If You Can’t Find Anything Good on Streaming Platforms Anymore, Then Watch "The Looney Tunes Show"

Yeah, I know it’s an animated kids’ show, but I think it’s among the best offerings of the twenty-tens.

The Digital Fatigue Is Real

Streaming platforms. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em. But the thing is, what do you watch, especially when no matter how hard you look, you can’t find anything?

If you want to relax with some T.V. after a long day, there’s almost nothing worse when despite your desire to watch something new, you’re forced to return to a series you’ve already finished because all the options are the same old, same old, regardless of genre.

A Personal Favorite You Might’ve Missed

I don’t watch that much T.V. anymore, but I’ve felt that way countless times, and I’m sure you have, too. As such, I couldn’t be happier to tell you about The Looney Tunes Show, which isn’t just one of my favorite animated shows, but one of my favorite shows, period.

When it premiered on May 3, 2011, I was about to finish fifth grade, and I spent that summer just devouring each new episode each week. Fortunately, The Looney Tunes Show aired until November 2013, by which time I was in the fall semester of eighth grade, so I was lucky that such great entertainment colored my adolescence.

Why It Deserves More Attention

As such, The Looney Tunes Show’s ratings speak for themselves, but if that’s not enough to convince you, then take it from someone who’s watched it so much that she’s practically memorized a significant part of the dialogue.

As we all know, Looney Tunes is a true retro American classic – it premiered in Hollywood on April 19, 1930, and was then released in theatres throughout the U.S. on May 25, 1930 – that defined generations of media, and currently, it shows no signs of stopping.

From Classic Mayhem to Modern Suburbia

However, what’s so wonderful about The Looney Tunes Show is that unlike previous incarnations, which mostly explored America by setting the episodes in different parts of the country, this is firmly grounded in suburban Los Angeles.

Instead of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs and Daffy in the forest, they deal with things like being unable to get along as roommates, having relationship problems, and interacting with their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, most notably Porky, in inappropriate ways.

Mature, But Ridiculous

Despite this, everything is handled with a brand of dry humor that’s so on-point that it’s hard not to laugh at everything that happens, no matter how absurd it is.

For example, part of “The Shelf,” which is among my favorite episodes, involves Daffy moving into Porky’s home and making him be his butler. (That’s all I’ll say, though, because I don’t want to spoil it.)

Because The Looney Tunes Show is set in modern L.A., it also deals with mature themes, such as military service in “Semper Lie” and the consequences of unhealthy friendships in “Parade Float.”

Accordingly, it’s rated TV-PG, and I really appreciate that the creators, Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, went out of their way to make it such an authentic program, away from all the crazy slapstick jokes of the past.

As a person, I don’t usually reflect on what entertainment has to say if it makes a noticeable message, but more than once, I quite appreciated the reminder that trust is the most important lesson of all in “Rebel Without a Glove” and that no matter what the season brings, the Christmas spirit always matters in “A Christmas Carol.”

Aesthetic and Characteristic Highlights

Speaking of which, The Looney Tunes Show would be nothing without its fabulous style, which remains true to the characters’ original design and aesthetic while still updating them to the context.

Notably, everything is much cleaner and more streamlined in season two, which is why I think it’s the best, and fans of Lola Bunny from Space Jam will be happy to see that she reappears in her biggest capacity yet in The Looney Tunes Show. Again, I won’t tell you what role she plays, but I think you can probably guess.

Likewise, the new character of Tina Russo, a fellow duck, is also a welcome addition, especially since she brings a street-smart New York sensibility that really balances out the craziness of the rest of the cast.

Where You Can Watch It

Overall, I can’t recommend The Looney Tunes Show highly enough, and if I sparked your interest, then as far as I know, you can find it on Tubi for the time being.

Previously, it was one of the best things on HBO Max, but I recently found out that as of this writing, they removed it about four months ago for God knows what reason. (Yeah, I know it’s officially Max now, but some of my fondest childhood memories are when I watched HBO, and it just feels like something’s missing when I say Max.)

Even so, you’re in luck even if you don’t have streaming services. For some time now, Cartoon Network has aired at least one episode a day in chronological order, but considering that both seasons comprise twenty-six episodes each, it’ll probably be a while before you finally get to your favorite.

Short But Timeless

And yeah, you read that right. Despite the brilliance of The Looney Tunes Show, it only had two seasons.

Admittedly, I would’ve liked at least three, if not four because it was just that good, but on the bright side, one of the good things about only airing for a year and a half is that it rather becomes a cult classic and remains a hidden gem, waiting to be discovered and appreciated by those who know to find it.

At any rate, my dad, my younger brother, and I love it, and over the last several years, among the things we’ve sometimes done to mark the holidays was to watch a few episodes.

It was peaceful, we were together, and we had a good laugh, and that was all that mattered.

That’s All, Folks! (Sort Of)

So yeah, thank you for coming to my TED Talk about one of the highlights of contemporary American animation. I’m sure you’ll love The Looney Tunes Show as much as my family and I do, and I look forward to hearing in the comments if it becomes one of your favorites, too.

If you’re looking for a well-deserved break from our hectic world, it won’t disappoint!

Thank you again for reading my work! If you’re so inclined, please consider buying me a $5 coffee on my Ko-fi page.