New Looney Tunes
Slapstick comedy reboot returning characters to their early roots.
New Looney Tunes, first called Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production in the U.S. and Bugs! in certain regions during its debut season, is an animated series from Warner Bros. Animation starring classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters. It premiered on Cartoon Network on September 21, 2015, then moved to Boomerang for new episodes starting October 5, 2015. The show ended with its third season, with final episodes released on January 30, 2020. It was succeeded by the more classic-style Looney Tunes Cartoons on May 27, 2020.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy, Slapstick
- Based on
- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, Warner Bros.
- Developer
- Erik Kuska
- Writer
- Matt Craig
- Kevin Fleming
- Rob Janas
- Theme music
- Joshua Funk (season 1), Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin (arranged by Joshua Funk, season 2)
- Opening theme
- "Wabbit Theme" (season 1), "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (seasons 2–3)
- Composer
- Joshua Funk
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Production
After The Looney Tunes Show wrapped up in 2013, talks began about a new series for the classic characters. The early concept centered on a Bugs Bunny reboot, and by March 2014, the project was announced under the titles Wabbit or Bugs!, depending on the region. Sam Register, who had just been named president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series a month earlier, served as supervising producer. Animation work was handled by South Korea’s Yearim and Rough Draft Studios—the latter only for the first season—along with Snipple Animation in the Philippines. The goal was to recapture the tone of the original Looney Tunes shorts, bringing back slapstick comedy while steering clear of tired gags like the anvil. The writing team focused on fresh stories and, as producer Erik Kuska put it, “modern heavy objects to cause pain.” Each episode consisted of a few shorts where one or more characters got tangled in a situation and dealt with it in their own way. Classic props like boulders and safes still show up now and then, and familiar lines pop up too—Bugs might forget to “make that left turn at Albuquerque” or declare “of course you know, this means war.” The characters got slight design tweaks, and some returned to their original personalities; Daffy Duck, for instance, went back to his early screwball self. The first season, called Wabbit, followed Bugs Bunny’s misadventures with a main supporting cast of Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, and Porky Pig, plus cameos from Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, the Tasmanian Devil, and Michigan J. Frog. Much like his early cartoons, Bugs usually ends up in a battle of wits with opponents who either want to hurt him or mess up his peaceful life. That season also introduced several new characters, many of them fresh villains for Bugs to face.
New characters
The show introduces many new characters. Squeaks the Squirrel is a red squirrel and Bugs Bunny’s neighbor and best friend. He only squeaks at first, but in season three he sometimes speaks clearly. Bigfoot is a childlike sasquatch who follows Bugs and calls him “lady” or “ma’am,” which annoys Bugs. The Barbarian is an unnamed warrior who fights with Bugs. His polar bear mount is Krakos, a name based on the Greek figure Kratos. Boyd is a bird who is lovesick. Cal is a large man who believes he is the best at everything. Carl the Grim Rabbit looks like the Grim Reaper but has rabbit ears and a carrot scythe, and he tries to take Bugs’ soul. Claudette Dupri is a fox spy with a thick French accent who works with Pepé Le Pew. Dr. Clovenhoof is a sheep scientist who constantly brings Bugs to his lab to demonstrate new inventions. Eagle Scout is a lonely eagle scoutmaster who raps well and wants friends. Elliot Sampson is a bobcat who works as a scoutmaster and businessman. The Hazmats are “highly trained government officials” in hazmat suits who chase Bugs, Squeaks, Bigfoot, and Agents Dupri and Le Pew. Horace the Horse wears a uniform, often works with Porky Pig, and talks like John Travolta. Ivanna invades Bugs’ territory and hosts “Gettin’ Fresh! with Ivanna” on “The Food Notwork.” Jack is a jack of all trades who was removed after two episodes because his personality and scream were too similar to Yosemite Sam. King Thes is a lion who tries to eat everyone. Leslie P. Lilylegs is a short, mean man who seeks power while working for various bosses. Miss Cougar is an older cougar who tries to eat Bugs. Pampreen and Paul Perdy are Leslie’s spoiled grandchildren. Rhoda Roundhouse is a female wrestler. Shameless O’Scanty is an unlucky leprechaun. Sir Littlechin is a knight who hunts mythical creatures. Slugsworthy the First is a stuck-up elephant seal who must be first in everything. Squint Eatswood is a beaver who hates anyone who is not a beaver; his name is a play on Clint Eastwood. Tad Tucker is an Australian reality TV star who really likes eating rabbits. Trey Hugger is an environmental activist whose name plays on “tree hugger.”
Broadcast
The series, originally titled Wabbit, first aired on Cartoon Network on September 21, 2015, and then on Boomerang starting October 5, 2015. After a hiatus of over a year, it returned on April 7, 2017. In Australia and New Zealand, as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland, it launched on Boomerang on November 2. It debuted on Teletoon in Canada on November 6, 2015, and on Boomerang in the Middle East and Africa on December 19. In India, Pogo TV began airing it on December 19, 2015. Cartoon Network Arabic in the Middle East started broadcasting it on January 17, 2016. New episodes resumed on Boomerang on April 7, 2017. The second season premiered on Boomerang UK on September 4, 2017. In Canada, the entire first season is on Netflix. The show was part of the Boomerang premium subscription service until its closure in 2024. In the United States, it has been available on Max since July 4, 2020, though some episodes from seasons one and two, along with the complete third season, are missing from the platform.
Home media
The first 26 episodes (52 segments) of Wabbit, labeled as Season 1 – Part 1, came out on DVD in the United States on April 26, 2016, under the subtitle Hare-Raising Tales. This disc includes episodes 23 through 26, which didn't air in the U.S. until April 7, 2017. The same DVD also reached Australia on June 15, 2016, and the United Kingdom on July 25, 2016, though the show is known by a different name in Europe.
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