The Muppet Show is finally coming to streaming in all its original glory

the muppet show
(Image credit: Disney Plus/Jim Henson Company)

It’s time to play the music and light the lights: The Muppet Show is finally getting a streaming home. Yes, after years waiting for the iconic series to be available to stream online, all five of its seasons are headed to Disney Plus.

In a press release, Disney Plus was enthusiastic in reminding outlets that the fourth and fifth seasons would be coming as both had "never previously been released on home entertainment."

The show arrives on February 19, and is the latest high-profile release for the service, following WandaVision, which will have its season finale on March 5.

Fans have been waiting for a moment such as this since 2004, when Disney acquired the rights to the Muppets from Jim Henson Company.

What took so long? It's unclear, but it could be the always-difficult music rights. As the email sent from Disney Plus notes, musical guests included "Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly, and Mark Hamill."

And while it makes sense for all of The Muppet Show to land at Disney Plus, which has Muppets movies, TV shows, shorts and its own original series Muppets Now — not all of the Jim Henson Company library is under that umbrella. 

Both Muppets from Space and The Muppets Take Manhattan are not on subscription-based streaming services. You need to buy or rent those from the likes of Amazon, Apple or Vudu. 

Apple TV Plus holds all four seasons of the Jim Henson Company's Fraggle Rock, as well as the 6-episode series Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, a 2020 Apple TV Plus Original. 

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.