The Bugs Bunny Show facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Bugs Bunny Show |
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Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in opening
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| Genre | Animated Anthology Comedy |
| Directed by | |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Friz Freleng Chuck Jones |
| Running time | Various; 22 to 66 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Animation |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC (1960–1968, 1973–1975, 1985–2000) CBS (1968–1973, 1975–1985) |
| Picture format | Filmed color: (1960–1962) broadcast: B&W (1960–1972); color (1973–2000) |
| Original release | October 11, 1960 – September 2, 2000 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Porky Pig Show The Road Runner Show |
The Bugs Bunny Show was a popular animated TV show. It was hosted by Bugs Bunny himself! The show mainly featured classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. These cartoons were made by Warner Bros. between 1948 and 1969.
The show first aired on ABC in 1960. It was a half-hour show that played in the evening. Each episode included three classic Looney Tunes cartoons. They also added new short scenes to connect the cartoons. These new parts were made by the Warner Bros. Cartoons team.
After two years, The Bugs Bunny Show moved to Saturday mornings. It stayed on TV in different forms for almost 40 years! The show's name and length changed many times. It also moved between ABC and CBS. In 2000, the show, then called The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, ended. This happened because Cartoon Network got the rights to all Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons in the United States.
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Why the Show Was Important
This show played a huge role in keeping classic Warner Bros. cartoons famous. These cartoons were made during the Golden Age of American animation. Because the show ran for over 40 years, it helped many people discover and love these characters. It even inspired animators, comedians, and historians who watched it every Saturday morning.
The Famous Theme Song
The show's theme song, "This Is It," became very well-known. You might have heard it in other places! For example, in Ontario, Canada, it was used in a TV commercial. This ad promoted different performing art places. Artists from various fields sang different parts of the song.
In an episode of the TV show Seinfeld called "The Opera," Jerry sings "This Is It" to Elaine. This happens while they are waiting outside a theater. Elaine then jokes that all of Jerry's "high culture" knowledge comes from Bugs Bunny cartoons!
When Warner Bros. released its "Golden Jubilee" video series, it featured classic cartoons. The opening of this series shows the Tasmanian Devil riding a motorcycle. He is chased by a police car. He then turns into a theater where other Looney Tunes characters are performing to the Bugs Bunny Show tune.
The "This Is It" theme song is still used today. It's the theme for "Bugs Bunny & Friends" on MeTV. This show is part of their "Saturday Morning Cartoons" block, which brings back classic Saturday morning cartoons.
Short Cartoons Made for the Show
Special short animated scenes were created just for The Bugs Bunny Show. These scenes acted as "linking" moments. They made it seem like the cartoons were being shown in a fictional theater. Here are some examples of these fun scenes:
- A frustrated Daffy Duck would argue with Bugs Bunny on stage. Daffy once complained, "Last week you said you were going to introduce me next week!" Bugs cleverly replied, "Right...but this isn't next week, is it?" Daffy would then get confused and trip over his words.
- A barking sheepdog once wandered into the theater. He was looking for "the little bunny I saw on TV last week." At that moment, Daffy Duck was dressed in a rabbit costume, pretending to be Bugs. The sheepdog pounced on Daffy, shouting, "At last, at last! I have caught a bunny rabbit!"
- Bugs would entertain the audience by playing a guitar. Suddenly, an angry Yosemite Sam would burst in, yelling, "Can't ya see I'm tryin' to sleep?!?" He would then grab the guitar from Bugs and snap all its strings.
- Bugs would even show off some cartoon physics. He demonstrated things like slow motion, super-fast speed, and how characters "vibrate to a stop."
You can find some of the show's opening sequences and these linking scenes on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. They are included as bonus features.
Different Versions of the Show
The Bugs Bunny Show changed its name and time slot many times over the years. Here are some of the main versions:
Prime Time Airings
- The Bugs Bunny Show: October 11, 1960 – August 7, 1962 (on ABC)
Saturday Morning Airings
- The Bugs Bunny Show: Mid/late August/September 8, 1968 (started showing in color on September 10, 1966) (on ABC)
- The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour: September 14, 1968 – September 4, 1971 (on CBS)
- The Bugs Bunny Show: September 11, 1971 – September 1, 1973 (on CBS)
- The Bugs Bunny Show: September 8, 1973 - August 30, 1975 (on ABC)
- The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour: September 6, 1975 – November 12, 1977 (on CBS)
- The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show: November 19, 1977 – September 7, 1985 (on CBS)
- The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour: September 7, 1985 – September 6, 1986 (on ABC)
- The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show: September 13, 1986 – September 2, 2000 (on ABC)
Who Made the Show Happen
Many talented people worked to bring The Bugs Bunny Show to life. Here are some of the key people involved:
- Senior Directors: Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson
- Co-Directors: Hawley Pratt, Gerry Chiniquy, Art Davis, Abe Levitow, Maurice Noble, Alex Lovy, David Detiege, Rudy Larriva, Tom Ray
- Music: Carl W. Stalling, Milt Franklyn, John Seely, William Lava, William L. Hendricks, Walter Greene, Eugene Poddany, Doug Goodwin, Rob Walsh, Quinn Amper, Fred Strittmatter, Dean Elliot
- Producers: Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, David H. DePatie
- Executive Producers: Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, David H. DePatie, William L. Hendricks
- Voice Cast: Mel Blanc, Stan Freberg, June Foray, Hal Smith, and Arthur Q. Bryan
