How About Looney Tunes on Nick at Night?

[Kaleido]

If there's anything Nick at Night is successful at, it's taking family television series no one cares about anymore and promoting them as something new to kids and as nostalgia to their parents.

With the way Turner Broadcasting has treated Looney Tunes since 2002, it fits in that category. And with nostalgia one Warner Home Video's appeals for Golden and Spotlight Collections, Nick at Night could be a good home for Looney Tunes on television.

Plus, unlike Nickelodeon, Nick at Night does have interest in programming it doesn't own, so it probably wouldn't immediately be relegated to weak time slots and get little publicity.

Thoughts?

[Studio Toledo]

If there's anything Nick at Night is successful at, it's taking family television series no one cares about anymore and promoting them as something new to kids and as nostalgia to their parents.

With the way Turner Broadcasting has treated Looney Tunes since 2002, it fits in that category. And with nostalgia one Warner Home Video's appeals for Golden and Spotlight Collections, Nick at Night could be a good home for Looney Tunes on television.

Plus, unlike Nickelodeon, Nick at Night does have interest in programming it doesn't own, so it probably wouldn't immediately be relegated to weak time slots and get little publicity.

Thoughts?
Too bad this wasn't 15 years ago, when they still did that.

[J Lee]

If there's anything Nick at Night is successful at, it's taking family television series no one cares about anymore and promoting them as something new to kids and as nostalgia to their parents.

With the way Turner Broadcasting has treated Looney Tunes since 2002, it fits in that category. And with nostalgia one Warner Home Video's appeals for Golden and Spotlight Collections, Nick at Night could be a good home for Looney Tunes on television.

Plus, unlike Nickelodeon, Nick at Night does have interest in programming it doesn't own, so it probably wouldn't immediately be relegated to weak time slots and get little publicity.

Thoughts?

While it would be nice to see a revival of the old Nick at Nite Looney Tunes show from the 1988-95 period (though with opening and closing main titles, please), the folks at Viacom apparently have decided the channel should be dedicated to about 20 reruns per night of "Rosanne" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", with a couple of episodes of "Full House" tossed in for variety. None of them are Paramount/Viacom shows, but the company seems to have decided that Nick at Nite shouldn't air anything older than about 1986 or so, while TV Land gets the older series (which also are getting younger and younger every day).

[Dr. Killpatient]

That probably would work; you'd just have to get the rights cleared for it (if they aren't already.)

Nick-at-Nite's already branched off into animated cartoons with Fatherhood, so if the Looney Tunes were to replace Full House (or have a half hour of LTs in tandem with a half hour of Full House), it wouldn't be that much of a change.

[TheBlueHombre]

If there's anything Nick at Night is successful at, it's taking family television series no one cares about anymore and promoting them as something new to kids and as nostalgia to their parents.

With the way Turner Broadcasting has treated Looney Tunes since 2002, it fits in that category. And with nostalgia one Warner Home Video's appeals for Golden and Spotlight Collections, Nick at Night could be a good home for Looney Tunes on television.

Plus, unlike Nickelodeon, Nick at Night does have interest in programming it doesn't own, so it probably wouldn't immediately be relegated to weak time slots and get little publicity.

Thoughts?
When Nickelodeon had Looney Tunes, they edited the cartoons due to violence and all of that other nasty stuff that shouldn't be in cartoons.

Also, Warner Brothers is not going to let one of their properties get in the hands of another cable channel.

You know, the best shot for Looney Tunes would be on Turner Classic Movies. Run a cartoon before every feature film or give Looney Tunes a half hour block during the day. Heck, do both.

Last but not least, with DVD's out on the store shelves, why settle for watching anything on TV? Go out and support Looney Tunes and classic animation by buying the box sets. It's the only way to go. I've been collecting many classic animation on DVD because I can see where the future is taking everything.

[Studio Toledo]

While it would be nice to see a revival of the old Nick at Nite Looney Tunes show from the 1988-95 period (though with opening and closing main titles, please),
It was the best way many of us got to catch a showing of "Norman Normal" once in a while.

the folks at Viacom apparently have decided the channel should be dedicated to about 20 reruns per night of "Rosanne" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", with a couple of episodes of "Full House" tossed in for variety. None of them are Paramount/Viacom shows, but the company seems to have decided that Nick at Nite shouldn't air anything older than about 1986 or so, while TV Land gets the older series (which also are getting younger and younger every day).
This is sadly true. The older stuff just can't hold a candle to what the younger crowd wants most of all.

[Studio Toledo]

Last but not least, with DVD's out on the store shelves, why settle for watching anything on TV? Go out and support Looney Tunes and classic animation by buying the box sets. It's the only way to go. I've been collecting many classic animation on DVD because I can see where the future is taking everything.
I could never get mad at that. It's the only REAL solution left (that and "Video-On-Demand" which I still see potential in).

[Kaleido]

When Nickelodeon had Looney Tunes, they edited the cartoons due to violence and all of that other nasty stuff that shouldn't be in cartoons.

Also, Warner Brothers is not going to let one of their properties get in the hands of another cable channel.

You know, the best shot for Looney Tunes would be on Turner Classic Movies. Run a cartoon before every feature film or give Looney Tunes a half hour block during the day. Heck, do both.

Last but not least, with DVD's out on the store shelves, why settle for watching anything on TV? Go out and support Looney Tunes and classic animation by buying the box sets. It's the only way to go. I've been collecting many classic animation on DVD because I can see where the future is taking everything.Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, Boomerang, The WB, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, and local television stations around the United States also edited Looney Tunes for violence and other bad things. Nick at Night doing it (again) would not be anything unique.

If the rumors are true and Warner Bros. has indeed taken its Looney Tunes library way from Turner Broadcasting, I wouldn't expect to see them on Turner Classic Movies or any other Time Warner-owned cable channel. And while the higher-ups at Time Warner prefer Time Warner-owned programming on Time Warner-owned channels, they're bigger fans of money than they are of synergy. Besides, Turner Classic Movies is not the demographic and psychographic Warner Bros. wants to reach with Looney Tunes.

The DVD-only option is fine for enthusiasts, but it limits sales to existing fans. Television creates new interest (or at least prevents it from declining) and that interest leads to increased sales of DVDs and other merchandise.

[Jon Cooke]

While it is possible (most of the shows on the current Nick at Nite schedule are WB properties or syndicated by WB Television --- Full House, Fresh Prince, Murphy Brown, etc) I think, like J Lee, said, that's a very slim chance since N@N is leaning towards more modern fare these days (they are now showing Mad About You reruns). Since the Nick networks do have a good relationship with WB Television I don't think it's out of the question that WB could license the cartoons to Nickelodeon, Nicktoons TV, or TV Land. All of which I think would be good homes for the shorts and be able to introduce Bugs and friends to a new generation. WB shows are all over TV Land's schedule and Nicktoons has aired things like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs in the past.

[J Lee]

One possible option that would involve Viacom is their new partnership with Time-Warner starting this fall, when the WB Network and Viacom's UPN merge to form the CW Network (C standing for the CBS portion of Viacom that was spun off from the big company). Merging the two part-time networks is an effort to create a youth-oriented full schedule network -- the question would be what they consider "youth" programming to be (don't expect much of anything from the Saturday morning package, which will just be a continuation of the dreck the WB has been airing for the past several seasons).

[TheBlueHombre]

The DVD-only option is fine for enthusiasts, but it limits sales to existing fans. Television creates new interest (or at least prevents it from declining) and that interest leads to increased sales of DVDs and other merchandise.
I disagree. There is a lot of material out there that is selling very well that is not available on TV at all. For example, "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", "The Adventures of Superman", "Batman:The Animated Series", "Superman: The Animated Series", "Top Cat", "Jetsons", "Jonny Quest", "Huckleberry Hound", "Yogi Bear", "Wacky Races", "Adventures of Brisco County", "Looney Tunes" "Alice" and "The Flintstones". Now some of those shows are available on Boomerang, but I don't get that channel. These are all Warner Brothers owned properties that are not currently running on television and the DVD's are selling quite nicely on the Internet and in retail stores. Some of them you can find at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and other retail stores.

Looney Tunes, by the way, is one of Warner's best selling animated DVD sets. When a new box set is released, you can find it just about everywhere for sale. WHV would not be putting out new box sets every year if it wasn't making the sales grade. I also go back to the point that the cartoons on the box sets are UNEDITED! Why settle for mediocrity on network television with edited cartoons when you can watch them any time you want and see them as they were originally presented?

[corey3rd]

I disagree. There is a lot of material out there that is selling very well that is not available on TV at all. For example, "Huckleberry Hound", "Yogi Bear", These are all Warner Brothers owned properties that are not currently running on television and the DVD's are selling quite nicely on the Internet and in retail stores. Some of them you can find at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and other retail stores.

actually Yogi and Huck aren't selling that well which is why WHV hasn't slated the release of Huck Part 2. While DVD sets are great for the nostalgic consumer who wants something that isn't on the air, the question remains how do you get a viewer to "chance it" on a series they never saw the first time or can't catch on reruns. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. boxset is going to cost $100 when it comes out in July. If you're a 12 year old boy, are you going to buy it? While it is great that DVDs are coming out, let's remember that they are meant to be

When the X-Files boxsets first came out, they went for $150.00 per season. That mean someone who wanted them all had better cough up $1,350 (around $1,000 with discounts). Who is going to pay that much cash for a show that they hadn't seen on TV? People should have a taste of a show before they plunk down big bucks. I wasn't thinking about getting Top Cat, but after catching a few of them on the Boomerang block that used to run on Cartoon Network, I ordered a set plus I got one for a friend.

I don't see Nick at Nite being a good solution since they've moved up to the 90s now in their "nostalgia." There's "Mad About You" getting marathoned. They are in no position to ruin their theme by putting on cartoons. And the same with TVLand. These are the guys who would run H.R. Pufnstuf at midnight instead of Saturday mornings thus eliminating any chance of catching on with a new generation of kids. Nick at Nite doesn't come on until 9 p.m. - past bedtime for most elementary school kids.

A majority of the stuff that you are nostalgic about are things you stumbled across in your youth. Did anyone sit you down, put a VHS tape into the player and said that you are going to watch Looney Tunes? Or was Bugs Bunny just on in the afternoon?

[Bartman]

When Nickelodeon had Looney Tunes, they edited the cartoons due to violence and all of that other nasty stuff that shouldn't be in cartoons.

Believe it or not, Blue, the edits done on the Looney Tunes library was quite minimal - a good bulk of my collection consists of NICK LT broadcasts (with full opening/closing titles and no network logo "bug"). NICK was good with the head poundings and the gunfire (for the most part), but had a thing with characters ingesting pills ("Hopalong Casualty", "Lighthouse Mouse", "Gopher Broke"), threatening suicide or almost being beheaded ("Bye Bye Bluebeard" and "Boobs In The Woods"). Other than those quibbles, NICK did a very good presentation.:bugs2: :daffy: :tweety: :sylvester :ysam: :speedy: :befuddled :coyote: :beepbeep: :lepew: :ham: :marvin: :foggy:

[Kaleido]

One possible option that would involve Viacom is their new partnership with Time-Warner starting this fall, when the WB Network and Viacom's UPN merge to form the CW Network (C standing for the CBS portion of Viacom that was spun off from the big company). Merging the two part-time networks is an effort to create a youth-oriented full schedule network -- the question would be what they consider "youth" programming to be (don't expect much of anything from the Saturday morning package, which will just be a continuation of the dreck the WB has been airing for the past several seasons).By "youth programming" I assumed The CW was going after the mainly female, teenage audience that made The WB popular until a few years ago. Looney Tunes won't fit in with that stuff.

The CW is going to have enough trouble holding onto the declining audiences of two minor networks, communicating to viewers where and when they can find their favorite programs, and establishing a new brand. Looney Tunes on The CW would come off as a last resort. Especially since Kids WB has been dead longer than The WB network as a whole.

[The Silver Fox]

Saturday morning on most NEtworks has been
dead for over 10 yrs.
Thanks to the Today show (now cancelled on Saturday morning) on NBC
and Nick's replay of Dora on CBS
and the POOOR line ups of ABC, WB, and fox
in the last few years.
i say the classic saturday morning of days of
of the 60's and 70's is over.

I think LT will have to get its own channel.

Those of you were mentioning the DVD SEts.
there are shows I want to get on DVD but there not out yet, and it may be a while bfore they come.
Tale spin, Gummi bears (offical season sets)
Star Blazers
as well as a few classic 50's and 60's shows
(i love lucy, hard to find here, Leave it to Beaver,
Love American Style, Odd couple) it gets frustrating
when they give us the shows in dRabs like this.

BTW, QVC is starting a classic DVD show on Wendsday, were you can get season sets, the previews so far have
Sonny and cher
Tony Orlando and Dawn
Johnny Carson
and a few other shows not seen on DVD as of yet.

[Studio Toledo]

Those of you were mentioning the DVD SEts.
there are shows I want to get on DVD but there not out yet, and it may be a while bfore they come.
Tale spin, Gummi bears (offical season sets)
Give Disney some time (if they bother).

Star Blazers

There has been box sets of this show out for quite some time (unless you aren't some purist who needs English-subtitled Japanese originals).

[corey3rd]

Those of you were mentioning the DVD SEts.
there are shows I want to get on DVD but there not out yet, and it may be a while bfore they come.
as well as a few classic 50's and 60's shows
(i love lucy, hard to find here, Leave it to Beaver,
Love American Style, Odd couple) it gets frustrating
when they give us the shows in dRabs like this.

BTW, QVC is starting a classic DVD show on Wendsday, were you can get season sets, the previews so far have
Sonny and cher
Tony Orlando and Dawn
Johnny Carson
and a few other shows not seen on DVD as of yet.

You must get out more. I Love Lucy is out on DVD - the sixth and final season comes out on May 2. Target has the first season set (7 DVDs) for $34.99 this week.

The first season of Leave it to Beaver is out. And season 2 comes out May 2.

Odd Couple is in the works. Might be out in the Fall.

Love American Style? That'll be a toughie since you're dealing with 108 hour long episodes on a show that lasted five seasons. Maybe someone will wise up and put out a "Greatest Hits" collection

As far as the QVC sets, I see them all the time at BJ's Club.

you really should visit www.tvshowsondvd.com

also remember that with HD-DVD and BluRay on the horizon, the TV season business model might be changing since they'll be able to put an entire season of a sitcom using DV-quality video onto a single HD-DVD disc.