By all accounts, it sounds like the Muppet panel at Comic-con was by far the most enjoyable. And not just because it gave the audience a look at the 10 minute pitch reel that convinced ABC to move forward on the show (which, as it has been described, was edited down into the trailer for the show that we've already seen). No, the reason was that in addition to series creator Bill Prady, producers Bob Kushell, Randall Einhorn, and puppeteers Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson and Bill Barretta, the panel also featured appearances by the Muppets themselves. Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Rowlf, Gonzo, Rizzo, and Pepe all held residence over Hall H, and owned the stage. And now, thankfully, we can view the footage ourselves.
The entire panel, sans series footage, has been put online, and it is wonderful to see the Muppets return to their more mature origins. For me, aside from the astounding banter of the Muppets and the obvious habitation that the puppeteers have for these characters, the best thing to come from this footage was an actual idea of what the new show will look like. And wonderfully, it is a natural progression of the Muppet's career: the new show will take place behind the scenes at a talk show hosted by Miss Piggy. Think Larry Sanders, but with more bears.
The talk show gets them the celebrity cameos, and the Muppets will fulfill roles best suited for their characters: Kermit is the executive producer, Fozzie the Any Richter-like on air sidekick, Sam the Eagle as the Broadcast Standards rep, Swedish Chef as head of craft services, Rowlf running the bar across the street, and best of all, Gonzo, Rizzo and Pepe running the writers room. That Prady was smart enough to put Gonzo and Rizzo back together is proof enough that he knows what he's doing (just look at their chemistry on stage).
At this point, I am unable to explain how much I am looking forward to this show. This is everything I've been saying needs to happen since the Muppets returned to the big screen, but honestly never thought would. That it is gives me hope. Now we have to wait until September to see if it lives up to that expectation.
Via /Film.