Sufferin’ succotash, what in tarnation is going on over at Warner Bros-Discovery?! They’ve been a hot mess ever since David Zaslav took the helm in 2021. If only there were some way to identify the problem. In his tenure, Zaslav has shelved Batgirl for a tax write-off, taken the HBO out of HBO Max, and wreaked havoc at TCM. Earlier this month he tried to can Coyote vs. Acme for another tax write-off, but swiftly reversed course after public pressure. Zaslav also had some lovely things to say recently about “overpaying for great talent.” So here we are two weeks later and Max announces that Looney Tunes shorts will be removed from the service. As in, the original classic cartoons, half of which were already cut from Max at the start of this year (more on that later). The outrage on social media was so great that Max hurriedly responded mere hours later saying “Oops, that was a typo!” I have never been more proud of social media.
On Monday, Max inspired a fan outcry across social media after announcing that the already reduced library of classic Looney Tunes shorts would be leaving the service entirely in December. The monthly list of titles exiting the service included not only the iconic Looney Tunes shorts from the legendary studio’s history, but The Looney Tunes Show, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Hours later, the Warner Bros-Discovery platform issued a statement saying this was an accident. A revised version of the list includes the following statement: “Looney Tunes was included in error as a title leaving the platform. This is not the case and the show will continue streaming on Max.”
Per the revised list, the only Looney Tunes property leaving Max will be the 2003 film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Bugs Bunny and friends haven’t had the easiest time, as of late. Last year, Max removed over 250 episodes of the Looney Tunes shorts, leaving only the first 15 of 31 seasons.
The thought of the remaining cartoons leaving was especially frustrating in the eyes of fans following the news that Warner Bros scrapped the completed movie Coyote vs. Acme as a tax write-off. The film was set to follow in the footsteps of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, two titles which were abruptly pulled from WB’s release schedule last year for the tax benefit.
While it has since been announced that director Dave Green will be allowed to shop the hybrid live-action/animated movie to other potential distributors for a theatrical or streaming release, the initial announcement was heavily criticized. According to The Hollywood Reporter, several filmmakers canceled upcoming meetings with Warner Bros after the news broke.
Between the write-off cancellations and various shows being pulled from the platform, the streamer has garnered a reputation for disappearing titles — which is why Looney Tunes fans were quick to voice their anger when it seemed the studio was dropping the anvil on their own iconic cartoons.
[From Entertainment Weekly]
A resounding Yay! that we get to cling to Seasons 1-15 after all. But speaking as a card-carrying Looney Tunes lover myself, the content in Seasons 16-31 is the real gold. That first half begins in 1930 with the first black-and-white Merrie Melodies cartoons, and ends by 1950. It’s the early work. It’s Bugs Bunny in his becoming era. It’s great for watching the evolution of Bugs from your run-of-the-mill rabbit to the wise-cracking, cross-dressing, inimitable New Yorker we think of today. But you know what we’re missing by not having the episodes of the 1950s-1960s? Duck Amuck. Bully for Bugs. One Froggy Evening. Robin Hood Daffy. What’s Opera, Doc? I repeat, they pulled What’s Opera, Doc? from viewing!!! David Zaslav has decimated the Looney Tunes catalog on Max so egregiously, the only possible explanation is that he’s put longtime rival Mickey Mouse in charge of Max’s animation streaming. Someone please find a magic helmet and get Zaslav out of there! By now he’s missed every left turn at Albuquerque.
— Vincent Alexander (@NonsenseIsland) November 28, 2023
And I'm all for it. https://t.co/rzgDCg9f0P
— Jeff Harris (@nemalki) November 28, 2023
Also… "in error."
It's like I said… mess with Looney Tunes at your peril. EVERYBODY loves Looney Tunes. https://t.co/C2SDIKfyug
— Jeff Harris (@nemalki) November 28, 2023
photos credit: Cover Images/WB, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon and via Twitter
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