How to watch Muppets Now - stream the new Disney Plus series
It's time to meet The Muppets as you've never seen them before!
Prepare for some mayhem, because The Muppets are heading back to television for a series unlike anything they've attempted before.
Jim Henson's colourful creations are launching Muppets Now on Disney+, making it their debut streaming series as well as their first foray into the world of unscripted comedy.
The Muppets have been keeping us entertained all the way back to the 50s and, by the 70s, they'd become icons in their own right. We've had series, movies and a rebooted movie franchise since then and now we're getting even more Muppet goodness.
With legions of fans all over the world, it's sure that all-new Muppets is going to make a big splash on Disney+.
Here's all your essential information on Disney+ series Muppets Now and what you can expect to see from Kermit, Miss Piggy, Bunsen and the gang.
When is Muppets Now released on Disney Plus?
The season premiere of Muppets Now has arrived on Disney+ (Friday 31st July) - the same day as Beyonce's Black is King.
Muppets Now will then follow a weekly release schedule, as has been standard for original shows on the service.
There are six episodes (or "muppisodes", can you see what they did there) in the first season, so we can expect the finale to land on Friday 4th September.
The Muppets Show spoofed the 70s television format with Sonny and Cher and the Ed Sullivan show, but Muppets Now aims for a YouTube feel a la reality TV.
Make sure you have signed up to Disney+ for £59.99 a year or £5.99 a month to watch Muppets now.
What is Muppets Now?
Muppets Now is billed as first ever completely unscripted Muppets series and will follow the character of Scooter as he rushes to upload the brand new series to Disney+ before his strict deadline.
Of course, nothing is ever simple in the world of The Muppets, so he'll have a number of obstacles, distractions and complications to contend with, courtesy of the rest of the gang.
As Joe the Legal Weasel explains in the latest trailer, this will be a "wholly unique Muppet enterprise with all-new non-fiction and unscripted elements," as well as all the surprise celebrity cameos the team are used to.
Which Muppets will feature in Muppets Now?
It has been confirmed that several of The Muppets' biggest names will appear in Muppets Now, including: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Camilla, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Scooter and Uncle Deadly.
Kermit the Frog said: "The Muppets are thrilled to be doing our first-ever unscripted show! It’s going to be extremely spontaneous and very surprising; almost as surprising as the fact that we ever actually used a script in the past."
Miss Piggy added: "This is moi unfiltered, unexpurgated, and more unbelievably fabulous than ever. If you watch only one show on Disney+, you really should tune in more often. But whenever you watch, make it moi on Muppets Now."
What celebrity guests will be in Muppets Now?
We've been promised by Gonzo the Great himself that Muppets Now will feature rotating celebrity guest stars.
Star names due to appear in the series include RuPaul, Taye Diggs, Seth Rogen, Aubrey Plaza, Linda Cardellini, and Danny Trejo.
Who is doing Kermit the Frog's new voice?
When creator Jim Henson passed away in 1990, voice actor Steve Whitmire took over the role of Kermit the Frog, bringing him to life in a number of brilliant projects including The Muppet Christmas Carol and 2011's acclaimed revival.
The role has now passed on to puppeteer and voice actor Matt Vogel, who has worked on various Muppets projects since 2008 and has also performed on Sesame Street.
Is there a trailer for Muppets Now?
You can hear the new Kermit in action in this teaser trailer, presumably filmed since the coronavirus lockdown given the all too familiar video call set-up.
The series itself was shot last summer, meaning it will not share this same format, instead seeing the Muppets out in the world and performing scenes together.
Muppets Now begins on Disney Plus on 31st July. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.