New Looney Tunes

New Looney Tunes
Genre
Based on Looney Tunes
by Warner Bros.
Developed by Erik Kuska
Written by
  • Matt Craig
  • Kevin Fleming
  • Rob Janas
Directed by
  • Sean Petrilak
  • Erik Knutson
  • Scott Bern (Season 1)
  • Ian Wasseluk (also supervising director, Seasons 2–3)
  • Erik Kuska (Season 1)
  • Robb Pratt (Season 1)
  • Jessica Borutski (Season 1)
Voices of
Theme music composer
Opening theme
Ending theme
  • "Wabbit Theme" (Season 1)
  • "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (Season 2–3)
Composer(s) Joshua Funk
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 104 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Sam Register[1]
Producer(s)
  • Matt Craig
  • Gary Hartle
  • Line producers: Jason Wyatt
  • John Bush (season 2–3)
Editor(s) Robby Wells
Running time 11 minutes (2 segments of 5½ minutes or 1 special segment)
22 minutes (4 segments)
Production company(s) Warner Bros. Animation
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network
Picture format HDTV 1080i
Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21) – present
Chronology
Preceded by The Looney Tunes Show
External links
Website

New Looney Tunes (formerly known as Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production for the first season) is an American animated television series from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.[3] The series premiered on September 21, 2015, on Cartoon Network,[4][5] and later premiered on October 5, 2015, on Boomerang. The show, along with most other WBA shows, then later moved to Boomerang's SVOD service, where episodes are released before airing on television.[6][7][8]

On May 23, 2018, the Boomerang streaming service announced that New Looney Tunes would continue through 2019.[9]

The third season will be the show's final season, according to producer Matt Craig.

Production

Squeaks and Bugs, as drawn in a promotional still.[note 1]

After The Looney Tunes Show ended production in 2013, concepts for a new show featuring the Looney Tunes led to the decision for a reboot of the characters. At the time, the idea of making a reboot of all of the Looney Tunes focused mainly on Bugs Bunny and in March 2014, it was announced that the reboot would be known as Wabbit (or Bugs in some regions), to coincide with other reboots of Warner Bros. classics, such as Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! and The Tom and Jerry Show.[11] Sam Register, promoted to president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series a month prior, became supervising producer for the series.[12] The animation was done by Yearim and Rough Draft Studios from South Korea and Snipple Animation from the Philippines.

The aim of the reboot was for the cartoon to match the tone of the Looney Tunes shorts in their earlier days. This led to the characters returning to their slapstick comedy roots,[13] but with producers seeking to avoid their clichés, such as the anvil gag. The show's production team placed their emphasis on writing original stories, as well as devising "modern heavy objects to cause pain", according to producer Erik Kuska, with each episode featuring a few shorts in which one or a number of characters became caught up in a situation that they would handle in their own personal way. However, the characters themselves saw some alterations to their appearances, with some also reverting to personality traits they originally had in their earliest appearances - for example, Daffy Duck was reverted to his original screwball personality from his early shorts.

The first season of the show was known as Wabbit and focused primarily on Bugs Bunny as the main character, with recurring appearances by Yosemite Sam and Wile E. Coyote, and a minor appearance by the Tasmanian Devil. Like his early shorts, Bugs mostly finds himself outwitting opponents either because they seek to cause him trouble or have done something to wreck his peaceful life. The first season saw the introduction of a few new characters to the Looney Tunes franchise,[14] many of them being new villains Bugs faces, but not without the help of his friends.[15]

Among them are:

  • Squeaks the Squirrel - A red squirrel who is Bugs' closest friend and sidekick and can only squeak when talking.
  • Bigfoot - A childlike creature who tends to annoy Bugs.
  • The Barbarian - An unnamed barbarian that runs afoul of Bugs.
    • Krakos - The Barbarian's polar bear mount.
  • Boyd - A lovesick bird.
  • Cal - A strong man who considers himself the best at whatever he is doing.
  • Carl the Grim Rabbit - A rabbit version of the Grim Reaper.
  • Claudette Dupri - A fox spy.
  • Dr. Clovenhoof - A sheep scientist.
  • Elliot Sampson - A bobcat scoutmaster and businessman.
  • Hazmats - A group of men in hazmat suits that often deal with Bugs, Squeaks and Bigfoot.
  • Horace the Horse - A horse who often works with Porky.
  • Ivana - A woman who often encroaches on Bugs' territory.
  • Jack - A "jack of all trades" who does various work. The character was dropped after his first two appearances because his screaming trait was becoming similar to Yosemite Sam.[16]
  • King Thes - A royal lion who tries to eat anyone.
  • Leslie P. Lilylegs - An obnoxious short man who tends to desire power while working for his different bosses.
  • Pampreen and Paul Perdy - Two rich kids that are related to Leslie.
  • Rhoda Roundhouse - A female wrestler.
  • Shameless O’Scanty - A not-so-lucky leprechaun.
  • Sir Littlechin - A knight who often targets mythical animals.
  • Slugsworthy the First - A stuck-up elephant seal.
  • Squint Eatswood - A discriminatory beaver.
  • Tad Tucker - A reality television personality.
  • Trey Hugger - An activist.
  • Winter Stag - A cryokinetic deer.

According to Kuska, the focus on newer antagonists for Bugs to deal with was described as allowing him to do his "best when he's up against a really good adversary". As a result of the inclusion of new villains, Kuska felt that Elmer Fudd might not be "the man" anymore, having often been a common antagonist that Bugs dealt with in many shorts, despite appearing later on in the series.[14]

After the first season ended, the production team decided to focus on the other Looney Tunes stars besides Bugs, thus the show was retooled and renamed New Looney Tunes for the second season and featured a new intro. While Bugs and those featured in the first season returned, the second season saw the addition of the other classic characters including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Granny, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, Road Runner, Pepé Le Pew, Petunia Pig and Lola Bunny. Some episodes saw characters operating as a double act (a plot mechanic mainly used for Daffy and Porky, as had been done in the classic shorts). Other obscure figures from the classic Looney Tunes shorts such as the Goofy Gophers, Michigan J. Frog, Cecil Turtle, Hubie and Bertie, Count Blood Count, Marc Antony and Pussyfoot, Claude Cat, Pete Puma and Gabby Goat also made appearances.

Characters

Main Characters

Supporting Charaters

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
152September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)February 8, 2018 (2018-02-08)Cartoon Network (episodes 1–22)
Boomerang SVOD (episodes 23–52)
Boomerang
252February 8, 2018 (2018-02-08)TBABoomerang SVOD
Boomerang

Reception

Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes Premiered Ended Viewers
(in millions)
Date Premiere viewers
(in millions)		 Date Finale viewers
(in millions)
1 for Boomerang
Weekdays 8:00 p.m. (episodes 1-12)
Monday 8:00 p.m. (episode 13-19)
Saturday 7:00 p.m. (episodes 20-22)
Friday 1:45 a.m. (episode 23)
Weeknights 2:15 a.m. (episode 24-present)
52
October 5, 2015
 0.28[18]
TBA
 TBA
1 for CN
Weekdays 5:00 p.m. (episodes 1-12)
Thursday 5:00 p.m. (episode 13)
Thursday 2:00 p.m. (episode 14)
Thursday 8:45 a.m. (episode 15)
Saturday 10:00 a.m. (episodes 16-20)
Saturday 9:45 a.m. (episodes 21-present)
 52
September 21, 2015
 1.24[18]
TBA
 TBA 1.59

Broadcast

Wabbit premiered on September 21, 2015 on Cartoon Network and on Boomerang beginning October 5, 2015, then went on hiatus for over a year and return on April 7, 2017.[19][20][21][22] The series premiered on November 2 on Boomerang in Australia and New Zealand and on Boomerang in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[23][24] It premiered on November 6, 2015 on Teletoon in Canada[25] and debuted on December 19 on Boomerang in the Middle East and Africa.[26] In India, the series premiered on Pogo TV on 19 December 2015.[27] The series premiered on January 10, 2016 on Cartoon Network Arabic in the Middle East.

New episodes began being broadcast on Boomerang, starting April 7, 2017.

Season 2 premiered on Boomerang UK on September 4, 2017.

The entire first season is available on Netflix in Canada.

The show streams exclusively on the Boomerang premium subscription service, available on Android, iOS, desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet, Roku and Chromecast.[6]

Home media

The first half of Season 1 of Wabbit was released onto DVD on April 26, 2016 in the United States. Despite being half of a season, the DVD is subtitled, Hare-Raising Tales. The DVD contains the first 26 episodes (52 segments) but is labeled on the side as Season 1 – Part 1.[28][29] The DVD contains episodes 23–26 which did not air in the United States until April 7, 2017. Disregarding the show's European name, Wabbit: Season 1 – Part 1 was also released in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2016[30] and 15 June 2016 in Australia.[31]

Explanatory notes

    1. ↑ Early press kits give Squeaks a different appearance.[10]

    References

    1. ↑ http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9NjgyNjMyfENoaWxkSUQ9MzkyMTM5fFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1
    2. ↑ Spangler, Todd (March 7, 2017). "Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly". Variety. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
    3. ↑ http://www.boomerangtv.co.uk/shows/newlooneytunes
    4. ↑ "Cartoon Network – TV Schedule". adultswim.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30.
    5. ↑ https://twitter.com/cartoonnetwork/status/644933942597013504
    6. 1 2 http://kidscreen.com/2017/12/12/boomerang-heads-to-amazon-channels/
    7. ↑ https://sfsketchfest2018.sched.com/mobile/#session:ee55ea548cc5e14ce25eef35bc027aa9
    8. ↑ Spangler, Todd (7 March 2017). "Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly". variety.com.
    9. ↑ https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/boomerang-new-scooby-doo-flintstones-spinoffs-1202818966/
    10. ↑ For example, see: Loveday, Samantha (October 6, 2014). "The Big Interview: Preston Kevin Lewis, General Manager, Warner Bros. Consumer Products UK & Ireland". Licensing.biz. NewBay Media. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
      • Compare with: Spiegel, Danny (July 22, 2014). "Coming Attractions". TV Guide (Comic-Con Special ed.). OpenGate Capital: 79.
    11. ↑ Perlman, Jake (March 10, 2014). "Cartoon Network Reviving Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
    12. ↑ "Sam Register Upped to President of Warner Bros. Animation, Will Head New Digital Unit". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. April 23, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
    13. ↑ Staff writer (July 11, 2014). "WBSDCC 2014 TV Guide Covers" (Press release). Warner Bros. Television. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
    14. 1 2 Spiegel, Danny (July 22, 2014). "Coming Attractions". TV Guide (Comic-Con Special ed.). OpenGate Capital: 79.
    15. ↑ Staff writer (March 10, 2014). "Cartoon Network Evolves with Kids: Always On" (Press release). Turner Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
    16. ↑ http://michaeljruocco.tumblr.com/post/130781208568/heres-another-set-of-rough-storyboard-to-final
    17. ↑ Matthew Mercer [@matthewmercer] (September 19, 2015). "Proud to be playing Bigfoot in the new series "Wabbit", premiering Monday on #CartoonNetwork!" (Tweet). Retrieved September 27, 2015 – via Twitter.
    18. 1 2
    19. ↑ Denise Petski. "Turner Broadcasting & Warner Bros Ink Global Multi-Series Deal For Boomerang". Deadline.
    20. ↑ Brian Steinberg. "Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo Return To Boost Boomerang – Variety". Variety.
    21. ↑ "Breaking News – Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Sign Global Multi-Series Deal For Boomerang – TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com.
    22. ↑ "16 Family-Friendly Fall Shows You Shouldn't Miss – TV Insider". TV Insider.
    23. ↑ "Boomerang November Highlights". Eckfactor (Press release). Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
    24. ↑ RegularCapital (October 15, 2015). "Boomerang UK And Cartoonito UK November 2015 Highlights" (Press release). Turner Broadcasting System Europe. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
    25. ↑ "TELETOON Goes Back To Cool This Fall!" (Press release). Toronto: Corus Entertainment. September 3, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
    26. ↑ Dube, Prosper (November 10, 2015). "Boomerang Europe, Middle East And Africa (EMEA) December 2015 Highlights". Blogspot. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
    27. ↑ "Pogo brings back Bugs Bunny with 'Wabbit'". 17 December 2015.
    28. ↑ "Wabbit S1 P1". 26 April 2016 – via Amazon.
    29. ↑ "Wabbit DVD news: Press Release for Season 1, Part 1: Hare-Raising Tales – TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 2016-02-15.
    30. ↑ "Wabbit: Hare-Raising Tales". 25 July 2016 – via Amazon.
    31. ↑ "Wabbit: Series 1 Part 1". 15 June 2016 – via EzyDVD.
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