
Warner Bros. Discovery has eliminated about half of all Looney Tunes episodes from HBO Max, based on The Cartoon Information. A social media account for the animation information site knowledgeable followers final evening that seasons 16-31 of the traditional animated sequence — representing 256 of the 511 episodes which had been hosted on the streaming platform — had disappeared after December 31. The move is the most recent large removing of Warner Bros.-owned content material from HBO Max, and follows a string of animation and kids’s programming removals, together with Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Infinity Practice, and nearly all of Sesame Road episodes beforehand discovered on HBO Max.
Followers have mentioned frustration and disappointment over these removals, since there was an expectation that when Warner Bros. began its personal streaming service, it might make Warner Bros.-owned content material accessible roughly indefinitely as a part of the subscription. Warner Bros. Discovery administration has pushed again, saying that nothing faraway from the streaming platform has was being watched sufficient to supply the corporate with worth.
You may see The Cartoon Information publish beneath.
HBO Max has eliminated Seasons 16 by means of 31 of the traditional LOONEY TUNES shorts, eradicating 256 from the beforehand 511 shorts. pic.twitter.com/hk0YrB1aAg
— CCN (@thecartoonnews) December 31, 2022
The streamer has additionally reportedly eliminated seasons 4 by means of six of The Flintstones, a long-running IP that has had unhealthy luck lately. A deliberate second season of the spinoff Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs was cancelled, and the primary season cut up up into two installments, earlier than lastly being faraway from HBO Max altogether in August.
The Looney Tunes model began in 1930, and was a constant presence on TV and in cinemas all through the remainder of the twentieth Century. Since then, the characters have struggled to discover a significant popular culture area of interest. A latest Looney Tunes revival at HBO Max earned crucial reward however failed to actually move the needle with audiences. Area Jam: A New Legacy introduced the Area Jam branding again to theaters, however turned out to be a disappointment and did little to extend the standing of Bugs, Daffy, and firm.
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Cartoon Community initially served, partially, to unravel the issue of what to do with Warner Bros.’ and Hanna-Barbera’s huge library of iconic animation, a lot of which served largely as nostalgic consolation meals. The rise of Cartoon Community authentic programming and the Grownup Swim block has been a boon for younger animators, however has as soon as once more displaced issues like Looney Tunes and The Flintstones, making streaming platforms an apparent vacation spot. However HBO Max has hardly been a snug dwelling for animation within the final yr.
Warner Bros. Discovery is reported creating a free-with-ads streaming platform to compete with issues like Tubi and the Roku Channel. Do not be stunned if Looney Tunes, Flintstones, and different iconic IP discover their approach there.