Very soon, we’re to be re-introduced to The Muppets on TV, courtesy of a new, The Office-style sitcom that follows them at work and behind the scenes. Of course, The Muppet Show was also a blend of performance and off-stage antics, so it’s not a new or particularly subversive idea to say puppets have lives when they’re not actually mid-act, it just has shakier camera work now.

Anyway, I suppose the Muppets should be allowed to “borrow ideas” from The Muppets. They certainly have before (see below).

What follows are some thoughts on the eight Muppet movies made for cinemas to date. I’ve ranked them, which was pretty much like picking a favourite kid… by which I mean it was quite easy, actually, but I have to pretend it was a heart-wrenching insult to my integrity so that I can look good in public.

What all of these films have in common is the Muppets. They’ve been through so much over the years and faced so many set-backs, none more savage than the untimely passing of Jim Henson, that their continued appeal stands as testament to their megalithic cultural relevance and insoluble endurance.