Big news just in from the folks at the Acme Corporation: TCM has become “the ongoing television home” of the iconic Looney Tunes library from Warner Bros.
In late 2022, HBO Max eliminated 256 Looney Tunes shorts from 1950-2004 when its license expired and the streaming arm of Warner Bros. Discovery chose not to renew it, Vulture reported. Last year, another 255 shorts produced from 1930-1949 were excised.
But on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. PT, the prized animated films — more than 750 in all — will begin running on WBD cable channel TCM as part of a new six-year deal. It all starts with the Oscar-nominated, Tex Avery-directed A Wild Hare (1940), the Merrie Melodies short that’s considered the first “official” Bugs Bunny cartoon.
Forty-five shorts featuring the rascally rabbit — TCM’s Star of the Month! — will screen through Feb. 7, and a curated selection of related full-length features will follow in yet another example of the thoughtful programming for which TCM is known.
So, Rabbit of Seville (1950) and What’s Opera Doc (1957) will set up A Night at the Opera (1935); Tortoise Beats Hare (1941), Tortoise Wins by a Hare (1943) and Rabbit Transit (1947) will lead to Walk, Don’t Run (1966); Apes of Wrath (1959) will precede King Kong (1933); Buccaneer Bunny (1948) will set up Mutiny on the Bounty (1950); Captain Hareblower (1954) will lead to Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951); Bugsy and Mugsy (1957) and The Unmentionables (1963) will precede The Roaring Twenties (1939); and A Witch’s Tangled Hare (1959) will set up Hamlet (1948).
“By making TCM an ongoing home for this iconic library, we’re able to present these cartoons with the care they deserve, alongside the classic films they helped influence,” Charlie Tabesh, TCM senior vp programming and content strategy, said in a statement.
The shorts, also featuring Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and other beloved characters, will continue to show up on the channel beyond February, with select titles branded as TCM Premieres.
The new deal “ensures these cartoons are celebrated, contextualized and accessible to audiences of all ages,” TCM notes.
TCM’s annual “31 Days of Oscar” programming kicks off Feb. 13 and leads to the 98th annual Academy Awards on March 15. Each day is organized around a distinct theme, including “Oscar Goes Big,” “Oscar Goes West,” “Oscar Goes International” and “Oscar Goes Hollywood.”
