It’s time to interview the talent behind Kermit’s new unscripted sketch show.
WHY KERMIT AND CO ARE THROWING OUT THE SCRIPT WITH MUPPETS NOW…
Ever since the curtain rose on The Muppet Show in 1976, not a decade’s gone by without Jim Henson’s fuzzy, feelgood folk appearing on TV in some iteration (alongside multiple big-screen outings). Kermit and his constantly evolving gang of felt thespians are back once again with Muppets Now on Disney+. Small Screen sits down with veteran Muppeteer Bill Barretta (whose roles include Pepe The Prawn and Swedish Chef) to discover the gameplan for the characters’ first-ever unscripted series…
You’ve been performing with the Muppets since 1991. What was your goal with
Muppets Now?
Bill Barretta: It’s just about offering something that allows people to feel, instead of just being in a cerebral world. And I love the idea it’s unscripted. We wanted to make it feel loose and crazy and weird, and have great celebrity guests that came on that were just excited to play with us. We tried to keep that open and playful. And stick to who the characters are, and the relationships. I think you can’t really go wrong, because we’re all just so stupid! [laughs]
Jim Henson was renowned for hiring talented collaborators. How do you keep that ethos going with this generation of performers?
BB: I wasn’t there during the Jim time, but I feel like, based on conversations I’ve had with Dave Goelz [Gonzo] and many other people, that it’s just about the relationships; that’s what drives the characters up above us. If we’re not connecting down there [under the puppets], then they’re not connecting
up there. So, I think it’s really rooted in the performers. We have all now been [together] for at least 20 years and have a real understanding of what feels right. We have to trust ourselves to make ourselves laugh. And if we’re making ourselves laugh, we know that we’re doing it in a respectful and responsible way, and are hopefully on the right track.
How did you decide sketch comedy was the right format for the show?
BB: Ultimately, some smart people at Disney+ thought, “Here’s the format we should follow. Let’s stick with this idea.” And I think as it grew, and the editing process evolved, we looked at [the characters] and asked, are they better together? And what would be a nice way of bringing them all together?
Let’s talk about some of the sketches… ‘Okey Dokey Kookin’’ is the first proper cooking show for the Swedish Chef, right?
BB: Yes! We just thought, ‘Let’s try and make it feel like a real show and throw the Chef in there and mess it all up and see what that feels like.’ And it made us laugh, which was the idea!
Tell us about ‘Mup Close And Personal’, which is focused on celebrity interviews.
BB: There are characters that will be interviewing other [celebrities]; it’s not just Kermit. And it’s not about trying to be funny. It’s actually about just trying to do an interview and throw some ridiculous things in that get in the way a little while the interview is going on. And those are really funny. I love those.
Did you aim to bring in celebs who already knew how to vibe with the Muppets?
BB: It wasn’t necessarily about finding people that we’ve worked with, because there were certainly people that we hadn’t already that are in some of these [interviews]. For example, Aubrey Plaza, we’ve never worked with her, and she is hysterical.
‘Muppet Labs’ is also a proper science segment, with real lessons.
BB: We’re really trying to do a little bit of science, which is not the norm for Bunsen and Beaker. We thought, “Well, let’s try that.” And again, we got some great guests – and I just love the animations created by Soapbox Films.
Will music feature in any of the episodes? The Muppets love a song… BB:
Music is universal. I don’t think it matters how old you are, so yes, absolutely. Music is so important to us and, to me, it’s the root of the Muppets. That’s where Jim started with them. I’m always pushing for music, and we have some really beautiful things coming.
You had to shoot some of the linking sequences at home because of Covid-19. Difficult? BB:
The challenge has only been technical, to get the quality that you’re looking for. A lot of us, we’re paying our family members too. My son has been helping me out, and my wife. It’s been fun. We don’t normally get to do that. It’s actually created something I don’t think we ever expected. And I’ve loved it. And I’ve just found so many nooks and little corners of my house to use as backdrops that suit the characters.
Will there be more Now in the future?
BB: To be honest, I don’t think anybody has decided yet. So, I don’t really have an answer for that. I just know that these first six are coming! Tara Bennett
MUPPETS NOW WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DISNEY+ FROM 31 JULY.
‘MUSIC IS SO IMPORTANT TO US, IT’S THE ROOT OF THE MUPPETS’
BILL BARRETTA