History Series / TheMuppetsMayhem

* MondegreenGag: Nora is convinced that the lyrics to "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Music/{{KISS}} say "And ''part'' of every day" instead of "and ''party'' every day" despite repeatedly being told that she's wrong. The band eventually decide to settle it by having Lips, who has a {{photographic memory}} for lyrics, sing the line... but his mumbling makes it completely unintelligeble.
* MushroomSamba: While camping in "Break On Through" the band (except Zoot who doesn't eat sugar) and Nora eat some marshmallows that expired back in the 1990s that cause them to hallucinate. [[spoiler:[[RealAfterAll Zoot gets photographic evidence of all of it,]] with only Nora seeming to have actually hallucinated anything.]]

** In episode 4, Zoot mistakes an argument for a television show and remarks, "This is a narrative of very heavy duty proportions!" (a quote from Dr. Teeth from ''Film/TheMuppetMovie''.)

** In "Break On Through" the Mayhem say they wrote "Can You Picture That?" while camping out in the desert, which is probably a reference to the scene in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' where Kermit's gang meet them in the desert and they all sit round a campfire, just like the band, Nora and Moog do here (although they actually performed the song ''before'' the desert scenes).

** In the final scene of episode 6, a box of Cröonchy Stars cereal (a licensed product from 1988 which featured The Swedish Chef on the package) is on the table.

* OlderThanTheyLook: This has been vaguely implied about the Muppet cast since the 2011 reboot, but is fully on display here; the Electric Mayhem are said to have been on tour since 1972, years before they even debuted in the test pilot of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', and clearly haven't aged a day in that time. Dr. Teeth's parents likewise don't seem old enough to have a son who's been a musician for 50 years -- when one considers the timeline, they're intending to retire and leave their business to a son who is himself well past retirement age. The characters look younger when seen in flashbacks to the 1960s, but have apparently not changed a bit since '72. Preventing this from being too implausible is the fact that, out-of-universe, Zoot has been portrayed by Dave Goelz for that entire 50-year span.

The ten-episode first season of the series follows the band as they set out to record their first platinum album, coming face to face with the modern music industry in the process. The series premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus May 10, 2023. Goldberg has gone [[https://twitter.com/adamfgoldberg/status/1648036935699677184?s=46&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A on record]] stating his hopes to use the show to launch a Muppets SharedUniverse to rival that of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe. Sadly, however, the series was [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/muppets-mayhem-canceled-disney-plus-1235804146/ canceled]] after one season.

The ten-episode first season of the series follows the band as they set out to record their first platinum album, coming face to face with the modern music industry in the process. The series premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus May 10, 2023. Goldberg has gone [[https://twitter.com/adamfgoldberg/status/1648036935699677184?s=46&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A on record]] stating his hopes to use the show to launch a Muppets SharedUniverse to rival that of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe.

** In Episode 8, the band holds a virtual concert in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', rendered in the game's animation style.

** In the second episode Animal offers Nora [[Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper the Baseball Diamond]] as a gift.

** Floyd refers to Dr. Teeth as "fearless leader" several times. "Fearless Leader" was the title of a poem about Creator/JimHenson, written by Floyd's original performer Jerry Nelson, which he recited in character at Jim Henson's memorial service. Similarly, the music shop Floyd once worked at as shown in Episode 6 is called Jerry's in tribute to Jerry Nelson.

* OlderThanTheyLook: This has been vaguely implied about the Muppet cast since the 2011 reboot, but is fully on display here; the Electric Mayhem are said to have been on tour since 1972, when they debuted in the test pilot of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', and clearly haven't aged a day in that time. Dr. Teeth's parents likewise don't seem old enough to have a son who's been a musician for 50 years -- when one considers the timeline, they're intending to retire and leave their business to a son who is himself well past retirement age. The characters look younger when seen in flashbacks to the 1960s, but have apparently not changed a bit since '72. Preventing this from being too implausible is the fact that, out-of-universe, Zoot has been portrayed by Dave Goelz for that entire 50-year span.

** In addition to referencing the ''Muppet Show'' song, the "Mr Bassman" sticker on Floyd's guitar on the teaser is a reference to Music/TheBeatles; Music/PaulMcCartney has a similar sticker on his guitar that just says "Bassman" ([[https://beatlesbassbootcamp.com/the-bassman-sticker-mystery apparently]] acquired from a Fender Bassman amplifier).

** Creator/KevinSmith gets in some SelfDeprecation in episode 7, calling himself a "one-star director" and saying he is ready to embrace family friendly entertainment after "a lifetime of making critically panned R-rated movies". The band also mentions "whatever ''Film/YogaHosers'' was" when discussing the genres Smith has dabbled in.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Penny loves spicy food. Her introduction starts with Nora getting her an iced Mexican mocha with cayenne caramel and four pumps of siracha syrup. And when [[spoiler: The Electric Mayhem temporarily break up, she and Dr Teeth go on a world tour to try the hottest peppers.]]

** Nora is introduced singing along to "Rock and Roll All Nite", but insisting that the lyrics are "and part ''of'' every day", citing both the fact partying 24 hours would be impossible and that her own position at a record company exec means she knows these things (while [[YouGetMeCoffee getting Penny her coffee]]). This establishes that she's enthusiastic about music, doesn't know as much about it as she thinks she does, and is both rather straightlaced and prone to exaggerating her position at Wax Town.
** After JJ shows off his smug, condescending attitude about his app, his acquisition of Wax Town Records, and his former status as the office "bagel boy," he briefly drops it to very sincerely whisper "I love you" to Nora, only to immediately backpedal when she doesn't hear him correctly. This shows that BeneathTheMask of his obnoxious "tech-bro" persona, JJ is a decent but deeply insecure man trying to win back the affection of his ex-girlfriend but doing it in the worst possible way, and destined to fail because of his inability to communicate properly with her.
* FloorboardFailure: Moog disappears through a hole in the floor of The Shack and [[spoiler:[[CrashInThroughTheCeiling lands in]] the forgotten basement recording studio.]]

* TheGhost: [[spoiler:Kermit is only seen in a calendar doodle in Track #7, and mentioned by Zoot in the final post-credit scene.]]
* TheHeart: This series makes it clear to which degree Animal is this to the band. While he's a lot wilder and more uncontrollable than most examples of the trope, he's also very sweet underneath all that wildness, and the other band members treat him like their rowdy but lovable kid brother. In Episode 3, they even refer to him as "the heartbeat of the band" and find themselves unable to play when he's not there. [[spoiler:It's also telling that Animal is the one who gets everyone back together in the last episode.]]
* HammerSpace: Dr. Teeth keeps producing elaborate cocktails out of thin air while he is sitting naked in a hot tub. Nora even asks where he is getting them from and he shrugs it off.
* HatedItemMakeover: When the Electric Mayhem arrives at the shack they think they'll be staying at, they redecorate it to their liking - however, it actually turns out to be Creator/DannyTrejo's house, which was across the street from the shack they ''are'' actually staying at, and he appears rather upset about it. Subverted later in the episode, where Trejo happily points out that the Electric Mayhem painted his house, indicating he grew to like the change.
* HisNameReallyIsBarkeep: Episode 5 reveals that Dr. Teeth and Sgt. Floyd Pepper are not stage names; the former is Gerald Teeth Jr, D.D.S., and Floyd really did hold the rank of sergeant when he left the army.
* IAmTheBand: Defied in universe by Dr. Teeth; despite the band's official name of "[[ArtistAndTheBand Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem]]", he is quick to state he doesn't consider himself the band's leader and gives the others equal say. While the rest of the band are inclined to agree, in Episode 7, the story of how they got their name comes up -- as it turns out, it was Penny's idea due to her infatuation with Dr. Teeth -- which brings up the long-buried resentment of the others for the fact that, ultimately, he ''is'' the face. This leads him to officially declare at the end that the band is, now and forever, officially just "The Electric Mayhem."

* IsThisThingStillOn: The band is joking about how all the high-tech recording equipment in Zedd's studio would make them all obsolete. The intercom to the booth is opened just long enough for Animal to hear them say "we don't even need Animal and his drum set anymore" as they all laugh.

** Animal seems to have a crush on Nora, pining after her and giving her gifts; but after a [[ItMakesSenseInContext marshmallow-induced conversation with an eloquent version of his younger self]] where he [[CommonalityConnection realizes he's drawn to her over them having both being misfits of sorts]], his goal is clearly to protect and help her over any sort of romance, and actively tries to pair her with Moog because he thinks they'd be good for one another.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: When we first meet him, JJ appears to be a superficial, manipulative ass. As the series continues, it becomes clear that he's actually a superficial, manipulative ass who genuinely cares about Nora and wants what's best for her, even if he's largely incapable of understanding what that is.
* LivingLieDetector: Janice is literally allergic to lies being told around her. Nora's claims that she's the CEO of the label with lots of producers willing to work with the band cause such a severe reaction that Janice ends up in the hospital.
* MeaningfulName: Moog, an aspiring music producer, shares his nickname with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moog_synthesizer Moog synthesizer]], the first commerically-available music synthesizer.

* FaceOfTheBand: Defied in universe by Dr. Teeth; despite the band's official name of "Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem", he is quick to state he doesn't consider himself the band's leader and gives the others equal say. While the rest of the band are inclined to agree, in Episode 7, the story of how they got their name comes up -- as it turns out, it was Penny's idea due to her infatuation with Dr. Teeth -- which brings up the long-buried resentment of the others for the fact that, ultimately, he ''is'' the face. This leads him to officially declare at the end that the band is, now and forever, officially just "The Electric Mayhem."

* BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce: Satan's Blowout, a sauce and chip flavor enjoyed by Penny Waxman. Dr. Teeth tries it, but doesn't have the tolerance his girlfriend does and it turns his body into a "blazing hellscape of [his] own making".

* BrickJoke: In Film/TheMuppetMovie, Zoot's defining trait is his ''abysmal'' memory. In this series, he's turned into somewhat of a ShutterBug instead, with his memory issues downplayed. [[spoiler: It turns out him taking pictures is his coping mechanism for said memory issues, and allows them to find out where he put the money for their recording contract, since he took pictures of him hiding it!]]

** Dr. Teeth calls Nora "Label Lady", and eventually starts shortening it to "Labels". Lips calls her "Nobu". Subverted with Moog and JJ -- Moog starts calling her "Thunderdome" but stops when she makes clear she [[EmbarrassingNickname doesn't like it]]. JJ calls her "Smoochie" no matter how much she tells him not to.

The ten episode first season of the series will follow the band as they set out to record their first platinum album, coming face to face with the modern music industry in the process. The series premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus May 10, 2023. Goldberg has gone [[https://twitter.com/adamfgoldberg/status/1648036935699677184?s=46&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A on record]] stating his hopes to use the show to launch a Muppets SharedUniverse to rival that of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe.

** Dr. Teeth calls Nora "Label Lady", and eventually starts shortening it to "Labels". Lips calls her "Nobu". Subverted with Moog and JJ -- Moog starts calling her "Thunderdome" but stops when she makes clear she doesn't like it. JJ calls her "Smoochie" no matter how much she tells him not to.

** In Episode 8, the band holds a virtual concert in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', rendered in the game's engine.

* {{Cult}}: Over the course of two episodes, the Forsureleans somehow develop from fans of Janice's yoga Insta to a hippie commune that calls her "the Earth Mother". Possibly an ApocalypseCult since Janice assures Nona, [[SerenityDissonance in her usual mellow way]], that she will be spared "The Reckoning".

* {{Cult}}: Over the course of two episodes, the Forsureleans somehow develop from fans of Janice's yoga Insta to a hippie commune that calls her "the Earth Mother". Possibly an ApocalypseCult since Janice assure Nona, in her usual mellow way, that she will be spared "The Reckoning".

** In episode 7, Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles states that Lips inspired the song "Walk Like an Egyptian."

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Animal seems to have a crush on Nora, pining after her and giving her gifts; but after a [[ItMakesSenseInContext marshmallow-induced conversation with an eloquent version of his younger self]] where he [[CommonalityConnection realizes he's drawn to her over them having both being misfits of sorts]], his goal is clearly to protect and help her over any sort of romance, and actively tries to pair her with Moog because he thinks they'd be good for one another.

** Nora is introduced singing along to "Rock and Roll All Nite", but insisting that the lyrics are "and part ''of'' every day", citing both the fact partying 24 hours would be impossible and that her own position at a record company exec means she knows these things (while [[YouGetMeCoffee getting Penny her coffee]]). This establishes that she's enthusiastic about music, doesn't know as much about it as she thinks she does, and is both rather straghtlaced and prone to exaggerating her position at Wax Town.

* CompanyCrossReferences: During Floyd's hallcuination in "Break on Through" he sees Music/WeirdAlYankovic appear in a cloud formation and asks if Al's going to tell him to reclaim [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 the Pride Lands]].

* IsThisThingStillOn: The band is joking about how all the high-tech recording equipment in Zedd’s studio would make them all obsolete. The intercom to the booth is opened just long enough for Animal to hear them say “we don’t even need Animal and his drum set anymore” as they all laugh.

** In Episode 8, the band holds a virtual concert in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', rendered in the game’s engine.

** Lips's ringtone is the melody from "Mahna-mahna".

** Creator/CheechAndChong call Zoot [[spoiler: Dave, after his [[Creator/MuppetPerformer performer Dave Goelz]]]], as well as one of the duo’s most famous gags.

** In episode 4, Zoot mistakes an argument for a television show and remarks, "This is a narrative of very heavy duty proportions!" (a quote from Dr. Teeth from Film/TheMuppetMovie.)
** Floyd refers to Dr. Teeth as "fearless leader" several times. "Fearless Leader" was the title of a poem about Jim Henson, written by Floyd's original performer Jerry Nelson, which he recited in character at Jim Henson's memorial service. Similarly, the music shop Floyd once worked at as shown in Episode 6 is called Jerry's in tribute to Jerry Nelson.

* NewOldFlame: Penny, the CEO of Wax Town Records, was romantically involved with Dr. Teeth in the past which is why she's not happy about Nora's plan for the band. However, it doesn’t take long for the two’s old flame to be rekindled again.

*** Episode 7 serves as a WholePlotReference to ''Series/TheBeatlesGetBack'' as a documentary about the band is filmed. It even ends with that documentary’s director, Creator/PeterJackson appearing at the end. Additionally, the band takes a moment to recollect with Jackson about the night they “[[Film/MeetTheFeebles met the Feebles]]”.

** In episode 2, after Nora admits to lying to the band, they lament the lack of honesty in the music industry, but take comfort in the fact that they “still have used-car salesmen and politicians”.
** Creator/KevinSmith gets in some SelfDeprecation in episode 7, calling himself a “one-star director” and saying he is ready to embrace family friendly entertainment after “a lifetime of making critically panned R-rated movies”. The band also mentions “whatever ''Film/YogaHosers'' was” when discussing the genres Smith has dabbled in.

** In the season finale, [[spoiler:Zoot's photos are displayed in The Mallory Gallery.]]