Every so often, a new iteration of the Muppets, the beloved puppets created by puppeteer Jim Henson, comes around to delight and entertain a new generation of puppet-loving audiences, and Disney Plus’ newest Muppets media, The Muppets Mayhem, is already racking up rave reviews. The show follows the Muppets’ in-house band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, in mockumentary-style as they work on completing their first album, some 40 years after the band formed. As a fan of music documentaries and shows about fake musicians (Daisy Jones & the Six was absolutely binged in my household), The Muppets Mayhem is right up my alley, but I, like many fans of the puppet crew, have to ask: Why aren’t Kermit and Miss Piggy, two of the most well-known Muppets of all time, in the show?
It’s not that the Electric Mayhem aren’t iconic on their own — I especially appreciate Animal, who’s a total rockstar — but it is rare to have a whole show without Kermit and Miss Piggy. I’m not the only one who noticed their absence; ComicBook.com sat down for an interview with the Electric Mayhem and specifically asked the band why the on-and-off couple didn’t make an appearance in the new show.
The band’s lead singer Dr. Teeth chalked it up to pure forgetfulness, “I guess we forgot to ask Miss Piggy if she was free.” Janice agreed but also didn’t believe the busy bovine’s schedule was free enough for her to make a cameo even if they did ask her. Floyd Pepper laughingly suggested the show’s budget was too small to even get the two on the show, and seemingly confirmed the absence was due to a lack of free time, “Everybody was busy, so we just kind of did our own thing.”
There might also be some beef —or should we say, pork (I’ll be here all week) — between Animal and Miss Piggy. Animal started the interview by shouting, “No pig, no pig!” and Dr. Teeth clarified, “Animal’s allergic to Miss Piggy.” It’s hard for me to believe an allergy is the case for the star’s absence, especially given Miss Piggy has performed with the band in the past; I guess, like most bands, the Electric Mayhem has no shortage of drama behind the scenes.
While I definitely miss Kermit and Miss Piggy, I can’t deny that this is a great opportunity to spotlight the Electric Mayhem themselves and honestly, the two Muppet icons are so famous, their appearance could’ve distracted viewers from the true stars of the show. Like most Muppet media, there’s already a ton of celebrity cameos (Weird Al Yankovic, Zedd, Lil Nas X, etc.) and the show’s worth a watch, whether you like Muppets or music. If anything, I’m grateful the Electric Mayhem is having their time in the sun.
You can stream The Muppets Mayhem on Disney Plus now.