February 8, 2026
Beaker’s eyes pop; fandom does too
The Muppets are horny and weird again (just like Jim Henson intended)
Fans divided: ‘horny Henson energy’ vs ‘keep it kid-friendly’ in Disney’s trial reboot
TLDR: Disney’s new Muppet Show special revives the classic weird, flirty energy and a wild Beaker gag, testing a reboot. Comments split between celebrating Henson-style chaos and worrying it’s too adult for kids, making this trial a flashpoint for nostalgia versus PG expectations.
Disney just dropped a new The Muppet Show special on Disney+ and the comments section went feral. With pop star Sabrina Carpenter guesting, Maya Rudolph flirting with the ancient, blue Beautiful Day Monster, and Kermit openly calling this a reboot “trial balloon,” fans are split between cheering the return of unhinged, flirty, old-school chaos and clutching pearls over the “is this for kids?” factor. One camp insists this is exactly what Jim Henson intended—weird, adult-winking comedy with felt—and the other wants more cuddle, less sizzle.
The scene-stealer wasn’t a celebrity, though—it was Beaker’s eyeballs. In a revived “Muppet Labs” sketch, Bunsen’s focus drops turn Beaker into a baseball machine of flying peepers that keep popping up, even choking Rudolph. Memes erupted: “eye-conic,” “I for one welcome our ocular overlords,” and a flood of GIFs of Beaker’s face doing overtime. Old-school fans squealed over deep cuts like Lew Zealand’s boomerang fish and Johnny Fiama, while newbies frantically linked the Muppet Wiki to keep up.
Executive producer Seth Rogen triggered hot takes—some joked “stoner Muppets” incoming; others praised the respectful reboot vibes. Ship wars brewed (“Maya x Monster forever”), while parents debated the PG line. The loudest theme? Make it a series, but don’t sand down the horny, weird Henson sparkle that made the Muppets iconic.
Key Points
- •A new half-hour The Muppet Show special debuted on Disney+, structured like the 1970s original series.
- •Sabrina Carpenter is the episode’s celebrity guest, and Seth Rogen served as executive producer.
- •Kermit acknowledges on-camera that the special is a test for a potential series reboot.
- •The episode revives classic elements: a shot-for-shot intro, Scooter’s “30 seconds to curtain,” and a “Muppet Labs” sketch with a recurring Beaker eyeball gag.
- •Maya Rudolph appears in the audience, featuring in a running human/Muppet romance with Beautiful Day Monster, alongside numerous obscure character cameos.