Writing in the Financial Times, external, Rebecca Nicholson says the show “takes a slightly different tack” from the original, “roughing up some of the cuteness with even more chaos and a carefully measured pinch of naughtiness”.
There is a “knowing enough wink” to make sure it’s suitable for all ages, however, says Nicholson. Some of her favourite moments include Beaker losing his eyeballs in a science experiment and Gonzo wearing flaming roller skates – to give a flavour of the chaos.
It’s a “treat”, she concludes, giving it four stars.
In the US press, the Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg, external writes it’s “not The Muppet Show at its best, but it’s a return to what the Muppets do best”.
Meanwhile in the New York Times, James Poniewozik, external says “these are, in fact, your grandparents’ Muppets, and your parents’. And yet they’re exactly the Muppets you need right now”.
And John Nugent, from Empire,, external says previous reboots have veered into the realms of parody but this revival “goes back to basics”.
He gives it five stars for its “array of increasingly bonkers skits”, saying that watching it “gives the sense of being wrapped in a warm, felt-based comfort blanket”.
The show appears to be dipping a toe in the water to see if there would be interest in a full-blown series, which would be the first since 1981.
“Maybe we’re a little rusty,” Kermit muses at one point.
But if these reviews are anything to go by, we could be seeing more Muppets fun before too long.