When HBO Max debuts it will feature an array of programming for kids and families that will include classic Warner Bros. (Merrie Melodies) and Hanna-Barbera cartoons (Scooby-Do, Yogi Bear), along with new shows Looney Tunes and Jellystone.
New series also include The Fungies and Tig N’ Seek and Robert Zemeckis’ live-action/animation hybrid comedy Tooned Out.
HBO Max Unveils New and Reimagined Classic Kids & Family Series from the WarnerMedia Portfolio
All-New Looney Tunes Cartoons and Jellystone Animated Series
From Warner Bros. Animation
New Series The Fungies! and Tig N’ Seek From Cartoon Network Studios
New Live-Action and Animation Hybrid Comedy Tooned Out
From Academy Award® Winner Robert Zemeckis
Plus Classic Cartoons from the Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Hanna-Barbera Libraries to be Offered on the Service
LOS ANGELES — October 29, 2019 — Announced today from the stage at the HBO Max WarnerMedia Day is a new collection of kids and family programming from Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios coming to HBO Max. All-new Looney Tunes Cartoons and a new Jellystone series featuring the beloved Hanna-Barbera characters have been picked up from Warner Bros. Animation. New animated series The Fungies! and Tig N’ Seek from Cartoon Network Studios have also been greenlit. Tooned Out, a hybrid live-action and animated comedy from Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis is also in development. In addition, a collection of classics from the libraries of Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Hanna-Barbera have been secured for HBO Max.
“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,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president, TBS, TNT and truTV. “These new series from the talented teams at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios are sure to become instant classics.”
New programming announced at today’s Investor Day event includes:
- 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.
- In addition to the new series mentioned above classic, the Academy Award–winning classic library of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts that originally aired between 1930–1969 during the golden age of animation will be available on the streamer at launch. Iconic characters include Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and many more. In total, the library includes more than 250 classic episodes. Fan-favorite Hanna-Barbera properties will also be available including the full catalog of The Flintstones and The Jetsons, as well as Josie and the Pussycats, Popeye, Scooby and Scrappy Doo and Yogi Bear.
“We are stewards for some of the greatest animated characters of all time” said Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation. “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,” said Rob Sorcher, Chief Content Officer, Cartoon Network Studios. “It has been a natural evolution to expand our studio lens and bring a wider array of animation talent to this exciting new platform.