Muppets Now is moving closer to becoming a reality, with a Summer 2020 premiere date on the horizon for the Disney+ show. The streaming series has been in development since at least August 2019, when Kermit the Frog tweeted during D3 about the series making its way to Disney+ in 2020, an announcement that came months before Disney+ even launched. The show is expected to be unscripted, likely taking a form similar to common cable morning shows with various variety segments.
Initially, Muppets Now wasn't the only new Muppets show in development for Disney+ as one of the most recognizable brands under the new streaming service's umbrella. Muppets Live Another Day was also destined for Disney+, with Josh Gad, Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis developing the program ahead of a hopeful premiere in 2020. That show was scrapped, however, due to creative differences between Muppet Studios and the writers, leaving Muppets Now as the only Muppets-related series currently in development.
Luckily for fans of Jim Henson's famous creation, Muppets Now is only months away from debuting. According to /Film, a more precise timetable is beginning to emerge for the show's arrival to Disney+, narrowed down to the upcoming summer in a press release about the newest Disney sing-a-long program for ABC, which will feature the Muppets. The release also made specific mention of Kermit and Miss Piggy, all but guaranteeing the two most famous Muppets will play an integral part in Muppets Now.
The recent track record of live-action Muppets productions has been less than stellar. The characters haven't been seen on the silver screen since 2014's Muppets Most Wanted, which disappointed at the box office. ABC took a shot with a fall pilot of The Muppets in 2015, but that series was canceled after just one season. There is a Muppets Babies show currently airing its second season on Disney Junior, but that's an animated program.
With expected runtimes of around ten minutes, the short-form Muppets Now episodes can be consumed in small doses, a unique premise for the franchise. Disney+ has already produced several short-form series, including Forky Asks a Question and SparkShorts, the latter of which is expected to debut their second season in the next couple of weeks. The upcoming Chip 'n' Dale reboot is also expected to be a short-form program as studios try to adjust programming to current attention spans. Muppets Now will serve as an example for better or worse when it comes to Disney+ this summer.
Source: /Film