Looney Tunes is officially settling into a new TV home, and it’s a pretty fitting one. Starting February 2, the legendary animated shorts will begin airing on Turner Classic Movies, giving these timeless cartoons a platform that treats them like the film history staples they are.
As part of the move, Warner Bros. Discovery is licensing more than 750 classic shorts to TCM. The rollout kicks off with a weeklong marathon spotlighting Bugs Bunny, who’ll also be crowned Star of the Month.
Leading the charge is “A Wild Hare,” the 1940 short that marked Bugs’ official debut. Directed by Tex Avery, the cartoon went on to earn an Oscar nomination the following year and remains one of the most important entries in animation history.
TCM plans to program them on an ongoing basis, with select titles airing as official TCM Premieres. This isn’t a short-term experiment either. The licensing deal spans six years, positioning the network as the long-term television destination for these cartoons.
Programming SVP Charlie Tabas explained why the partnership matters, saying TCM is now the new “ongoing television home for this iconic library. We’re able to present these cartoons with the care they deserve, alongside the classic films they helped influence.”
He added that the agreement also “ensures these cartoons are celebrated, contextualized, and accessible to audiences of all ages.”
The move comes after a rocky period for the franchise on streaming. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery pulled hundreds of shorts from HBO Max, a decision that frustrated fans and archivists alike.
Those cartoons eventually landed on Tubi, which called the acquisition “a huge win” and said it was working to keep them available for years. Where that leaves the overlap between Tubi and TCM isn’t totally clear right now.
What is clear is that there’s renewed interest in protecting and expanding the Looney Tunes legacy. Beyond TV, the characters are gearing up for a theatrical comeback later this year with Coyote vs. Acme, and Speedy Gonzales is also lined up for his own solo movie.
I grew up with these cartoons, and I love wathcing them every now and then. Whenever I do, they make me laugh! TCM feels like the right place. It’s a home that understands these cartoons aren’t just Saturday morning entertainment. They’re a vital piece of film history, and now they’ll be treated that way.
