Bugs Bunny

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Lore & Background

The show's narrative structure relied heavily on newly produced bridging sequences created by legendary directors like Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, and later Robert McKimson. In these segments, Bugs Bunny often performed the theme song "This Is It" alongside Daffy Duck, with a lineup of characters joining them for the final chorus, notably excluding Porky Pig—though this was not due to a spin-off, as The Porky Pig Show debuted in 1964, after The Bugs Bunny Show's original run. The production team streamlined the viewing experience by replacing the full theatrical opening credits of each short—which could take up to 20 seconds—with brief five-second title cards featuring the cartoon's title and a Warner Bros. logo or copyright notice. These edits sometimes created awkward transitions depending on how the original animation opened. A general credit line at the end of every episode acknowledged "Members of Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Local 839" for stories, animation, layouts, and backgrounds.

In Their Own Story

On October 11, 1960, the show made its prime-time debut on ABC, airing Tuesdays at 7:30 PM ET under General Foods sponsorship. The initial run lasted two seasons, concluding with the final first-run episode on August 7, 1962. Following this, the series moved to Saturday mornings in August 1962, eventually shifting to Sunday mornings by September 1967. In 1968, it switched networks to CBS, merging with The Road Runner Show to become The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the program underwent numerous format changes: it returned to ABC in 1973, split into separate programs for Sylvester and Tweety in 1976, and expanded to ninety minutes on CBS in 1983. By 1984, the classic "This Is It" theme was replaced by "It's Cartoon Gold," and the show eventually became The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show.

Reader's Guide

Bugs Bunny served as the primary host for a series that evolved significantly over its nearly four-decade run. Viewers originally saw him in black-and-white prime-time slots before the show moved to Saturday mornings, where it changed titles and networks frequently. In 1971, a reconstituted half-hour version aired on CBS after The Road Runner Show moved to ABC. By 1985, following CBS's departure from Warner Bros. rights, the show returned to ABC as The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour, initially excluding Tweety and Speedy Gonzales cartoons due to stereotyping concerns. When it became The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show in 1986, the original "This Is It" theme was reintroduced with updated animation.

Did You Know?

• The original 1960-1962 episodes were produced in color but broadcast in black-and-white.
• Porky Pig was notably absent from the "This Is It" opening theme lineup, but this was not because he had his own spin-off show; The Porky Pig Show debuted in 1964, after The Bugs Bunny Show's original run.
• The show's original title cards included the Warner Bros. logo or copyright notice, not just the cartoon title, and displayed it for about five seconds over a new musical cue.
• In 1985, the "This Is It" theme was featured in an Ontario tourism commercial where artists of various disciplines sang separate lines of the song.
• The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show remained on ABC's lineup after Disney bought the network because its contract had not yet expired, making it the only non-Disney cartoon on the block.

Prime Time Origins

The Bugs Bunny Show premiered on ABC on October 11, 1960, at 7:30 PM ET, sponsored by General Foods. It featured three theatrical cartoons per episode connected by new linking segments produced by Warner Bros. staff. Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng directed the earliest episodes, with Robert McKimson later taking over direction while the former two continued producing and writing. A total of 52 episodes were made in this format. The show was significant for keeping the animation studio open despite the declining theatrical market. New title cards replaced the original 20-second opening credits with 5-second versions to save time, often leading to jarring cuts into the cartoon action. The theme song "This Is It," written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston, featured Bugs and Daffy Duck performing in unison.

Saturday Morning Evolution

After two seasons on ABC prime time, the show moved to Saturday mornings in August 1962, airing there until September 1967 before shifting to Sunday mornings. It remained on ABC until September 1968, when it switched to CBS and merged with The Road Runner Show to form The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. This new format combined bridging sequences from both shows to link seven cartoons per episode. In 1971, the show returned to a half-hour format on CBS after The Road Runner Show moved to ABC. By 1975, CBS re-acquired both properties and revived The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour. In 1984, the show dropped its narrative bridging sequences entirely, adopting a new title sequence created from cartoon clips and a new theme song titled "It's Cartoon Gold" composed by Steve Zuckerman.

Production and Studio Survival

The production of The Bugs Bunny Show was a strategic move to sustain the Warner Bros. animation studio during a downturn in theatrical short demand. A total of 52 episodes were produced with new linking segments, employing staff who might otherwise have been laid off. Directors like Robert McKimson took over while Jones and Freleng focused on production and writing. The wraparounds were animated in color but broadcast in black-and-white initially. Instead of individual animator credits for each short, a general credit line appeared at the end of every episode: "Stories, Animation, layouts, and backgrounds: Members of Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Local 839." This arrangement allowed the studio to remain operational until the spring of 1962, shortly after the final first-run episode aired on August 7.

Legacy and Network Transition

The show ran for nearly four decades, becoming one of the longest runs in US network television history. By 2000, it was known as The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show when Warner Bros. made the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies libraries exclusive to the Cartoon Network family following Time Warner's purchase of Turner Broadcasting in 1996. This led to the series' cancellation on broadcast television. While local syndicated packages since the 1950s had retained original theatrical title cards, the specific anthology format hosted by Bugs ended its network run. The legacy includes the enduring fame of "This Is It," used in various media including a 1985 "Golden Jubilee" video and Ontario tourism commercials. In January 2021, the original opening sequence returned on MeTV's Bugs Bunny and Friends block.