Five Celebrities Who Should Host a Potential Reboot of "The Muppet Show"
It's now been over eight months since the critically well-received return of The Muppet Show for a one-off special celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. The episode featured Sabrina Carpenter and was extremely well-received by fans, and was also a ratings success for Disney+. Yet, despite all this success, Disney still hasn't given the show a full series order, with creatives reportedly unable to find a premise for the show. As anyone who has watched The Muppet Show can tell you, the premise is simple – it's the Muppets putting on a show.
So with Disney dilly-dallying, I want to look towards a hopeful and potential future with my choice of five modern celebrity hosts for a Muppet Show revival.
Olivia Rodrigo
One of the reasons Sabrina Carpenter was likely used as the host for the special was to bring in those ever-elusive Gen Z and Alpha viewers. So it stands to reason that another big artist of today, Olivia Rodrigo, would be an excellent fit. Rodrigo got her start acting in Disney projects like Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and recently hosted SNL where she got to show off her comedic chops. If you look at her music videos, especially the recent "expectations" video with Chappell Roan, you can see that – like Carpenter – Rodrigo has an excellent eye for her brand and creating videos that have a special appeal. With her vast catalogue of highly memorable music, I could see any upbeat song working well with the Muppets – or even something more somber, like "driver's license."
John Stamos
When you think of celebrity Disney fans, your mind will likely point towards either John Stamos or Neil Patrick Harris. Both have been involved in official projects recently, with Harris hosting the Disney Experiences Showcase at D23. But Stamos is heavily involved with Disney, recently appearing in a social video for Disney Jollywood Nights at Walt Disney World alongside his Full House co-star Jodie Sweetin, and even making an appearance with his band at EPCOT next month. Stamos has also appeared alongside the Muppets plenty of times already, including in the 2021 special Muppets Haunted Mansion and in the queue for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. So purely based off these terms, and his natural acting chops, Stamos feels like a shoo-in.
Selena Gomez
Another Disney Channel alum who would perfectly slide into the world of the Muppets is Selena Gomez. The actress has shown off her wit and deadpan perfectly in the popular Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, and her musical catalogue would also bring another element to the proceedings. In the way that the 50th anniversary special also featured Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph, this would be a great place to see Gomez's Only Murders co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short show up. In fact, they could even make a full episode parody of the show, something the original Muppet Show also did from time to time.
John Mulaney
While definitely considered a more adult comedian, John Mulaney would not be a step too far for the Muppets, who are – believe it or not – geared towards adults. I point to Mulaney's 2019 Netflix special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch for the vibe I'm going for here. The special has a variety show feel to it, much like The Muppet Show, with plenty of segments – somewhat reminiscent of another Muppets project, Sesame Street. Mulaney's manic, yet thought-provoking comedy would work perfectly alongside the equally manic Muppets.
Taylor Swift
With how much Taylor Swift has been involved with Disney over the last few years, including an end credits song for Toy Story 5 and content from her Eras Tour hitting Disney+, it feels safe to assume she would be a shoo-in to appear with the Muppets. Swift has reached a stratospheric level of fame and fortune, so where else can she go from here? After middling reviews for her latest album, perhaps an appearance with the Muppets is just what she needs to get some lost fans back. They certainly wouldn't have a shortage of music to draw from – with Swift being the latest in a long line of country stars to appear with the Muppets.
