Disney+ brings back The Muppet Show with disclaimers attached

Last week, Disney+ brought back the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, and Muppetational variety show, The Muppet Show.  Since its debut in 1976, the series has become a cult classic, packed with memorable guest stars,  iconic sketches, and that hidden adult humor.

For the many who got to watch it when it originally aired, and those who watched in syndication, its arrival on streaming is a trip down Memory Lane. The show grabbed some of the top stars in the 1970’s-including Mark Hamill, Alice Cooper, and the late Cloris Leachman.

Thanks to creator Jim Henson, we can now relive that The Muppet Show magic, and be reunited with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and all our other faves. Plus, its arrival on Disney+ will likely bring in a whole new legion of fans.

But several episodes will look a little different than they did at the time of their original airing. A content disclaimer will now run before each installment, indicating that the program may contain harmful stereotypes or other offensive content.

The disclaimer reads

"“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” the disclaimer states. “Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together,” the disclaimer says.Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.”"

Eighteen of the 118 episodes available on Disney+ will feature the disclaimer before airing and while some are a bit shocked at the move since the show is geared towards children, there is solid reasoning behind the decision.

Among other things, there are sketches that feature The Muppets in Native American dress in a few of the episodes, as well as a Johnny Cash musical number in season 5 that had a Confederate flag in the background.

But rather than cut or otherwise omit the scenes, Disney+ decided to keep them in the episodes for preservation and education on cultural depictions.

These aren’t the only changes to The Muppet Show, however. Aside from the disclaimer, several scenes were cut or couldn’t make the final upload approval due to music copyrights.

Why Season 5’s Brooke Shields’s The Muppet Show episode was not included

Nearly all the episodes are available to stream on the platform, with a few notable exceptions. The Brooke Shields episode is missing, as the song “We’re Off To See The Wizard” falls under  MGM/Warner Media copyright.  The song originally appeared in the 1939 film, The Wizard Of Oz, that starred Judy Garland.  While the book on which the film is based is considered fair use at this point, the movie does not and would require further legal wrangling to use its material.

Another removed episode (also from season 5) was Chris Langham’s guest appearance.  Langham (a writer for the series himself) filled in for Richard Pryor when the comedian dropped out at the last minute.  While Disney did not disclose the reason why the episode is not included, it may have to do with Langham’s 2007 legal conviction on child pornography charges.

Even with these changes, however, The Muppet Show is truly the “Muppetational”  pull we need at the moment.

Who is your favorite Muppet and guest star on the iconic series?  Let us know in the comments section.