Looney Tunes is formally settling into a brand new TV residence, and it’s a reasonably becoming one. Beginning February 2, the legendary animated shorts will start airing on Turner Traditional Films, giving these timeless cartoons a platform that treats them just like the movie historical past staples they’re.
As a part of the transfer, Warner Bros. Discovery is licensing greater than 750 basic shorts to TCM. The rollout kicks off with a weeklong marathon spotlighting Bugs Bunny, who’ll even be topped Star of the Month.
Main the cost is “A Wild Hare,” the 1940 brief that marked Bugs’ official debut. Directed by Tex Avery, the cartoon went on to earn an Oscar nomination the next 12 months and stays one of the necessary entries in animation historical past.
TCM plans to program them on an ongoing foundation, with choose titles airing as official TCM Premieres. This isn’t a short-term experiment both. The licensing deal spans six years, positioning the community because the long-term tv vacation spot for these cartoons.
Programming SVP Charlie Tabas defined why the partnership issues, saying TCM is now the brand new “ongoing tv residence for this iconic library. We’re in a position to current these cartoons with the care they deserve, alongside the basic movies they helped affect.”
He added that the settlement additionally “ensures these cartoons are celebrated, contextualized, and accessible to audiences of all ages.”
The transfer comes after a rocky interval for the franchise on streaming. Final 12 months, Warner Bros. Discovery pulled tons of of shorts from HBO Max, a choice that annoyed followers and archivists alike.
These cartoons ultimately landed on Tubi, which referred to as the acquisition “an enormous win” and stated it was working to maintain them accessible for years. The place that leaves the overlap between Tubi and TCM isn’t completely clear proper now.
What is obvious is that there’s renewed curiosity in defending and increasing the Looney Tunes legacy. Past TV, the characters are gearing up for a theatrical comeback later this 12 months with Coyote vs. Acme, and Speedy Gonzales can be lined up for his personal solo film.
I grew up with these cartoons, and I like wathcing them every so often. Every time I do, they make me giggle! TCM looks like the precise place. It’s a house that understands these cartoons aren’t simply Saturday morning leisure. They’re a significant piece of movie historical past, and now they’ll be handled that manner.
