Roberto Garcia MoritanAs in the original show, a sketch of the new series takes place in the "Muppet Labs", with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker.(Muppet Studios/Disney+)from The New York Times International WeeklyAt the dawn of “The Muppet Show” in the late 1970s, a visit to the Muppet Labs consisted of watching its obtuse owner, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, show off his wacky inventions, like an exploding hat or a necktie. self-destructive, with a brief burst of pyrotechnics, a recorded blast sound, and a cloud of smoke.Today, a return visit to those labs in the Disney+ series “Muppets Now” features Honeydew and his agitated assistant, Beaker, using a homemade device called the Infern-O-Matic to shrink everyday items — an egg carton, a watch on the wall, a guitar—to smoldering heaps of ashes.A cooking segment, hosted by turkey Beverly Plume, with celebrity guests including chef Carlina Will.(Muppet Studios/Disney+)If this scene from “Muppets Now” feels manic and combustible, and a little familiar, that’s by design: As Muppets Studio vice president Leigh Slaughter recently explained, she and her colleagues hope this series will evoke “that real anarchy.” of the Muppets—that total chaos.“If they're going to tackle real-world science, we're like, 'We've got to burn stuff.We have to drop things.We have to blow things up,'” she added.“Muppets Now,” a six-episode series that premiered July 31, is Disney's attempt to bring those familiar faces to its streaming service while simultaneously parodying Internet content.Its segments feature characters like Miss Piggy and the Swedish Chef in fast-comedy skits that poke fun at popular online formats.The new series also strives to reconnect the Muppets with the messy sensibilities of the “Muppet Show” era, after other efforts to relaunch the characters fizzled out."The idea is to stop trying so hard to be like everyone else and just be the Muppets," said Bill Barretta, a veteran Muppet performer and an executive producer of "Muppets Now.""Let's celebrate the fact that everyone has to deal with each other and just be silly and play and entertain again."Nearly 45 years after its debut, "The Muppet Show" remains a landmark for the franchise.Fueled by the subversive imagination of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, and a small cabal of like-minded artists and writers, it was a showbiz satire fueled by kitschy celebrity hosts and a wacky attitude inherited from sketch shows like "Saturday Night Live" (where the Muppets had appeared).The popularity of "The Muppet Show" paved the way for hit movies like "The Muppet Movie" (1979), which tempered the chaos of the TV series with a sentimental angle and endeared founding artists like Henson and Frank Oz. of a generation of spectators.But keeping the Muppets relevant to modern audiences has proven difficult, especially since they were acquired by Disney in 2004.A 2011 film, "The Muppets," written by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel was a critical and commercial success and won an Academy Award for its song "Man or Muppet."But a 2014 sequel, "Muppets Most Wanted," was a disappointment and extinguished the revival.In 2015, a TV sitcom called “The Muppets” garnered attention for its single-camera “documentary” cut and plot where Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy split up.But the program was not well received;it was canceled after one season.Dan Silver, vice president of original unscripted content for Disney+, said serialized plot twists wouldn't necessarily bring viewers back to the Muppets."Sometimes it's not about whether Piggy and Kermit the Frog are going to get together," he said."It's about, how does that make something funny in a skit?"Disney announced last year that it was working with the Muppets Studio to create a new sketch show.Silver said the structure of "Muppets Now" followed the pattern of the original "Muppet Show," which was partly a satire of comedy variety shows from the '60s and '70s. ?And the answer is YouTube,” he said.“Muppets Now” features segments such as a beauty and lifestyle video blog hosted by Miss Piggy and a cooking competition with the Swedish Chef.Eric Jacobson, an artist for the Muppets, explained that the Muppets operate with "primitive production values ​​and a very low bar."Commenting on Clarín's notes is exclusively for subscribers.To comment you must activate your account by clicking on the e-mail that we sent you to the boxDidn't find the email?Click here and we will resend it to you.To comment on our notes, please complete the following information.The most important news of the day, to read with breakfast.The most important of each day, the necessary reading on the way home.Stones 1743. CABA, ArgentinaEdition Nº: 9556 June 3, 2022You are already a Clarín subscriberOwner Graphic Art Editorial Argentino SA © 1996-2022 Clarín.com - Clarín Digital - All rights reserved.Read the paper edition