A new animated series featuring the “Looney Tunes” cartoon characters and another series called “Jellystone” featuring classic Hanna-Barbera characters are both coming to HBO Max from Warner Bros. Animation, it was announced Tuesday as part of the WarnerMedia Day presentation.
The two shows are part of a larger slate of kids programming planned for the new streaming service, including two shows both greenlit from Cartoon Network Studios — “Tig N’ Seek” and “The Fungies!” — and a hybrid live-action and animated comedy called “Tooned Out” from Robert Zemeckis that is also in development.
Classic cartoons from the “Looney Tunes,” “Merrie Melodies” and Hanna-Barbera libraries will also be available for streaming on WarnerMedia’s new platform. The cartoons, over 250 episodes in all, are shorts that debuted between 1930 and 1969 during the golden age of hand-drawn animation, and all the cartoons will be available at launch.
The HBO Max lineup also includes the full catalog of the Hanna-Barbera series “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Popeye,” Scooby and Scrappy Doo” and “Yogi Bear.”
“Looney Tunes Cartoons” will be done in the style of the original shorts and will include 80, 11-minute episodes, each comprised of a collection of animated shorts. And the new animated series “Jellystone” brings together many classic Hanna-Barbera characters, including Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss and Magilla Gorilla.
“As we build and expand our kids and family programming slate, we’re re-introducing some of the most cherished and iconic characters and creating new animated friends to fall in love with,” Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president of TBS, TNT and truTV said in a statement. “These new series from the talented teams at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios are sure to become instant classics.”
“We are stewards for some of the greatest animated characters of all time,” Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation, said in a statement. “And for every new series with these characters, our starting point is to always focus on what made these characters so beloved in the first place. With ‘Looney Tunes Cartoons’ and ‘Jellystone,’ our artists have captured the timeless charm of these characters to create cartoons we know that kids and parents will love watching together.”
“Our artist and creator-driven approach to content has always been at the heart of what we do best,” Rob Sorcher, chief content officer of Cartoon Network Studios, said in a statement. “It has been a natural evolution to expand our studio lens and bring a wider array of animation talent to this exciting new platform.”
HBO Max launches in May 2020. See the full slate of kids programming announced at Tuesday’s Investor Day event below:
- “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” an all-new series from Warner Bros. Animation starring the cherished Looney Tunes characters. “Looney Tunes Cartoons” echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Marquee “Looney Tunes” characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories. The new series will include 80 eleven-minute episodes, each comprised of animated shorts that vary in length and include adapted storylines for today’s audience. Fans can also look forward to holiday-themed specials. “Looney Tunes Cartoons” is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features a talented group of voice cast members including Eric Bauza, Jeff Bergman and Bob Bergen. Pete Browngardt (Uncle Grandpa) and Sam Register serve as executive producers.
- “Jellystone,” a new, animated children’s comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation welcomes you to the town of Jellystone – a charming place where your favorite Hanna-Barbera characters live, work and play together…but, at the same time, can’t help but stir up trouble for one another. The animated series will include classic characters such as Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo, Augie Doggie, Doggie Daddy, Ruff, Yakky Doodle, Shag Rugg, Jabberjaw, El Kabong, Top Cat, Captain Caveman, Cindy Bear, Mildew Wolf, Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks, Peter Potamus, Snagglepuss, Magilla Gorilla and more. The series is executive produced by C.H. Greenblatt (Chowder) and Sam Register.
- “The Fungies!” a prehistoric comedy from Stephen Neary (Clarence) and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, explores Fungietown through the whimsical quests of Seth, a young student at Fungietown Elementary. Seth loves science and sharing his exciting discoveries with all his Fungie friends. But in his search for the ultimate scientific adventure, Seth often stirs up trouble for Fungietown’s colorful inhabitants leading to hilarious and heartwarming surprises.
- “Tig N’ Seek” is about 8-year-old Tiggy and his gadget-building cat, Gweeseek, as they search for the lost items of Wee Gee City. With Tiggy’s cheerful attitude and Gweeseek’s exceptional inventing capabilities, the duo humorously navigate day-to-day dilemmas at the Department of Lost and Found. Created by Myke Chilian (Uncle Grandpa) the lighthearted mystery-filled show is produced by Cartoon Network Studios.
- “Tooned Out,” from Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, Back to the Future) and executive producer/writer Jared Stern (The LEGO™ Batman Movie, upcoming Green Eggs and Ham), is a half-hour, hybrid live-action and animated comedy. Things get a little cartoony for Mac when he starts seeing iconic cartoon characters, but they’re not just there for laughs, they’re helping him get through a very rough patch in his life. Tooned Out comes from A Stern Talking To Productions and Compari Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Television. A Stern Talking To’s Stern and Compari’s Zemeckis, Jack Rapke (Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Manifest) and Jackie Levine (Manifest, Project Blue Book, What/If) are executive producers. Winsor Yuan is overseeing the project for A Stern Talking To.