'The Muppets': A look at upcoming guest stars on the new ABC show
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
We now know another guest who will be appearing on ABC鈥檚 upcoming program 鈥淭he Muppets.鈥�
鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� actor Liam Hemsworth about his appearance on the TV show, and it looks like he鈥檒l be vying for the affections of a certain female Muppet.
In addition to the 鈥淗unger鈥� franchise, Hemsworth has also appeared in such films as 鈥淭he Last Song鈥� and 鈥淧aranoia鈥� and is set to star in the new 鈥淚ndependence Day鈥� film.聽
Other 聽to appear on 鈥淭he Muppets,鈥� which debuts on Sept. 22, include 鈥淲ild鈥� actress Reese Witherspoon, Topher Grace of 鈥淎merican Ultra,鈥� 鈥淪candal鈥� actress Kerry Washington (鈥淪candal鈥� is also an ABC program), 鈥淧itch Perfect 2鈥� director Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion of 鈥淐astle鈥� (also an ABC show), and the band Imagine Dragons.
The Muppet characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear, appeared on TV on the popular program 鈥淭he Muppet Show,鈥� which ran from 1976 to 1981. The group also starred in various films in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including 鈥淭he Muppet Movie鈥� and 鈥淭he Great Muppet Caper.鈥� The 1999 film 鈥淢uppets from Space鈥� wasn鈥檛 well-received, but the Muppets came back in pop culture with the release of the 2011 film 鈥淭he Muppets,鈥� which was well-reviewed and did well at the box office. 2014鈥檚 鈥淢uppets Most Wanted鈥� also did fairly well, though it grossed less at the box office and was received less positively by reviewers.聽
The Muppets鈥� previous high-profile TV gig, 鈥淭he Muppet Show,鈥� was hailed for being enjoyable for children and adults and as it became even more famous, the show drew guest stars like Mark Hamill, Ethel Merman, Elton John, and Roger Moore.聽
Now the new program reflects change in comedy. Mockumentary-style shows have become ubiquitous with the popularity of programs like NBC鈥檚 鈥淭he Office鈥� and 鈥淧arks and Recreation鈥� and ABC鈥檚 own 鈥淢odern Family.鈥� According to ABC, the new program will also include behind-the-scenes looks at the Muppets in their homes and elsewhere outside the studio.
