The Muppet Show Returning in 2026, With Alex Timbers Directing and Sabrina Carpenter as Guest

The Muppet Show will return in 2026 for a one-off Disney+ special coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the classic series.

This new edition will also serve as a “backdoor pilot” for a Muppet Show reboot, which finds Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, and the Muppet gang returning ot the Muppet Theatre to produce a new variety show.

The guest star for the initial special will be pop star/Broadway vet Sabrina Carpenter. It will be directed by Tony winner Alex Timbers, who previously staged a proof-of-concept Muppets theater production in 2013.

Veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, and Matt Vogel will return to perform their usual characters. The special is written by Albertina Rizzo and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures, along with Rizzo, Timbers, Carpenter, and the Muppet Studio, among others.

Created by Jim Henson, The Muppet Show ran from 1976-81 and featured numerous guest stars from the world of entertainment.

While Timbers’ Broadway production for the Muppets never materialized, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang will appear with magician Rob Lake at the Broadhurst Theatre this holiday season.