Can you picture that?
We can with our exclusive first look atThe Muppets Mayhem,a new series heading toDisney+this year.
“I mean, they have Kermit.”
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem face a tough audience with record executives, along with Nora (Lilly Singh), Moog (Tahj Mowry) and JJ (Anders Holm).Mitch Haaseth/Disney
“It was unbelievable,” he says.
“It was … one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had with the Muppets.
There was something like 30,000 people that came to the park.
A jam session with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.Mitch Haaseth/Disney
I thought, ‘Well, there’s something there.’
What if this band went on the road?
What if the band went on tour?
The groovy vibes of a Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem show.Mitch Haaseth/Disney
“Jeff conceived the whole thing,” Goldberg says.
And then that was the sizzle we used to actually sell this thing.”
“This is just about the band specifically,” Goldberg says.
Nora (Lilly Singh) and Animal hang out.
You could tell this giant story with the hundreds of characters that they have.
It is about the band and not the tone of a variety show.”
Though don’t start thinking this isDaisy Jones & the Sixwith Muppets.
Nora (Lilly Singh), Janice, and Hannah (Saara Chaudry) have a heart-to-heart.Mitch Haaseth/Disney
“They get along better than Fleetwood Mac,” Yorkes says with a laugh.
“But they’re definitely from a different era.
That’s the comedy of it.
They’re a group of characters that have no real goals or ambitions.
Whatever you want to do, they roll with it.
“How do you find that balance?
That’s every musician or artist’s struggle they would love everybody to love them.
To that end, the show will boast an epic soundtrack.
But there will also be plenty of original songs too as the band writes their album.
But don’t necessarily expect your favorite Muppet to pop up.
“We are telling a regular story in the real world with Muppets,” Goldberg says.
“We’ve found a real balance,” Barreta reflects.
You want to keep everybody interested.
“Sisterhood is a key ingredient in this show,” Chaudry says.
“Nora and Hannah go through a lot together.
They grow as people, but as sisters as well.”
Another new element to the series is the diversity of the human cast.
Traditionally, in a reflection of the industry itself, the Muppets have starred opposite white actors.
ButThe Muppets Mayhemoffers audiences a much more colorful world beyond mere shades of felt.
“Everyone has a memory of seeing the Muppets for the first time.
Everyone has a love story with the Muppets.
I had never seen myself in those stories.
I know other people probably don’t see themselves.
I really wanted this role so that it could look different.”
In just about every way,The Muppets Mayhemwon’t look like any Muppet story that has come before.
And that’s pretty darn groovy.
Further details, including premiere date, are still to come.
