Original ‘Looney Tunes’ No Longer Available On Max

[BluBonnet]

It has been confirmed by Deadline. The Looney Tunes are no more - at least not on WB's Max.

Original ‘Looney Tunes’ No Longer Available On Max

That’s all folks.

The original Looney Tunes animated shorts, which ran during the golden age of animation from 1930 through 1969, have been scrubbed by Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Max.

Deadline confirmed with a representative that the original shorts are no longer on Max. This is part of a new plan whereby the streamer will prioritize adult and family programming. Children’s programming, such as Looney Tunes and Sesame Street before it, doesn’t fare as well and is no longer viewed as a priority.

Other spinoff versions of Looney Tunes remain on the service, including six seasons of 2020’s Looney Tunes Cartoons, two seasons of 2015’s New Looney Tunes (the third season and some episodes from Season 1 are not available), two seasons of 2002’s Baby Looney Tunes, 2021’s four-episode scripted podcast Looney Tunes Presents: Bugs and Daffy’s Thanksgiving Road Trip, two seasons of 2023’s Tiny Toons Looniversity and its corresponding 42-minute Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break special (though its winter spinoff is not streaming), five seasons of 1995’s The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries and two seasons of 2022’s Bugs Bunny Builders.

This marks a departure from previous maneuvers: In 2023, Max clarified that the classic cartoon was not leaving the platform after an erroneous list of titles being removed in December included the program on it. “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,” a statement read at the time.

The decision is not a surprising one, as children’s animation has long seen a steady decline. Last year, the parent company shuttered Cartoon Network’s website, just a week after its Boomerang streaming service — which aired mostly classic cartoons from Warner Bros. Animation library — shut down.

The move to scrub Looney Tunes from Max comes amid the March 14 release of The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story, the first fully animated feature-length project receiving a theatrical opening in the franchise. That movie was originally greenlit for Max. However, when Warner Bros. Discovery took over, the straight-to-streaming movie wasn’t deemed a priority and sold to Ketchup Entertainment out of the American Film Market. The previous David Zaslav-led administration at Warner Bros. also made the Looney Tunes feature film, Coyote vs. Acme. That movie was shelved by the current WBD administration as it was deemed too costly to release, with the pic’s $70M production cost getting a writeoff from the corporation.

[CreasyBear]

We can click on news articles too, you know.

[BluBonnet]

To say fans aren’t happy would be a huge understatement

[drb999]

**** Zaslav

[Bubbles-11]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

To say fans aren’t happy would be a huge understatement

There are four Collector's Choice volumes, a Collector's Vault volume coming in June, 6 still in print Golden Collection volumes, and an entire TV channel that airs them (MeTV Toons) yet people will probably continue to use stuff like this to say "THE LOONEY TUNES ARE GONE FOREVER!"

[Prohibida]

I thought you guys were all about physical media. They recently just put out another volume set. It is not like Zaslav is hell bent to erase Looney Tunes.

[Slopeshreder]

One less reason to have an app that has like 2 good shows on it and subpar 4k quality.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Bubbles-11

There are four Collector's Choice volumes, a Collector's Vault volume coming in June, 6 still in print Golden Collection volumes, and an entire TV channel that airs them (MeTV Toons) yet people will probably continue to use stuff like this to say "THE LOONEY TUNES ARE GONE FOREVER!"

Originally Posted by Prohibida

I thought you guys were all about physical media. They recently just put out another volume set. It is not like Zaslav is hell bent to erase Looney Tunes.

OK, so, on top of what I pay for Max, now I need to shell out more $$$$ in order to continue having access to the Looney Tunes shorts?

Sorry, but - what drb9999 said.

[spanky87]

[drb999]

I love physical media but don’t feel the need to own everything. I’m content to watch somethings via streaming.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by drb999

I love physical media but don’t feel the need to own everything. I’m content to watch somethings via streaming.

Exactly!

As for Zaslav....

[ImBlu_DaBaDee]

Definitely horrible news and disgusting to just wipe away decades of some of the greatest American cinema ever made, making it more challenging than ever for fans to view those classic shorts and ensuring new generations will almost certainly never get the chance to see them. Oh well, kids today probably would prefer Skibidi Toilet anyway

[stlcards]

I just watched some Looney Tunes on Max the other night. Guess they are gone now.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by stlcards

I just watched some Looney Tunes on Max the other night. Guess they are gone now.

[Areyakiddin]

Aren't you a big classic Hollywood fan, BluBonnet? Why no outrage over the multitude of Selznick, Disney shorts, live-action Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures and Fox movies that aren't available on Disney+? Why no #****Iger over the many restorations that Disney/Fox has done that can't be seen anywhere outside of a few theatrical showings and are locked in the Disney Vault?

[Areyakiddin]

Just saw this quote from Pete Browngardt, the director of the new Looney Tunes movie:

It’s becoming more and more difficult to, at times, find classic animation that’s out there. Especially with the streaming services. They are wonderful a lot of the time, but they are also the gatekeepers of what’s available. I always say that if you love something, find a physical copy of it and keep it in your house. Because I know when I want to watch something that’s from the past, I try to keep a copy - whether that’s a Blu-ray or whatever you can get.

https://movieweb.com/looney-tunes-mo...rang-shutdown/

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Areyakiddin

[Show spoiler]Just saw this quote from Pete Browngardt, the director of the new Looney Tunes movie:



https://movieweb.com/looney-tunes-mo...rang-shutdown/

And WB has apparently managed to screw that up, as well.

[Wildcat2000]

Originally Posted by Bubbles-11

There are four Collector's Choice volumes, a Collector's Vault volume coming in June, 6 still in print Golden Collection volumes, and an entire TV channel that airs them (MeTV Toons) yet people will probably continue to use stuff like this to say "THE LOONEY TUNES ARE GONE FOREVER!"

This exactly.

There’s also Cartoon Network/Boomerang which has been airing them constantly for like 30 years. They used to air on Nick too in the 90s.

People just like to be hyperbolic. Looney Tunes is one of the most easily accessible cartoons ever.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Wildcat2000

People just like to be hyperbolic. Looney Tunes is one of the most easily accessible cartoons ever.

Who are "these people" and how are they being "hyperbolic"?

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

And WB has apparently managed to screw that up, as well.

[Show spoiler]

All the Golden Collection Looney Tunes releases are still in print (which, at least from the list I can find, are the only LT releases that might have issues), so you should be able to get a direct replacement from WB if you email them for a replacement.

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Who are "these people" and how are they being "hyperbolic"?

One of the top comments on Deadline Hollywood story you posted is someone complaing that WB is erasing history by removing Looney Tunes.