Are The Muppets in Trouble?

Who would have thought, immediately following the much-watched debut episode of The Muppets on ABC, that the series could be struggling by the beginning of November? The series' premiere episode scored some of the highest ratings of the new fall season, but viewership has dropped dramatically since then, and ABC appears to be looking for ways to retool the show and make it more appealing to a bigger audience.

The most dramatic change came this week when showrunner Bob Kushell, who was also the series' co-creator, was replaced by Kristin Newman. Sources says Kushell's exit was spurred by creative differences with the show's other co-creator, Bill Prady. In any case, the move looks like part of a plan to change the series' direction.

ABC has made a somewhat half-hearted commitment to the show, having recently placed an order for three more episodes, for a total full-season order of 16 episodes. But the series will go on hiatus later this month after the tenth episodes airs; the other six episodes will air sometime after the holidays. The schedule gives producers breathing room to make changes to the show's format and tone, something that critics and fans of the Muppets say is sorely needed.

The Muppets has been controversial from the beginning because of the show's adult-oriented content. Fans and critics have complained that the tone is a poor fit for the traditionally family-friendly characters, and the choice to make the show edgy and risque has been widely blamed for the decline in ratings.