Muppets' 'Bohemian Rhapsody' becomes YouTube sensation

London, Dec 3 (ANI): A parody by the Muppets of the classic music video of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has become a YouTube sensation after the video-sharing website got over 8.6 million hits for the footage.

The video is the first to be posted on a new YouTube channel by the Muppets Studio- the Walt Disney Company subsidiary formed in 2004 after the Jim Henson Company sold the franchise.

Muppets Studio general manager Lylle Breier said the online push for the Muppets was designed to help reboot the franchise and quickly get new content to fans.

"When the Muppets came into real popularity was the 1970s. What was popular in the 1970s? Variety shows. That's what 'The Muppet Show' was," the Telegraph quoted Breier as saying.

"What's the Web? It's a giant variety show. That's why the Muppets fit so perfectly. Parody has always been at the heart of what the Muppets do," he added.

Breier said the Muppets singing 'Bohemian Rhapsody' had long been an idea on the back burner, but it was only recently that the idea came together.

And in the video, just about every famous Muppet character makes a cameo-Gonzo and his chickens appear in silhouette, Rowlf plays piano, Beaker supplies his normal "meep-meep-meep-meep", Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are also there.

A Muppet version of 'Carol of the Bells' will be released for Christmas, and a handful of other videos will follow in 2010. (ANI)