Wabbit — A Looney Tunes Production (later renamed New Looney Tunes
) Season 1 marks a return to the franchise's slapstick roots. Debuting on September 21, 2015, the season focuses almost exclusively on Bugs Bunny in short, fast-paced adventures that pit his classic wit against both legendary rivals and brand-new foils. Core Premise & Style
The show moves away from the sitcom format of The Looney Tunes Show and revives the classic slapstick and sight-gag driven comedy of the 1940s and 50s. Bugs is portrayed in his traditional "rascally" persona—a cool-headed trickster who deals with modern nuisances like GPS failures, digital banking, and fitness gurus. Key Characters Kath Soucie
Wabbit: A Fresh Burrow for a Comedy Legend For decades, Bugs Bunny has been the undisputed king of cartoon comedy. However, by the mid-2010s, the franchise was looking for a way to return to its roots—fast-paced, gag-driven slapstick. Enter Wabbit: A New Looney Tunes Production (later rebranded as New Looney Tunes). Season 1 of this ambitious series reinvented the "wascally wabbit" for a new generation while tipping its hat to the legendary Termite Terrace era. Back to Basics: The Concept of Season 1
While its predecessor, The Looney Tunes Show, focused on suburban sitcom tropes and long-form dialogue, Wabbit Season 1 pivoted hard in the opposite direction. The creators decided to strip away the domestic setting and place Bugs back where he belongs: the wild, unpredictable nature of the forest (and occasionally the city).
Season 1 is characterized by its short-form storytelling. Most episodes are divided into two 5-minute segments, mirroring the pacing of the original theatrical shorts from the 1940s and 50s. This format forces the comedy to be lean, mean, and incredibly visual. The Evolution of Bugs Bunny
In Season 1, Bugs Bunny is portrayed less as a bored celebrity and more as the charismatic trickster we know and love. He is once again the smartest person in the room, using his wit, disguises, and "cartoon physics" to outsmart anyone who dares disturb his peace.
However, Season 1 also introduces a slightly more altruistic side to Bugs. While he still delights in tormenting his enemies, he often finds himself helping out the underdogs of the forest, making him a hero as much as a prankster. New Friends and Classic Foes
Season 1 is notable for expanding the Looney Tunes roster with fresh faces that complement the classic cast:
Squeaks the Squirrel: Bugs’ new best friend and silent sidekick. Squeaks provides a frantic energy that contrasts perfectly with Bugs' cool demeanor.
Bigfoot: Not the scary cryptid you’d expect, but a lovable, dim-witted giant who frequently follows Bugs home, leading to various "hidden in plain sight" hijinks.
The Barbarian: A hulking, muscle-bound warrior who tries to conquer Bugs’ forest, only to be defeated by simple logic and slapstick.
Classic villains also make their return, though often with a twist. Wile E. Coyote appears not as a silent predator, but as a hyper-intelligent, arrogant neighbor who uses high-tech gadgets (that inevitably fail) to prove his superiority. Yosemite Sam remains the short-tempered outlaw, constantly trying to pull off heists that Bugs inevitably foils. Visual Style and Animation Wabbit- New Looney Tunes - Season 1
The art style of Wabbit Season 1 was a significant departure from previous iterations. It adopted a hand-drawn, sketchy aesthetic that felt more organic and energetic. The character designs were updated to be more expressive, allowing for the exaggerated squash-and-stretch animation required for high-intensity slapstick. Why Season 1 Stands Out
Wabbit Season 1 was a daring experiment. It proved that in an era of complex narrative animation, there was still a massive appetite for pure, unadulterated physical comedy. It successfully modernized Bugs Bunny without losing the DNA that made him a cultural icon.
Whether he is outrunning a high-tech robotic hunter or simply trying to enjoy a peaceful day at the park, the first season of Wabbit reminds us why we fell in love with Looney Tunes in the first place: the joy of watching a clever rabbit turn the world upside down.
(New Looney Tunes) - Season 1: A "Wascally" Return to Slapstick Season 1 of (later rebranded as New Looney Tunes
) marks a deliberate departure from the suburban sitcom style of its predecessor, The Looney Tune Show
, returning to the fast-paced, high-energy slapstick roots of the original shorts. While it successfully recaptures the chaotic spirit of "Termite Terrace," the season received mixed reactions for its modern setting and specific character changes. The Good: Back to Basics Slapstick Classic Dynamics
: The show returns to short, 5-minute segments where Bugs Bunny relies on his wits and "ACME-esque" tools to outsmart his foes. Screwball Personalities
: Bugs is back to his mischievous, manic energy rather than being a "domesticated" neighbor. Fluid Animation : Many viewers and reviewers from platforms like
noted that the animation is smoother and more vibrant than previous reboots, with backgrounds often paying homage to the Chuck Jones era. Standout Episodes : Segments like "World Wide Wabbit"
(where Bugs explains the internet to a confused Yosemite Sam) and "Buddha Bugs"
are highlighted as clever modern updates to classic rivalries. The Mixed: New Friends and Familiar Faces
Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production (Season 1) —later rebranded as New Looney Tunes—marked a significant shift for the franchise when it premiered on Cartoon Network on September 21, 2015. After the sitcom-style The Looney Tunes Show, Season 1 aimed to return the characters to their slapstick roots while placing them in modern, 21st-century settings. Core Concept and Format Wabbit — A Looney Tunes Production (later renamed
The first season focuses almost exclusively on Bugs Bunny, shifting away from the ensemble cast format used in later seasons. Each half-hour episode is divided into four 5.5-minute shorts, allowing for the fast-paced, "quick-fire" humor characteristic of the original Merrie Melodies.
Producers Erik Kuska and Matt Craig emphasized modernizing the humor. Instead of classic anvils, Bugs faces technological hurdles like digital banking and smartphones. Key Characters and Voice Cast
The season features a mix of redesigned classic icons and entirely new additions:
The first season of (later renamed New Looney Tunes) marked a return to the franchise's slapstick roots after the sitcom-style approach of The Looney Tunes Show. Airing between 2015 and 2018, the season focuses primarily on Bugs Bunny in contemporary settings. Series Overview
Format: Each episode runs roughly 11 minutes and contains two 5-minute shorts.
Themes: Modernized slapstick with gags involving cell phones, digital security, and internet culture.
Production: Created by Warner Bros. Animation, it premiered on Cartoon Network on September 21, 2015. Main Characters & Voice Cast
The show introduced a mix of classic favorites with updated traits and brand-new companions. Voice Actor Bugs Bunny Jeff Bergman The primary focus; matches wits with old and new foes. Squeaks the Squirrel Dee Bradley Baker Bugs' new best friend and loyal sidekick. Matt Mercer A childlike version of the legendary creature. Wile E. Coyote JP Karliak Reimagined as Bugs' pretentious, "know-it-all" neighbor. Yosemite Sam Maurice LaMarche
A classic adversary often seen trying to rob banks or temples. Bob Bergen
Appears in various roles, such as an airport security officer. Episode Highlights
Season 1 is divided into multiple parts across 52 half-episodes (26 full episodes). Buddha Bugs
": Yosemite Sam robs a Buddhist temple and tries to outwit an enlightened Bugs. "St. Bugs and the Dragon": and Squeaks protect a dragon from Sir Littlechin. "World Wide Wabbit": Yosemite Sam Bugs shows no joy in winning
escapes prison and tries to rob a bank, only to find it's all digital. Computer Bugs ": enters his computer's mainframe to fight a virus. Critical Reception
Wabbit - A Looney Tunes Production (later renamed New Looney Tunes
) Season 1 is a series of animated shorts that returned the franchise to its classic slapstick roots. Debuting on September 21, 2015, the season consists of 52 episodes, each typically containing multiple segments. Series Overview & Style The first season focuses primarily on Bugs Bunny
outwitting both familiar and brand-new adversaries. Unlike previous iterations, this series emphasizes original stories and "modern heavy objects" to cause pain, intentionally avoiding some overused clichés like the classic anvil gag.
: Each 11-minute episode usually features two shorts, while a full 30-minute block contains four.
: Reverts to a faster, screwball-style comedy similar to the original 1930s-40s shorts. Looney Tunes Wiki Key Characters
The season introduced several new allies and villains to complement the classic roster.
Here’s a helpful content breakdown of Wabbit: New Looney Tunes - Season 1, designed for parents, educators, or new viewers looking to understand the show’s structure, tone, and educational value.
Wabbit Season 1 is quietly about the exhaustion of being a cartoon character.
Season 1 adopted a format reminiscent of the original theatrical runs: two 11-minute segments per half-hour, sometimes broken down further into micro-shorts. This allowed for rapid-fire pacing. Unlike modern cartoons that rely on serialized drama, Wabbit embraced the sitcom reset.
However, the show didn't ignore the modern era. It leaned into a meta-humor that felt fresh. Bugs was now interacting with the modern world—smartphones, viral videos, and corporate bureaucracy—but he treated them with the same dismissive wit he used to treat Elmer Fudd’s shotgun. Watching Bugs outsmart a tech startup or deal with a stubborn GPS felt like a natural evolution of the character, proving that a character born in the 1940s could still thrive in the 2010s.
No serialized plot; instead, a loose thematic arc: Bugs adjusts to a world blending classic cartoon logic with modern conveniences. Repeated motifs include Bugs exploiting technology, suburbia vs. wilderness gags, and rivalries that escalate then reset by each episode’s end.