The Muppets (2015)

The dysfunctional relationship between sensible Kermit and the perennial diva Miss Piggy drives the show, and there is plenty of inside Hollywood humor, but its most delightful subplot is with Fozzie Bear, who is experimenting with inter-species dating.

This is a clever, laugh-out-loud sitcom written by adults, for adults. It's not too adult for children, but there are definitely jokes that will sail over their heads.

Smartly updated.... the new show owes as much to "The Larry Sanders Show" as it does to "The Office" or "30 Rock."

Smart and consistently funny, ABC’s The Muppets is the closest any broadcast network gets to a comedy home run this fall.

It’s easy to see that the show will only focus on a small group of a large cast of characters, but that group can be bigger than three or four, and Fozzie’s already wacka-wacka’d his way into grating territory by the end of episode two. But you may not even notice that because of one, simple, delightful reason: The Muppets is just pure fun. The characters--both felt and human--are endearing, the jokes are fast, and the workplace set-up is near-bursting with expansion possibilities for the future.

It’s hard, after this encounter with the Muppets, to imagine any confidences from them, private or public, one wouldn’t want to hear more of.

A smart and often witty update to the Muppet brand.

For all its obvious weak spots, the show has turned out pretty well. It's silly but emotionally resonant, and able to call back on Muppets lore without getting lost in it.

It’s a tricky balancing act, and the first two episodes—while far from flawless—have more than enough promise to keep even Statler and Waldorf enticed.

It might take some time to adapt to what the gang is trying to do here, but it’s definitely in sync with the Muppet mission of entertaining everyone at their own level, and for every misjudged moment there are several more that are sublime.

The Muppets does nothing fresh with the [mockumentary] form. If anything, the show effectively demonstrates how contrived it’s always been and how stale it’s become.

[An] uneven cross between “The Office” and “30 Rock.”

A better version of the show peeks out whenever the plot relents and the characters are allowed to let fly with a knowingly groan-worthy play on words, a throwaway non sequitur, or any other hallmark of the Jim Henson school of humor.

The problem, at least for now, is whether the show can find a happy medium between sharpening itself without resorting to any crude or unduly cutting humor. These first two episodes are watchable enough.

If people who grew up with the Muppets and consider them virtually sacred reject this new incarnation, that leaves casual fans--and kids. Is this a show for kids? Not really, but despite some mild talk about Muppet sex lives, there doesn't seem to be a real reason that children can't watch. Whether that audience can keep a much-ballyhooed but far from perfect new show afloat is unclear.