Big Bird and the loss of Looney Tunes...

[wiley207]

As of this week, Cartoon Network no longer airs any classic Looney Tunes shorts. (They even took off classic "Tom and Jerry!") It may just be for the summer, but you never know. And then this reminded me, on the old Golden Age Cartoons forum I was a member of, in 2004 a member wrote up a spoof of the "Good-bye Mr. Hooper" segment, dealing with Looney Tunes' initial cancellation in 2004. So here's an updated version of mine, to reflect Cartoon Network's current state...

(We fade in on the adult characters talking…)

Maria: So, Bob. Why did you get rid of your cable?

Bob: Well, Maria, it just isn't as wacky as it is anymore.

(Big Bird walks in with some pieces of paper…)

Big Bird: Hey, it's time for your presents!

Gordon: Big Bird, what are you talking about? It's not me and Susan's anniversary, or Christmas or my birthday.

Big Bird: Well, I just made pictures of all our favorite TV shows to give to all of you.

(He gives them pictures showing "Sesame Street" (duh!), "The Simpsons", "Seinfeld", "I Love Lucy", "Rocky & Bullwinkle" and "Cheers". They all awe at the pictures.)

Big Bird: And last bot not least, ta-da! (Sticks out a picture of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.) So I'm giving them to all the channels they’re on here in New York. Let's see, "Seinfeld" re-runs are on TBS, "The Simpsons" is on Fox, "Cheers" and "I Love Lucy" are on TV Land, we're on PBS, channel 10 shows "Rocky & Bullwinkle" and the Warner Brothers cartoons are on... Cartoon Network. (everyone goes quiet)

Maria: But Big Bird, don't you remember? We told you. Looney Tunes are off Cartoon Network… they're canceled.

Big Bird: Oh yeah, I remember. Well, I'll give it to them when they come back on.

Susan: Big Bird, Looney Tunes aren't coming back.

Big Bird: Why not?

Susan: Well, Cartoon Network would rather air garbage like "Lego: Legends of Chima," "Adventure Time" and "Regular Show" instead of Looney Tunes.

Gordon: And Big Bird, Boomerang shows them, even though we don't get that channel here on Sesame Street. Not a lot of people do!

Big Bird: But how am I going to ever hear "What's up, doc?" ever again?

Alan: Well, Big Bird, I have my tapes, and we can get several of the shorts on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Big Bird: Well, it won't be the same.

Bob: (weeping) Your right, Big Bird. It… it'll never be the same without the genius of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Bob McKimson and Tex Avery, and classic cartoon characters that didn't care about forced humor or political correctness, and no dirty humor. But you know, we are lucky we had a chance to watch and laugh with them.

Big Bird: Yeah, comedy. You can always laugh at pure comedy. We can laugh and laugh as much as we want to, even if we see the same thing many times again. But I don't like it.

Alan We all feel sad, Big Bird.

Big Bird: Bugs and Daffy are never coming back?

All adults: (various "No", "probably not", etc.)

Big Bird: Well, I don't understand! Why does it have to be this way? Just because?

Gordon: Yes… Just because.

Big Bird: Oh. (sticks up picture) You know, I'm gonna miss you Merrie Melodies.

Maria: (crying) That's Looney Tunes, Big Bird. Looney Tunes!

Big Bird: What's the difference?

(They all hug as we zoom to the end of the street…)

 

[Dominicboo1]

As of this week, Cartoon Network no longer airs any classic Looney Tunes shorts. (They even took off classic "Tom and Jerry!") It may just be for the summer, but you never know. And then this reminded me, on the old Golden Age Cartoons forum I was a member of, in 2004 a member wrote up a spoof of the "Good-bye Mr. Hooper" segment, dealing with Looney Tunes' initial cancellation in 2004. So here's an updated version of mine, to reflect Cartoon Network's current state...

(We fade in on the adult characters talking…)

Maria: So, Bob. Why did you get rid of your cable?

Bob: Well, Maria, it just isn't as wacky as it is anymore.

(Big Bird walks in with some pieces of paper…)

Big Bird: Hey, it's time for your presents!

Gordon: Big Bird, what are you talking about? It's not me and Susan's anniversary, or Christmas or my birthday.

Big Bird: Well, I just made pictures of all our favorite TV shows to give to all of you.

(He gives them pictures showing "Sesame Street" (duh!), "The Simpsons", "Seinfeld", "I Love Lucy", "Rocky & Bullwinkle" and "Cheers". They all awe at the pictures.)

Big Bird: And last bot not least, ta-da! (Sticks out a picture of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.) So I'm giving them to all the channels they’re on here in New York. Let's see, "Seinfeld" re-runs are on TBS, "The Simpsons" is on Fox, "Cheers" and "I Love Lucy" are on TV Land, we're on PBS, channel 10 shows "Rocky & Bullwinkle" and the Warner Brothers cartoons are on... Cartoon Network. (everyone goes quiet)

Maria: But Big Bird, don't you remember? We told you. Looney Tunes are off Cartoon Network… they're canceled.

Big Bird: Oh yeah, I remember. Well, I'll give it to them when they come back on.

Susan: Big Bird, Looney Tunes aren't coming back.

Big Bird: Why not?

Susan: Well, Cartoon Network would rather air garbage like "Lego: Legends of Chima," "Adventure Time" and "Regular Show" instead of Looney Tunes.

Gordon: And Big Bird, Boomerang shows them, even though we don't get that channel here on Sesame Street. Not a lot of people do!

Big Bird: But how am I going to ever hear "What's up, doc?" ever again?

Alan: Well, Big Bird, I have my tapes, and we can get several of the shorts on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Big Bird: Well, it won't be the same.

Bob: (weeping) Your right, Big Bird. It… it'll never be the same without the genius of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Bob McKimson and Tex Avery, and classic cartoon characters that didn't care about forced humor or political correctness, and no dirty humor. But you know, we are lucky we had a chance to watch and laugh with them.

Big Bird: Yeah, comedy. You can always laugh at pure comedy. We can laugh and laugh as much as we want to, even if we see the same thing many times again. But I don't like it.

Alan We all feel sad, Big Bird.

Big Bird: Bugs and Daffy are never coming back?

All adults: (various "No", "probably not", etc.)

Big Bird: Well, I don't understand! Why does it have to be this way? Just because?

Gordon: Yes… Just because.

Big Bird: Oh. (sticks up picture) You know, I'm gonna miss you Merrie Melodies.

Maria: (crying) That's Looney Tunes, Big Bird. Looney Tunes!

Big Bird: What's the difference?

(They all hug as we zoom to the end of the street…)

Interesting, but it'd be better if you didn't mimick a life and death story......

 

[muppetsandpixar]

Bad CN! Bad! Bad!

 

[Drtooth]

Uh? Boomerang at noon? Every day?

Totally still has Looney Tunes. CN has just been rerunning the same 5 shows lately, which is disappointing.

But on the plus side, no Johnny Test or Annoying Orange.

 

[muppetsandpixar]

Uh? Boomerang at noon? Every day?

Totally still has Looney Tunes. CN has just been rerunning the same 5 shows lately, which is disappointing.

But on the plus side, no Johnny Test or Annoying Orange.

I know they're on Boomerang... I miss it when CN showed them too.
Well, there are also dvds still

 

[mr3urious]

To me, this just feels more like typical whining about how every cartoon on today sucks just because it's not like the golden age or even the renaissance age of animation and therefore nobody should ever make anything new ever again.

As long as CN doesn't force any live action crap down our throats that no one likes like they did during Hannah Montana mania, I can't complain too much about the state of the channel today. Pretty much any new animated series, even one that's not to my taste, is more welcome.

And as others said, it's not like CN and Warner Bros. are keeping LT locked up in a vault for no one to see, just like with classic Sesame Street. And I'm sure we'll start seeing the shorts again when that upcoming series Wabbit starts to air.

 

[wiley207]

Uh? Boomerang at noon? Every day?

Ah, but remember what I made Gordon say: "And Big Bird, Boomerang shows them, even though we don't get that channel here on Sesame Street. Not a lot of people do!"
Plus, this was meant to be a spoof, even though I am sure they'll come back when "Wabbit" gets nearer and nearer.

In the original 2004 version, Susan said that Cartoon Network "would rather air garbage like 'Dexter's Laboratory,' 'Ed, Edd 'n Eddy' and 'Codename: Kids Next Door' instead of Looney Tunes." Shows how much it's changed over the course of ten years!

 

[mr3urious]

In the original 2004 version, Susan said that Cartoon Network "would rather air garbage like 'Dexter's Laboratory,' 'Ed, Edd 'n Eddy' and 'Codename: Kids Next Door' instead of Looney Tunes." Shows how much it's changed over the course of ten years!

Time's funny like that, isn't it? Walt Disney's early work wasn't well appreciated during his time either, especially Fantasia, but is now regarded as a classic.

 

[Drtooth]

To me, this just feels more like typical whining about how every cartoon on today sucks just because it's not like the golden age or even the renaissance age of animation and therefore nobody should ever make anything new ever again.

As long as CN doesn't force any live action crap down our throats that no one likes like they did during Hannah Montana mania, I can't complain too much about the state of the channel today. Pretty much any new animated series, even one that's not to my taste, is more welcome.

Say what you will about CN basically showing Teen Titans Go, Regular Show, Adventure Time and Gumball on an infinite loop, but those are strong shows that have large fanbases. This is the same CN that shoved "Dude! What Would Happen" down the viewers throats. It didn't matter that the show had low ratings, a volatile and angry hatedom, or was a terrible idea to begin with. They kept that crap on for years. And while I am still annoyed by CN's completely oblivious and idiotic rationalizations (suffice to say, "cartoons are only for boys, and if they appeal to girls, they're abject failures. Cartoons ALSO not only need to get a toy line, but a HIGH selling one to boot."), I'm glad that they at least know what sells and what audiences like. Heck, they brought back Toonami after HUGE fan calls for it, and we have One Piece back on the air, as well as Space Dandy dubbed in English before it even airs in Japan! My only lasting complaint is "Flicks." Firehouse Dog and Diary of a Wimpy Kid do not belong on that network.

Besides, I'm pretty sure this is a summer programming block thing. At least I hope it is.

And as others said, it's not like CN and Warner Bros. are keeping LT locked up in a vault for no one to see, just like with classic Sesame Street. And I'm sure we'll start seeing the shorts again when that upcoming series Wabbit starts to air.

You see, my problem isn't that CN doesn't show them, rather local syndication no longer shows any cartoons of any kid, let alone those packaged cartoon blocks of old Popeyes, Tom and Jerrys and the like. That's another rant for another day. But The Looney Tunes Show brought back interest in the characters after WB botched the marketing for Looney Tunes Back in action and unleashed garbage like Baby Looney Tunes and Loonatics Unleashed on the world. You know, because if beloved classic characters most people can easily recognize can't perform in a movie you have to pay to see, there's no way you'd want to watch them on television for free. :eyeroll:. We should be lucky LT was on CN at all, even Boomerang. And yes. Wabbit will bring more interest into the characters and we'll shortly see the shorts back on Saturday mornings or whatever. No need to panic.

Besides, they're better on DVD anyway, with all the unfortunate stuff in tact.[/QUOTE]