” Yorkes wrote in the aftermath of the news breaking. “The highs (thanks Zoot!), the lows… A huge thank you to our loyal fans and viewers. I hope audiences continue to discover our little show and that it brings them some joy… and some Mayhem! Rock on!”
I hope so, too, because The Muppets Mayhem is a genuinely funny show whose humor is of the warm-hearted Ted Lasso variety. The live-action comedy had focused on Nora (Lily Singh), an ambitious record company exec who wants the Electric Mayhem to record their very first ever studio album. Mayhem, inevitably, ensues.
Why isn’t Disney renewing The Muppets Mayhem?
Sorry guys, we’re retiring your Disney Plus show. (Image credit: Disney Plus/ABC Signature)
It’s not because of bad reviews. The Muppets Mayhem currently sits with an 86% fresh rating from critics on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It also proved to be a hit with viewers, too, judging by its near-perfect 95% audience score.
So, what’s the deal? Why was it canned? And why didn’t we ever add it to our best Disney Plus shows guide? For one, it gets off to a slow start so, despite The Muppets Mayhem hitting its funny and hugely entertaining stride as it goes on, it’s possible on-the-fence viewers simply turned off due to its sluggish opening episodes. That’s a shame, too, as it’s the kind of TV you don’t really see any more.
Unfortunately, like many other Disney Plus shows, it appears to have struggled to find a suitably big audience. In the current cost-cutting streaming landscape, shows that don’t perform well don’t get to play for very long. The Muppets Mayhem never featured in Nielsen’s top 10 streaming rankings and, while Disney doesn’t usually talk audience numbers (unless it’s a big hitter, such as Loki season 2 being a magical success), it’s a safe bet that The Muppets Mayhem didn’t draw in massive Star Wars or Marvel-type numbers.
This isn’t the first instance of TV series being given the chop on Disney’s main streamer, either. In May, Disney Plus and sister streamer Hulu removed a ton of shows from their back catalogs. Three months later, we learned Disney Plus was cancelling shows before they even aired on the service, too.
Still, if you’re a Muppets fan, don’t despair. Taking to X in the wake of Mayhem‘s cancellation, co-creator Adam Goldberg says the whole purpose of the series was to establish a Muppets-Verse, before adding: “Yes I am already cooking up more Muppets… IT’S HAPPENING!!!” The petition to bring back Muppets Tonight starts here, folks.
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