The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour was a beloved Saturday morning cartoon staple that entertained generations of kids from 1960 until 2000. Hosted by the wisecracking Bugs Bunny himself, the show featured a delightful collection of classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts from the Warner Bros. vault. While the earliest black and white cartoons couldn't be included due to copyright issues, there was still a treasure trove of hilarious, colorful adventures with iconic characters like Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, the Tasmanian Devil, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. These legendary cartoons were bridged together with fun new animated linking sequences to create an hour-long block of nonstop laughter and entertainment. The Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Hour underwent many timeslot and title changes over its impressive 40 year run, hopping from prime time to Saturday mornings and from network to network, including stints on ABC, CBS, and in syndication. No matter what channel or time it aired, it remained appointment viewing for kids eager to spend their Saturday mornings giggling along with Bugs and all his loony pals. The Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Hour finally ended its epic run in 2000, when the classic Looney Tunes library moved to its new TV home on Cartoon Network. But for the millions who grew up watching, this timeless cartoon cavalcade will always have a special place in our hearts and memories.
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If you were a kid growing up in the 1970s and 80s, you probably remember the super cool opening sequence of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. It featured an awesome animated performance of the show's jazzy theme song "This Is It", with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck singing together center stage. The sequence, animated by legendary Looney Tunes animator Gerry Chiniquy, oozed with style and had a Broadway-like flair. Seeing all your favorite Looney Tunes characters (well, except for Porky Pig) join Bugs and Daffy on stage for the final chorus was a real treat. With its lively music and fun character animation, this classic cartoon intro was the perfect way to kick off an hour of hilarious Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote antics. Few cartoon intros since have matched its pizzazz and memorability. It definitely deserves a spot in the hall of fame of greatest cartoon show openings ever.
ABC began re-running The Bugs Bunny Show on Saturday mornings in August 1962, much to the delight of cartoon enthusiasts everywhere! The beloved series was transformed into vibrant color beginning in 1965, and continued to entertain viewers on ABC until September 1968. At this point, the wonderful show switched networks to CBS, where it was cleverly combined with The Road Runner Show (which had been a CBS favorite since 1966) to create the exciting new program The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. The familiar and cherished Bugs Bunny Show opening, along with the announcer's enthusiastic introduction of Bugs Bunny as "that Oscar-winning rabbit!" were directly followed by our favorite bunny's own announcement: "...and also starring my fast feathered friend, the Road Runner." After Bugs' introduction, The Road Runner Show's catchy theme would play, getting everyone ready for more cartoon fun! The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour thoughtfully combined re-edited bridging sequences from both original shows to seamlessly link the seven fantastic cartoons featured in each episode. These creative bridging sequences would be further edited and refined in later versions of the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, keeping the show fresh and engaging for its many fans throughout the years.
In 1971, The Road Runner Show found a new home at ABC, while a freshly reorganized half-hour Bugs Bunny Show began airing on CBS, featuring cleverly re-edited versions of the bridging sequences and a whole new arrangement of beloved cartoons. By 1973, The Bugs Bunny Show bounced back to ABC for a fun two-season run, but CBS wasn't done yet! They managed to re-acquire both popular shows and triumphantly brought back The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour in 1975, much to fans' delight. The following year, in 1976, our favorite feline and canary duo, Sylvester and Tweety, starred in their very own Sylvester and Tweety show for a special one-year engagement, which meant that most of the Tweety and/or Sylvester cartoons had to be removed from the regular Bugs Bunny/Road Runner lineup that season. Also during that exciting year, a special weekly half-hour prime-time edition of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show briefly entertained viewers on CBS' Tuesday night schedule, running from April through June and giving families another chance to enjoy these animated classics!
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour transformed into The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show back in 1978 when CBS decided to add another exciting half-hour to the program's run time. In 1981, viewers were treated to a delightful companion series called The Sylvester & Tweety, Daffy, and Speedy Show, which was added to the CBS lineup. This companion show featured many wonderful cartoons that had been created by the newly reestablished Warner Bros. Cartoons studio between 1967 and 1969. Unfortunately, by 1982, this charming companion series was canceled, but don't worry – all those fantastic cartoons weren't lost! They were simply incorporated into The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, which then aired as two separate hour-long programs on Saturday mornings, much to the delight of cartoon fans everywhere. In 1983, CBS made another change by returning the show to its 90-minute format. During this adjustment, the familiar bridging sequences were dropped, and the show's opening titles were beautifully re-animated. The following year brought even bigger changes when the classic "This Is It" opening was completely removed. Instead, viewers were greeted by a fresh new title sequence created from colorful clips of the cartoons themselves, accompanied by a catchy new theme song called "It's Cartoon Gold," which was wonderfully composed by Steve Zuckerman with clever lyrics written by John Klawitter.
ABC began re-running The Bugs Bunny Show on Saturday mornings in August 1962, much to the delight of cartoon enthusiasts everywhere! The beloved series was transformed into vibrant color beginning in 1965, and continued to entertain viewers on ABC until September 1968. At this point, the wonderful show switched networks to CBS, where it was cleverly combined with The Road Runner Show (which had been a CBS favorite since 1966) to create the exciting new program The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. The familiar and cherished Bugs Bunny Show opening, along with the announcer's enthusiastic introduction of Bugs Bunny as "that Oscar-winning rabbit!" were directly followed by our favorite bunny's own announcement: "...and also starring my fast feathered friend, the Road Runner." After Bugs' introduction, The Road Runner Show's catchy theme would play, getting everyone ready for more cartoon fun! The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour thoughtfully combined re-edited bridging sequences from both original shows to seamlessly link the seven fantastic cartoons featured in each episode. These creative bridging sequences would be further edited and refined in later versions of the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, keeping the show fresh and engaging for its many fans throughout the years.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour transformed into The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show back in 1978 when CBS decided to add another exciting half-hour to the program's run time. In 1981, viewers were treated to a delightful companion series called The Sylvester & Tweety, Daffy, and Speedy Show, which was added to the CBS lineup. This companion show featured many wonderful cartoons that had been created by the newly reestablished Warner Bros. Cartoons studio between 1967 and 1969. Unfortunately, by 1982, this charming companion series was canceled, but don't worry – all those fantastic cartoons weren't lost! They were simply incorporated into The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, which then aired as two separate hour-long programs on Saturday mornings, much to the delight of cartoon fans everywhere. In 1983, CBS made another change by returning the show to its 90-minute format. During this adjustment, the familiar bridging sequences were dropped, and the show's opening titles were beautifully re-animated. The following year brought even bigger changes when the classic "This Is It" opening was completely removed. Instead, viewers were greeted by a fresh new title sequence created from colorful clips of the cartoons themselves, accompanied by a catchy new theme song called "It's Cartoon Gold," which was wonderfully composed by Steve Zuckerman with clever lyrics written by John Klawitter.
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