Like most kids my age (I'm not telling!) I grew up on the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. And yet, every time they tried to do something new with the characters, it never worked. Cartoon Network is trying again, this time putting the characters in a neighborhood, as reported by Reuters. The Looney Tunes Show will feature classic characters like Bugs, Daffy, Yosemite Sam, Granny, Tweety and Sylvester all living in the suburbs together.
The show will be rounded out with 3D CGI Road Runner shorts, along with "Merrie Melodies" musical numbers. What's not clear is what kind of adventures the core characters will get up to. The reason those old shorts worked was because the format allowed for the characters to appear in any kind of setting, lampooning everything that was going on in the world.
You could have a Civil War short, followed by one set in ancient Rome and then one poking fun at Hitler and World War II. From the craters of Mars to the heights of Mount Olympus, nothing was off limits. I don't see how a neighborhood setting will allow for that much freedom, and I'm not sure if these characters should be constrained like this.
I see it turning into something more like the Tiny Toons cartoon that ran in the 1990s featuring "next generation" versions of Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the gang. There was a continuity and repetitiveness to their daily undertakings, even if things went to extreme places from there. I guess I just know what the Looney Tunes are capable of, and I don't want to see them restrained by the format.
As always, though, I'm optimistic that this time they will get it right. There's so much in the modern world they could make fun of, we deserve for this show to be great. Then, just bring back The Muppet Show and all will be right in the world.
