I’ve been watching Muppets Tonight for the first time recently, and I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying it. It’s no Muppet Show (but what is?), but I expected it to be much worse. In fact, I’d say it actually has a more consistent tone than The Muppet Show so far. I suppose that’s the benefit of having twenty years of experience and experimentation behind you, instead of practically starting from scratch.
The main problem is that, while the new characters are amusing enough, by introducing so many of them, most of the classic characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and Gonzo- and really, you can hardly call it a Muppet series without them- hardly get any screentime. It feels weird.
Another issue is that Clifford is just... boring. Let’s face it- he’s not Kermit. I have a strong suspicion that they didn’t have much confidence in Steve Whitmire’s Kermit in the ‘90s (and I can hardly blame them), so they tended to avoid using him very much. Clifford is... fine. He’s a straight man, I guess. He reacts to the disasters that occur in the show. It’s no wonder he’s hardly used anymore.
What I don’t understand is how, of all characters, Pepe wound up being a main character. I’ve already expressed my disdain for Pepe in another post- I find him unfunny and unpleasant, and he’s simply not a nice person. I would’ve preferred Johnny Fiama or Bobo the Bear to be semi-regular characters instead. I like them.