Baby Looney Tunes

Last updated

Baby Looney Tunes
Babylooneytunes91611.jpg
Genre Comedy
Based on Looney Tunes
by Warner Bros.
Developed by Sander Schwartz
Voices of
Theme music composer
  • Lisa Silver
  • Patty Way
Opening theme"The Baby Looney Tunes Way" by Lisa Silver and Patty Way
Ending theme"The Baby Looney Tunes Way" (Instrumental)
Composers
  • Steve Bernstein
  • Julie Bernstein
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes53 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerSander Schwartz
Producers
  • Tom Minton
  • Gloria Yuh Jenkins (seasons 1–3)
  • Ron Myrick (season 4)
Editors
  • Mark McNally (seasons 1–3)
  • Julie Anne Lau (season 4)
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseSeptember 16, 2002 (2002-09-16) 
April 20, 2005 (2005-04-20)

Baby Looney Tunes is an American animated television series depicting toddler versions of several Looney Tunes characters. [1] It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation as its first preschool animated series. [2] The series focused on real world problems and morals that children may relate to, such as sharing, understanding emotions, and playing with others. The Looney Tunes babies first live with Granny, but starting in the fourth season, were cared for by babysitter Floyd, Granny's nephew. [3]

Contents

The show premiered as a full series on September 16, 2002, and ran on WB stations from 2002 to 2003. The show moved to Cartoon Network in 2002 (by following suit nine days later on September 16) where it remained until ending on April 20, 2005. It aired in reruns on Cartoon Network from 2005 to 2009, and again from 2015 to 2016. Then it began airing on Boomerang in the U.S. in 2015 but stopped airing reruns in mid 2020. 53 episodes were produced. [4]

In 2003, a series of direct-to-video puppet films were produced, aimed at infants and toddlers. Two films were released, Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures and Baby Looney Tunes: Backyard Adventures, featuring the same voice cast as the TV series. [5] The films were never released on DVD. However, Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures became available on HBO Max and Tubi later on. [6] [7] Baby Looney Tunes: Backyard Adventures was formerly available on Binge in Australia. [8]

The series aired reruns again on the American version of Cartoonito on Cartoon Network starting on September 13, 2021, being the first show to air on that block.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1 13September 16, 2002 (2002-09-16)October 2, 2002 (2002-10-02) Cartoon Network
2 13October 3, 2002 (2002-10-03)October 28, 2002 (2002-10-28)
3 12October 29, 2002 (2002-10-29)December 31, 2002 (2002-12-31)
Film February 11, 2003 (2003-02-11) Direct-to-video
4 13April 4, 2005 (2005-04-04)April 20, 2005 (2005-04-20) Cartoon Network

Characters

Main

Others

Several other Looney Tunes characters have made cameos over the course of the show's run, mainly as guest spots or during songs. Baby Marc Antony, Baby Prissy, and Baby Penelope appear in the songs, "Paws and Feathers", "Down By The Cage", and "Vive Le Pew" respectively. Baby Marvin (Sam Vincent), Baby Elmer (Brian Drummond), Baby Instant Martians, Baby Gossamer, and Baby Foghorn (Scott McNeil) appear in "War Of The Weirds", "A Bully For Bugs", "A Mid-Autumn Night’s Scream", "Cock A Doodle Do It!", and "Stop and Smell Up the Flowers", respectively. Baby Wile E. and Baby Road Runner appear in multiple songs, as do Baby Pepé (Terry Klassen), Baby Porky, and Baby Sam.

Production

In January 2002, it was announced Warner Bros. Animation would be developing a TV series featuring baby versions of the Looney Tunes characters under the working title of Looney Tunes Babies [9] The idea for the series came about from the successful Looney Tunes Lovables, later revamped as Baby Looney Tunes line of merchandise. [9]

As a cost saving measure, the show hired Canadian voice actors rather than the current voice actors for the Looney Tunes characters with the exception of Granny's actor June Foray who'd voiced the character since the 1950s. [10] As the show was aimed at an audience of 2- to 5-year-olds the style of the show used softer water colors to reflect the gentler tone of the series. [10] An educational expert also examined the series even though it wasn't explicitly designed to be educational. [10]

Music

Underscoring for the series was written by veteran animation composers Steven and Julie Bernstein. They were nominated for a Daytime Emmy (Outstanding Music Direction and Composition) in 2006. They also composed the score for the Easter movie, Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure , writing the music and lyrics for the featured songs.

Home media

Warner Home Video [11] has released 15 of the 53 episodes of Baby Looney Tunes, including the DVD of the only Baby Looney Tunes movie: Eggs-traordinary Adventure.

DVD NameEp #Release DateSpecial Features
Eggs-traordinary Adventure3May 25, 2004
  • 2 bonus episodes
  • 2 music videos
  • Granny's Activity Day Challenge
4 Kid Favorites: Baby Looney Tunes12January 17, 2012
  • Menu Challenge: Baby Trivia
  • Menu Challenge: What's That Sound?

In the United Kingdom, 4 volumes were released on DVD from July 15, 2013. Each disc contains 4 half-hour episodes.

DVD NameEpisodes listedRelease Date
Baby Bugs Bunny
  • "Bruce Bunny / Leader of the Pack"
  • "Flower Power / Lightning Bugs Sylvester"
  • "Flush Hour / I Strain"
  • "The Sandman Is Coming / Some Assembly Required"
July 15, 2013
Baby Taz
  • "Creature from the Chocolate Chip / Card Bored Box"
  • "School Daze / Things That Go Bugs in the Night"
  • "Taz in Toyland / A Secret Tweet"
  • "Comfort Level / Like a Duck to Water"
July 15, 2013
Baby Sylvester
  • "Mr. McStuffles / Picture This!"
  • "Hair Cut-Ups / A Clean Sweep"
  • "Daffy Did It! / The Pig Who Cried Wolf"
  • "New Cat in Town / Magic of Spring"
July 15, 2013
Baby Tweety
  • "All Washed Up / Did Not! Did Too!"
  • "Tea and Basketball / Taz You Like It"
  • "Band Together / War of the Weirds"
  • "The Harder They Fall / Business as Unusual"
July 15, 2013

See also

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References

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  4. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 58. ISBN   9781476672939.
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  6. Foutch, Haleigh (June 7, 2020). "HBO Max: Every Movie & TV Show Confirmed for the Streaming Service". Collider. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  7. "Baby Looney Tunes: Musical Adventures (2003)". Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021 via tubitv.com.
  8. "Baby Looney Tunes: Backyard Adventures | WATCH ON BINGE". Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "New Looney Tunes series in development". toonzone.net. Archived from the original on February 19, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; When Bugs and Pals Were Wee Little Wisecrackers". The New York Times . September 15, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  11. "Warner Home Video". WarnerBros.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.