Sabrina Carpenter And Seth Rogen Join Forces To Revive ‘The Muppet Show’ For Its 50th Anniversary

TV + Movies

Someone cue the orchestra, raise the curtain, and definitely wake up Statler and Waldorf! The Muppet Show is about to light the lights once again.

By Erin Whitten

Updated 9 hours ago, September 18, 2025

Someone cue the orchestra, raise the curtain, and definitely wake up Statler and Waldorf! The Muppet Show is about to light the lights once again. Disney+ has confirmed that it will host a one-off special in 2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of Jim Henson’s groundbreaking variety show. The project, designed as both a celebration and a trial run, will reunite Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and their friends on stage at the legendary Muppet Theatre. If all goes well, the event could serve as the springboard for a full-blown revival series, bringing the Muppets back into the weekly spotlight they once commanded.

The special will be spearheaded by Seth Rogen, his Point Grey Pictures production company, and Rogen’s long-time creative partner Evan Goldberg, all of whom will executive produce the special. Actor and singer Sabrina Carpenter will also both star and executive produce the special, which gives us so much hope considering her hilarious holiday special that aired last year.

Disney’s upcoming special lands at a time when the company is doubling down on the Muppets. Since picking up the characters in 2004, Disney has continued to tinker with new ways to show off the Muppets to new generations of fans while catering to longtime fans. In 2023 Disney+ debuted The Muppets Mayhem, a mini-series that follows Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem as the band tries to finish their debut studio album. In the fall, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will reimagine the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster as a Muppets-themed attraction, which will keep the name and map from the original ride but trade out Aerosmith for the Muppets.

Disney acquired the rights to the Muppets in 2004, fourteen years after Henson’s death, and has been quietly looking for the magic combination to successfully reboot The Muppet Show ever since. Plans to reintroduce the Muppets to a new generation have included everything from The Muppets ABC mockumentary series to the short-lived streaming experiment Muppets Now, to one-off specials like 2021’s Muppets Haunted Mansion and beloved movies like 2011’s The Muppets. As they gear up to go back on the road for their 50th anniversary special, the Muppets have a lot of nostalgia working in their favor, as well as a decades-spanning legacy.

If Disney’s Muppets one-off special is successful, it could be the opening act for the return of a new weekly Muppet series on either Disney+ or ABC. For now, though, this look at Kermit the Frog and friends will be the return of The Muppet Show that everyone has been waiting for.