The Muppets Are Back!

When I was a wee one I watched The Great Muppet Caper, oh, about five gazillion times. (Years later, I once interviewed the film's villain, Charles Grodin, and I had to seriously stop myself for inquiring about the Baseball Diamond.)

But as much as I loved the Muppets as a kid, I have been feeling a serious void as an adult.

Had Fozzie spiraled into depression after his stand-up career hit a snag? Had Gonzo gone into seclusion after a botched rhinoplasty? Did Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band slip into that period of turmoil so often chronicled on Behind the Music? In short, no, no and no.

Just when I thought the Happiness Hotel had boarded up shop for good comes some truly awesome news: The Muppets are back — in a big way! Thewrap.com reports that 2010 is expected to be the Year of the Muppet. Popular characters are popping up on shows like "Dancing with the Stars," which recently featured Animal banging on the drums while Aaron Carter shimmied to "The Muppet Show" theme song, and Miss Piggy put Samantha Harris' job in serious jeopardy when she interviewed guests during the season finale.

The gang is featured prominently on Disney's Web site (the company bought the rights back in 2004, but has kept them low-profile until recently) and Kermit and Miss Piggy are co-starring in Disney ads alongside James Denton and Taye Diggs. There's a Muppet Halloween special expected to debut this fall, followed by a new movie written by Jason Segal of How I Met Your Mother and Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame.

Of course, any pop culture connoisseur knows that the great rise of the Muppets was obvious last year, thanks to a couple of YouTube video mega-hits. For instance, in November, Tonic's own Erin Green told you about the Muppet rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody," which has gotten a staggering 11.5 million views. Last month, Tonic's Jac Chebatoris introduced you to the Muppet's "Ringing of the Bells" holiday video, which has gotten more than 750,000 hits. Other YouTube videos featuring the Swedish Chef and others are also viral video success stories.

So just in case you thought the Muppets were a thing of the past, think again. Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang were just taking an extended vacation. The best is yet to come.

Photo courtesy of Express Monorail (vacation) via Flickr.