Four years ago, Warner Bros. and HBO Max made a highly criticized move by removing the classic Looney Tunes cartoons from their streaming service. This decision upset fans of animation and television history, as it took away some of the most significant and impactful cartoons ever made. Many also saw it as a sign of disrespect towards animated television, especially since HBO Max also removed several popular shows that originally aired on Cartoon Network. While the loss of Cartoon Network shows was disappointing for fans, removing Looney Tunes was considered a particularly damaging decision.
Okay, fellow cartoon lovers, this is awesome news! I just read in The Hollywood Reporter that Turner Classic Movies has officially secured the rights to air classic Looney Tunes shorts on regular TV. And it’s a long-term deal – six years, to be exact! TCM is basically becoming the permanent home for these cartoons. They’re kicking things off this month with a bunch of Bugs Bunny shorts – 45 of them! – and he’s going to be their ‘Star of the Month.’ Seriously, I’m so excited to be able to catch these on TCM!
Following this, other beloved characters like Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Yosemite Sam will each get their own dedicated programming blocks. The plan is to release new themed collections of cartoons every month for the next six years. According to Charlie Tabesh, Senior VP of Programming and Content Strategy at TCM, this ensures these classic cartoons are presented with the attention they deserve, and highlights their connection to the iconic films they inspired.
What’s unique about these cartoons is that they’re shown on traditional TV—not immediately available for streaming. Instead, they’ll be broadcast before related movies on TCM. For instance, the cartoon Apes of Wrath from 1959 will play before the 1933 film King Kong, and Buccaneer Bunny (1948) will precede Mutiny on the Bounty (1950). Some movies will even have multiple cartoon shorts before them—like when A Night at the Opera (1935) is shown with both Rabbit of Seville (1950) and What’s Opera Doc (1957) beforehand.
Looney Tunes Is Back at More Than One Location
Fans were upset when HBO Max removed Looney Tunes cartoons, especially since Warner Bros. owns both the cartoons and the streaming service. Even though they’re under the same ownership, Warner Bros. still has to pay for the rights to show these cartoons. First, in 2022, HBO Max took down 256 Looney Tunes episodes, and then another 255 were removed in 2025.
If you’re a big Looney Tunes fan and want to watch more than what’s currently available on TCM, you can find nearly 800 classic cartoons for free on Tubi. This deal comes at an interesting time, as Warner Bros. has recently been sold to Netflix. It’s unclear whether Netflix will also gain access to the Looney Tunes library as part of the purchase, even though TCM is currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
https://comicbook.com/anime/news/a-classic-cartoon-network-series-will-return/embed/#
Read More
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Stephen Colbert Jokes This Could Be Next Job After Late Show Canceled
- DCU Nightwing Contender Addresses Casting Rumors & Reveals His Other Dream DC Role [Exclusive]
- 10 X-Men Batman Could Beat (Ranked By How Hard It’d Be)
- 10 Most Brutal Acts Of Revenge In Anime History
- 5 Great Psychological Thrillers Nobody Talks About
- Why Juliana Pasquarosa, Grant Ellis and More Bachelor Duos Have Split
- Help Is On the Way, Dear: 13 Secrets About Mrs. Doubtfire
- IT: Welcome to Derry Review – Pennywise’s Return Is Big on Lore, But Light on Scares
- 5 Reasons Naoya Zenin Just Became Jujutsu Kaisen’s Most Hated Character
2026-02-14 17:11