Muppet Babies | |
---|---|
Also known as | Disney Junior's Muppet Babies |
Genre | |
Based on |
|
Developed by | Mr. Warburton Chris Hamilton |
Directed by |
|
Voices of |
|
Opening theme | "Muppet Babies" Main Title Theme by Renée Elise Goldsberry |
Ending theme | "Muppet Babies" Main Title Theme (instrumental) |
Composers | Andy Bean Keith Horn |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 71 (142 segments) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Mr. Warburton |
Producers | Supervising Producer: Chris Hamilton Line Producers: Sunisa Petchpoo Kurt Weldon (S1) Co-Producers: Eric Shaw (S1) Matt Danner Chris Moreno Robyn Brown |
Animator | Snowball Studios |
Running time | 23 minutes |
Production companies | The Muppets Studio Odd Bot Animation |
Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
Release | |
Original network | Disney Junior |
Original release | March 23, 2018 February 18, 2022 | –
Chronology | |
Preceded by | The Muppets (2015–2016) |
Followed by | Muppets Now (2020) |
Related | Muppet Babies (original series) |
Muppet Babies is an American computer-animated television series featuring toddler versions of the Muppets characters that began airing on Disney Junior and Disney Channel on March 23, 2018[1] and is aimed at a target audience of children from ages 3 to 8.[2] It is a reboot of the original 1984 animated series of the same name.
The show retains several of the younger incarnations of the classic Muppet characters seen in the previous series, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo, and Animal. The series also sees the second appearance of Nanny (now known as "Mrs. Nanny"), and the first appearance of a new Muppet Babies member named Summer Penguin.[1]
The series finale aired on February 18, 2022.[3]
The show details Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Summer Penguin, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and The Great Gonzo and a cast of characters using their imaginations.
Main article: List of Muppet Babies (2018 TV series) episodes |
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 20 | March 23, 2018 | May 3, 2019 | |
Special | August 3, 2018 | |||
2 | 21 | August 9, 2019 | August 21, 2020 | |
3 | 30 | January 4, 2021 | February 18, 2022 |
Main article: List of Muppets |
Unlike the previous series, the update is produced using computer-generated animation and features two 11-minute stories per episode. The series is aimed at children between the ages of four and seven.[6]
Tom Warburton, best known for creating Cartoon Network's Codename: Kids Next Door, is the executive producer and Eric Shaw, former writer on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, is the story editor and co-producer.[7] The show is a co-production between Disney Junior, Odd Bot Animation, Snowball Studios and The Muppets Studio.
On October 23, 2020, it was reported that original Muppet Babies writer Jeffrey Scott would sue The Walt Disney Company for using ideas that originated in the 1984 series without permission or credit.[8] Scott also stated that he presented ideas and concepts to Disney in 2016 that were used without his permission.[9] On January 27, 2021, Disney filed a motion to dismiss it.[10] Disney argued that Scott had no legal grounds to sue because his ownership to the copyright had ceased when he filed for bankruptcy in 2003. The case was dismissed without prejudice on March 31, 2021.[11]
However, in September 2022, a U.S. district judge declined Disney's request to officially dismiss the case, finding Disney had allegedly copied elements from Scott's production bible. Among the presented evidence was the "nanny character with her distinctive colored socks" and similarly-themed episodes between the original series and the reboot.[12]
The series premiered on Disney Junior on March 23, 2018 in the United States, the following day in Canada, and in Mexico on June 10.[2]
On September 7, 2018, it was renewed for a second season which premiered 11 months later on August 9, 2019.[13] On July 25, 2019, it was renewed for a third and final season, which premiered on January 4, 2021.[14]
Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) |
18–49 rank | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||
1 | 19 | March 23, 2018 | 0.89[15] | May 3, 2019 | 0.45 | 0.74 | TBD |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Muppet Babies | Nominated | |
2019 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Muppet Babies | Nominated | |
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Preschool Animated Children's Series | Tom Warburton Eric Shaw Joe Sichta Chris Hamilton Sarah Finn Kurt Weldon |
Nominated | ||
Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special | Jennifer Trujillo | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program | Eric Bauza | Nominated | |||
Ben Diskin | Won | ||||
2020 | |||||
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Format Children’s Program: Muppet Babies: Play Date | Tom Warburton Matt Danner Andy Bean |
Nominated | ||
Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program | Eric Bauza | Nominated | |||
Matt Danner | Won | ||||
Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program | Matt Danner Guy Moore Collette Sunderman |
Nominated | |||
2021 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program | Eric Bauza | Nominated | |
2022 | 33rd GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Children’s Programming | Muppet Babies – "Gonzo-rella" | Nominated | [16] |