Classic 1980s Cartoon Muppet Babies Returning on Disney Junior

Disney Junior will reboot the classic children's cartoon Muppet Babies for a 2018 premiere, according to published reports. The series, which originally ran on CBS for eight seasons and 108 episodes from 1984 to 1991, will now be CG-animated but maintain the show's original focus on children between the ages of 4-7. “We are proud, and a little bit giddy, to begin production on our new version of the much-loved Muppet Babies,” said Nancy Kanter, executive vice president, original programming and general manager, Disney Junior Worldwide. “Parents will delight in seeing their favorite Muppets in the mixed animation style they remember from the original series, and kids will be introduced to this warm and zany world made just right for the Disney Junior audience.” “Bringing Muppet Babies to Disney Junior is a wonderful opportunity to reach a new generation of viewers and to creatively build on the innovative original series,” said Debbie McClellan, vice president, the Muppets Studio. “We hope to engage and delight the nostalgic fans while also entertaining new kids, parents and diverse audiences through heart and humor as only the Muppets can deliver.” Muppet Babies was originally a co-production of by The Jim Henson Company and Marvel Productions, and portrayed childhood versions of the Muppets living together in a nursery under the care of an unseen human woman called "Nanny." The first depiction of "baby" Muppets was in the 1984 film The Muppets Take Manhattan, four months before the premiere of the cartoon. The rights to the series are now held by The Walt Disney Company, which since the original airing have also separately acquired both the Muppets characters and Marvel. Production on the new edition of Muppet Babies for 2018 has already begun. The show will feature two 11-minute features per episode with Tom Warburton (The 7D) as executive producer and Eric Show (SpongeBob SquarePants) as story editor. The new show will be a co-production of Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products, Interactive Media, and The Muppets Studio.