File this under "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it":
On the message boards at http://www.toonzone.org/, fans have been clamoring for Cartoon Network and/or its sister channel, Boomerang, to put Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang back on the regular schedules. Rather than spend money on rights fees to parent company Time-Warner, Cartoon Network has instead opted to commission an all-new series featuring the beloved characters.
The Looney Tunes Show, due in the fall, is the 2nd series to bear that title at Cartoon Network. The first was a Saturday morning show that aired the classic shorts a few years back in a 2-3 hour block, if my memory is correct. The new show, according to reports, reads like an animated sitcom. Ivan Shreve, Jr., posting on his Thrilling Days of Yesteryear blog, reports that Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck will be-------wait for it------roommates. I'm getting the feeling that this is more along the lines of The Odd Couple than Beavis & Butt-Head. It makes sense, of course, since the antagonistic relationship between Bugs & Daffy through the years would put them right up there with Neil Simon's classic duo of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison.
This year marks 50 years since Bugs and pals made their first foray into prime time on ABC. As long as Cartoon Network gets it right and actually promotes the new series in the same way they've promoted their other shows, like Chowder, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and recent debuts like Generator Rex, The Looney Tunes Show could in fact become appointment television for the whole family. A few years ago, Warner Bros. raised a few eyebrows by introducing viewers to descendants of Bugs, Daffy, et al as superheroes in the series, Loonatics Unleashed. That lasted two seasons, but has largely been ignored by Cartoon Network since ending its network run. The fans want classic Bugs & Daffy, but will they get it along with the new Looney Tunes Show? We'll just have to stay tuned----or should I say tooned?----and see.
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