Tiny Toons Looniversity Thoughts

The thought in my mind was that Tiny Toon Adventures was more deserving of a reboot than Animaniacs. I like Looney Tunes and I like the 90s approach the Steven Spielberg produced show had. You get your ups and downs, but it paved the way for Warner Brothers. Maybe as a way to avoid stealing Animaniacs' spotlight when it returns November 20th, the Tiny Toon gang is coming back with Tiny Toons Looniversity. Plans are two new seasons and on HBO Max.

There are definitely some big hurdles and its things I can only speculate that early. Can the Toonsters adapt to a 2020s style of humor? Or will it try to follow the classic formula that Looney Tunes had? Another part is that the main cast are teenagers. When Tiny Toon Adventures first aired, they were roughly 14 to 15 years old. They might up the ages a couple years. I'm not sure if there is continuity or trying a different age to liven up the comedy. Both them and Animaniacs feel like they are aiming for PG territory. And they weren't afraid of showing stuff for adults that kids wouldn't understand.

But the biggest hurdle will be voicing the characters. Buster Bunny's original voice left before the final season wrapped up in 1992. I'm not sure if he would return. Same for any of those actors that were around 30 years ago. From other types of media I've seen, its tough to see the same energy at an older age. The passing of Joe Alaskey in 2016 leaves a huge void in someone to voice Plucky Duck. Billy West took over as Hamton Pig when Don Messick passed in 1997. I don't even know if West is still acting, but he's near 70 years old. Whether they go with a new youthful group, I have no idea. Danny Cooksey was a teen when the show debuted, but whether he can unleash his inner Montana Max, that's up to the producers.

One notable omission is going to be Elmyra Duff, whose mentor is Elmer Fudd. The character is not like the hunter when it comes to animals. She loves them and wants them as pets rather than shoot them. Some want answers. I know PETA was around when the show was new, but I can't see them going overboard. Then again, they went after Super Mario, so you never know. Supposedly, executives loved her and writers grew tired of her. I would wager most fans don't care for her. When used right, she's not a horrible character to have. There are episodes where you can't help but feel bad. An episode I can think of is Prom-ise Her Anything. Max throws insults on Prom night and she's brokenhearted. There is redemption, but those moments were very rare. I think removing her will benefit from a comedy standpoint where writers won't feel forced to shoehorn her in.

There is plenty of material that is ripe for humor for Tiny Toons Looniversity. You got plenty of high school material. Easily do parodies from stuff that was made 15 to 20 years ago. Horror movies have seen surges in popularity since 1996. While not new, there is much more to mock. Those are just some small examples. If they're going to do slapstick quite a bit, they better find ways to be more creative or make running gags common yet feel fresh.

All that aside, it has the better potential to do well. Animaniacs feels like shaky ground unless the humor really wins the audiences over due to not many characters returning. But either way, both shows have to get a new audience hooked to them and hopefully bring the 90s fans along for a new ride. The 90s generation for Warner Brothers rides again.

30 Years of Invading TV: Tiny Toon Adventures

Cartoons needed a good jolt from the 70s. The 80s were hit and miss depending on the company in question. Warner Brothers being one of those examples. To get the ball rolling in September 1990, you get Steven Spielberg involved and others who worked on cartoons. That's why a show like Tiny Toon Adventures deserves its chance in the spotlight. A syndicated program (later a Fox Kids program in 1992) that exceeded expectations. A period that you could say brought the best of WB.

What is so special? It follows the slapstick nature of Looney Tunes. The difference being the Looney Tune crew being mentors to these teenagers, who are the focal point. More than a dozen characters that follow the footsteps of the legends. Learning how to make a cartoon, getting in sticky situations, the whole production. Nothing low budget. Of course, some favoritism here and there, but what show wasn't like that back in the 80s and 90s? 

Your mileage will vary on the episodes. Some of it follows like a Looney Tune bit. It has its fair share of original content. A lot of parodies that flew over kids heads. They did an episode that was a straight up parody of Citizen Kane, black and white. These writers loved film and television. It's a Wonderful Life for the final episode. One bit that made fun of Carrie, an R rated film based on Stephen King's novel. Those are just small examples.

Overall, Tiny Toon Adventures was a nice franchise that made WB stand toe to toe with Disney for a period of time. Maybe there's legal issues or something (I'm guessing), but a modern version I think could work based on the content that was made. Thirty years of laughs and creating a new generation from the Silver Age when anyone could make a show and most could hook an audience immediately. 

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