“The Muppet Show” made its long-awaited debut on Disney + on Friday, but not with all 120 episodes of Jim Henson’s iconic variety series.
Disney + currently features 118 of these episodes, with two episodes from Season 5 omitted. This is a shame, as seasons 4 and 5 of “The Muppet Show” were never made available for home entertainment. The episodes in question were those starring Brooke Shields and British comedian Chris Langham. In addition, a season 2 episode featuring Don Knotts is edited (a Reddit user has tracked all changes here).
According to a Disney + spokesman, it was all about music rights issues.
As for Langham, it is a little more complicated. In 2007, the comic (who replaced Richard Pryor as a last-minute guest) was found guilty of possessing child pornography and served a six-month prison sentence. Disney declined to comment on that part.
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Old films and series usually go through a reevaluation whenever they are licensed for another life on a new platform, as with “Os Muppets”, and this includes a verification of musical rights, as well as a reevaluation to see if the content still holds for modern audiences.
“The Muppet Show” stars Caco, the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, the Swedish Chef and more in “an innovative twist on the classic variety show, combining original songs, comic skits and guest stars in prime time success for all ages ”, according to its official description.
Originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC, but later broadcast by that broadcaster and other American networks, “The Muppet Show” was aired on the UK’s ATV channel and other ITV franchises and in distribution for the first time on CBS in the USA from 1976 to 1981.
During the five-season season of “The Muppet Show”, several renowned guest stars stopped by the series, including Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly and Mark Hamill.
“The Muppet Show” joins a lineup of Muppet content on Disney +, including classic films like “Muppet Treasure Island”, as well as the new “Muppets Now” series.