Critic Reviews

A blend of music-biz satire and sentimental life lessons that makes for an enjoyable road trip, if not the mind-blowing concert you’ll never forget.

The Muppets Mayhem is certainly one of the more fun and compelling creations from The Muppets’ Disney era.

It’s perhaps the best post-Henson Muppet show, even though — or exactly because — it features none of the usual headliners but strikes into fresh territory while maintaining the proper mix of satire, slapstick, silliness, subtlety and sentiment. The writing is good; the jokes land with Simone Biles consistency.

The Muppets are great too. As funny and believable as ever, brilliant as an ensemble and apart – and there is even a small but monstrously touching backstory for Animal that may just start you crying again, even after all your hard work. Among the human elements, things are less successful (aren’t they always?).

A sharp yet warm-hearted new series.

The Muppets Mayhem is a funny, fast-paced show which doesn’t sacrifice story or characters for pop culture references and celebrity cameos. And the fact that it’s family friendly is a bonus.

At its best, The Muppets Mayhem is like a family-friendly version of Spinal Tap or Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, minus the mockumentary format.

The show starts off a little iffy. .... By the 10th and final episode, those early concerns have mostly faded, and you find yourself happy that Disney is able to find a way to put good, new Muppets stories out in the world.

“Muppets Mayhem” puts the spotlight on these one-note secondary characters. It’s like taking a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of spice and instead using two cups of spice — and no other ingredients. The result is unappetizing — a dry, dull and disappointing Muppets series.

“Muppets Mayhem” is an inoffensive addition to that library, but in terms of hitting memorable creative beats, its “Electric” characters don’t come close to catching lightning in a bottle.