‘The Muppets’ canceled, becomes latest ABC casualty

Another show has fallen by the way of ABC’s cancellation ax today, and this one is probably a less surprising outcome than we had with either “Nashville” or “Castle.”

In a sea of other cancellations announced today, it has been confirmed now that “The Muppets” will not be returning for a second season. The reason it’s far from a surprise is because the ratings, to be frank, were not great. The larger surprise is that a year ago, this was considered one of the most ambitious shows of the fall season. The presentation was incredibly funny, but for some reason it didn’t mesh well into a series at first. That started to improve steadily when there were some behind-the-scenes changes, but it is very hard for a show to be able to regain an audience once some of the audience is gone.

So what’s next for this franchise? It’s an interesting question, but the sad news is that we’re not sure we see them heading back to TV anytime soon. It’s sad, given that we love these characters and we continue to want to see the best for them. It’s just so hard to recreate some of the magic of the early Muppet products in the modern era, especially when people are more cynical than ever.

“The Muppets” joins a list of shocking cancellations on the day, including “Castle,” “Nashville,” and “Agent Carter.” With a new boss, it’s clear that the network is cleaning house on some less-than-successful shows.