'Muppets Mayhem' Needs to Ditch the Humans to Find Greatness

By Nate Parker | TV | May 31, 2023 |

By Nate Parker | TV | May 31, 2023 |

I pitched this piece to Kaleena as “a review from my Muppets-loving 7yr old son.” That presented a problem when he wandered away with a disappointed sigh halfway through the second episode. I couldn’t blame him, though. It focused too much on the humans who, somehow, spoke less naturally than the puppets. Despite my own love for (almost) everything Muppet-related, I gave up on Muppets Mayhem after that episode and didn’t go back for several weeks. But one day I needed something to break up the monotony of washing dishes for the 32nd time that day and reluctantly gave it a second chance. Imagine my surprise as the show slowly warmed the cockles of my cold, dead heart, and I learned to love parts of this latest Muppets show. But significant problems remain among the non-felt characters that hold the comedy back from its true potential.

The plot is simple: Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem — hereafter referred to simply as “the Mayhem” — are one of the most popular and influential rock\funk\jam bands out of all time. They were hugely influential on artists of all genres, as cameos from Lil Nas X, Kesha, Tommy Lee, and a slew of others demonstrates. But they had so much fun touring that they blew their advance decades ago without ever recording an album. Penny Waxman, the Muppet head of their record label, wants to sell the business while her assistant Nora Singh (Lilly Singh) wants to revitalize it by getting the band to finally record that album. Her efforts are alternately aided and hamstrung by her sister Hannah (Saara Chaudry), Mayhem superfan and unpaid intern Moog (Tahj Mowrie), and former schoolmate\potential love interest JJ (Anders Holm). And then there’s the band: Janice, Lips, Zoot, Floyd, Animal, and front-man Dr. Teeth.

Here’s the good: the band feels like the Mayhem. The writing, direction, and performances capture the kindly chaos embodied by the musical Muppets. From Dr. Teeth’s bombastic eloquence to Janice’s hippy-dippy vibes and Animal’s romantic obsession with Nora, it all works. Not all the voices are exactly as you remember them, but they’re close and nowhere near as egregiously bad as Matt Vogel’s Kermit. Their characters develop along with the story, and the evolution of the band into something more modern. Episodes where they get to embrace their quirks, like when the band ends up baked on “bad marshmallows,” work best and the show becomes a more cohesive whole. The guest stars who wander in and out have a lot of fun, particularly Kevin Smith and Weird Al, whose enthusiasm for working with the Muppets again is palpable.

Then there are the rest of the humans, and it’s here Muppets Mayhem hits a major pothole. Full disclosure — I’ve never seen Lilly Singh or Tahj Mowrie perform before. I know she’s a YouTuber and voiced the reporter in The Bad Guys. I know he’s done a lot of broad sitcom work. I don’t know if the fault lies in the writing or their acting, but most of it is not great. Every line is delivered with the kind of theater kid performance Disney Channel afternoons are known for. It’s most glaring when there are no Muppets in the scene. Maybe it’s the dialogue; what sounds normal when you’re talking to a felt trumpet player who spent several decades in a drug-induced fugue state sounds like an afterschool special if there are only fleshies around. Saara Chaudry and Anders Holms come off a little better, perhaps owing to less time on screen. And the focus on the people, rather than the puppets, is why my son bailed so soon. “They’re not very interesting,” he said, and he was right. Nora and Moog aren’t written in a way that captures a kid’s attention, and they aren’t written well enough to grab an adult either. Doc was wonderful in the Fraggles reboot, but she wasn’t ever the main story. The best Muppet properties always organically integrate puppets into the larger world, and Muppets Mayhem puts in the bare minimum of effort there. There aren’t enough random Muppets in the background, but at least they added Penny to the cast.

Some actors perform with Muppets as though they were flesh and blood. Mark Hamill. Harry Belafonte. Michael Caine. Tim Curry. Jason Segel. Joel McHale. Melissa McCarthy. Singh and Mowrie aren’t there yet. Maybe if Disney gives the show a second season rather than wiping it from their library as though it never existed they’ll improve.

I wouldn’t call Muppets Mayhem must-see TV. It’s more background entertainment while you’re doing chores. The weakest element, the humans, do improve as the season goes on, and the deep dive into the band’s colorful history is fun. It’s worth following the Mayhem on their melodious marathon to musical mythology.