Muppets Now: Season 1

Muppets Now largely succeeds at folding flesh-and-blood guests into its proceedings, and for the most part shows no wear from the bumpy ride the characters took to Disney+.

The Muppets have always been funniest when spoofing showbiz, and the same is true of Muppets Now. Though it lacks some of the warmth and sophistication of The Muppet Show, its characters have been smartly updated for the streaming era.

“Muppets Now” is a smart enough update of the franchise that it should have no trouble satisfying longtime fans while converting new ones — which makes the fact of Disney Plus having precious little Muppets content even more disappointing.

A lively, lighthearted sketch show updating the brand for the streaming age with a format aimed at today’s screen-addled youths.

Muppets Now, set to debut on Disney+ later this week, is a brilliantly madcap return to form for the characters Henson created, and a clear reminder of how essential they could be to the larger Disney enterprise.