The Muppets has been quietly earning a loyal audience, and right now it is all available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus. Steve Whitmire leads a cast that brings something genuine to every episode. What sets The Muppets apart from the dozens of similar shows is hard to pin down in a single sentence — it is partly the writing, partly the performances, partly the way it commits to its premise without flinching. Genuinely funny in a way that holds up on rewatch: that is the shorthand, but it undersells how well The Muppets executes on it. An audience of 107 has voted with their time — and their score reflects a run without many weak episodes. The streaming access means you can form your own opinion tonight, without any barrier to entry.

Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate The Muppets from the crowd. The Muppets return to primetime with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time ever, a series will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, breakups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires. This is a more adult Muppet show, for “kids” of all ages. Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It aired in 2015–2016. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and The Muppets holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh rather than just smile politely, The Muppets is a strong candidate — fans of The Muppet Show will recognise the sensibility immediately. The writing is sharp without being exhausting, and the jokes land because they are grounded in characters you have had time to understand. The run is exactly long enough to let the relationships develop without wearing out its welcome. Put it on on a weeknight when you need something that is not going to demand your full concentration, then find it demanding your full concentration. This is what good comedy does.