After 45 years, “The Muppet Show” has returned…kind of.

On Feb. 4, a special titled “The Muppet Show” debuted on Disney+ and ABC. The special was developed by frequent collaborators Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen and was directed by Alex Timbers in an attempt to get “The Muppet Show” back on the air. You can think of this as a pilot episode — a test by Disney to see if there is still interest in the Muppets.

This special had a few celebrity guest stars, but the one featured most prominently was Sabrina Carpenter. As a massive fan of Carpenter both as a musician and as a personality, I was delighted when I heard about this choice. There is no current celebrity that I can think of who would fit in better with the Muppets than Carpenter, as she has such a cartoony and exaggerated persona. The idea of seeing Sabrina Carpenter and Miss Piggy interact just sounded so wonderful, and it did not disappoint.

This special follows the Muppets, in their classic meta way, putting on a show after their long hiatus in hopes of reviving their very own “The Muppet Show.”

As usual, we see the Muppets’ behind-the-scenes antics, which include multiple great interactions between Miss Piggy and Sabrina Carpenter, which were not only very funny but also incredibly entertaining and charming.

Sabrina Carpenter performed two musical numbers in the special. First, she performed one of her more recent hits; “Manchild.” She performed this song alongside the chickens, which was a very fun touch.

Carpenter also performed a duet with Kermit, covering “Islands in the Stream,” a song originally performed by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. This performance had a great comedic progression to it that led to a terrific payoff.

Carpenter showcased impressive subtle comedic acting talent in both performances.

The special had a great sense of humor to it overall. It made me laugh out loud multiple times. Even when a joke wasn’t hilarious, it would still have a ton of charm.

One of my favorite bits in the special is that Kermit overbooked acts for the show because he kept saying yes whenever a Muppet asked him if they could participate. Kermit then had to start cutting acts. Not only is this bit really funny, it  also  characterized Kermit. Kermit is a kind, generous soul who wants to make his friends happy, and sometimes he’ll make illogical choices in pursuit of that.

Kermit wasn’t the only Muppet to have great characterization in this special. The Muppets are a large cast of characters, but every main Muppet and even some more obscure ones got their due and were written in a very endearing way. Rizzo the Rat performed a song. The Beautiful Day Monster got a fun bit. Even Pepe the King Prawn got his time to shine.

Besides the opening scene, there wasn’t a strong air of sentimentality to this special. It didn’t feel like nostalgia bait, which was refreshing in the current era of cloying cameos and fan service that we are in. It just felt like a natural continuation of “The Muppet Show,” but in 2026. It came across as incredibly earnest.

I won’t spoil what song they perform, but I will say that the final musical performance brought tears to my eyes, and it’s hard to even articulate why it made me so emotional. Maybe it was because I was watching a new piece of Muppets media in 2026. Maybe it was because I have nostalgia for the song itself. Maybe it was just because the performance was just so unapologetically joyous and optimistic, and that’s what I needed to see that day.

This special was absolutely lovely. I very much hope that “The Muppet Show” gets picked up for a full series run, and if it does, here are a few celebrity guest stars I would love to see: George Clooney, Ayo Edebiri, Brendan Gleeson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jean Smart, Emma Stone and Jeremy Strong.