“The Bugs Bunny Show” (the original) on ABC question - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

cd637299 · 01-04-2025, 10:45 AM

Calling all cartoon experts!

OK….on YouTube there are snippets of interstitial animation on The Bugs Bunny Show, produced from 1960 to 1962. I myself have one COLOR show from the DVD “Saturday Morning Cartoons” (Vol 2 I think).

Almost all you see on YT are black & white. Wikipedia sez, and I believe it, the Show went to color on ABC in 1965. To me, that would mean that the whole series was done in color at the start (a la Flintstones/Top Cat), but ABC didn’t have color at the beginning when The Show debuted.

Ergo….aren’t all the Bugs Bunny Show episodes available in color? If so, either it would be fantastic to have it out on DVD, OR, Weigel (MeTV/MeTV Toons) grab them! After all, from 60-62 it was in prime time, for all ages. Even have the General Foods commercials as well. They sold to Kraft anyway.

My DVD of The Show is grainy and not digitized (only the interstitials), but so what? …..For Weigel, they could double-run it, add the old commercials, and have Bill and/or Toony give a history lesson! Or just have it on DVD.

Comments?

cd

Charles Knox · 01-04-2025, 11:18 AM

A good question for someone on Cartoon Research. I know when Beck is doing interviews for the Looney Tunes Collectors Choice Blu-rays, he always mentions the Bugs Bunny Show as a project he would like to work on restoring.

The episode I watched on the Special Features of The Golden Collection (The Honeymousers), switched between color and black & White. For this particular episode, black and white was more appropriate.

stevea · 01-04-2025, 12:12 PM

From the limited information I have, one problem is that the original interstitial animation was produced in color, but shown on ABC primetime in black and white. The whole half hour show, consisting of the interstitial animation and three classic cartoons, was in black and white. The cartoons themselves were themed with the whole episode's theme, and they were sometimes slightly edited; for instance, updating a date reference in "Frigid Hare."

The later Saturday morning shows were not reruns of the original themed episodes, so the bridging animation, consisting of the original color negatives, were edited, since the cartoon packages were totally redone. So what happened to the unused original color animation from the original show? Based on what we saw on the Golden Collections, the unused color animation was probably tossed. If that's true, all that probably exists of the original shows are the black and white network prints.

This is the unfortunate story with a lot of original animation over the years--Looney Tunes, Color Rhapsodies, The Flintstones, Top Cat, MGM, Betty Boop, Rocky and His Friends, you name it--alter it for the then-current purpose, and throw out what's not needed. Note I didn't mention Popeye--it appears Paramount preserved all those originals before they sold the rights to a.a.p. years ago.

If the original show were to be restored, the "surviving" color animation (from the Saturday morning versions) could likely be reused, and any black and white animation from the network masters would possibly be colorized. Of course, the cartoons themselves would be easily available, although not with any edits that were in the original show--although they could be duplicated. It would be an ideal project for MeTV Toons.

cd637299 · 01-04-2025, 12:33 PM

I am of the opinion that if B&W are all there is—bring it on. Fine with me!

So—what ABC ran from 1965-68 is missing some of these interstitials? Possible, because more commercial time is added for Sat mornings. Bummer if so. I didn’t pay attention to The Show in those years.

I plan to start an offshoot thread later, to which I am extremely curious. Look for it!

cd

stevea · 05-11-2026, 12:25 PM

I was looking for something else and came acreoss this early 2025 thread.

We now know (or think) Warner Archive is working on restoring the original Bugs Bunny Show. They have the complete set of black and white prints, and the incomplete interstitials used on the later Saturday morning shows.

What we don't know is how the Warner/Paramount merger will affect the Warner Archive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5sfDk-bfY

01-04-2025, 10:45 AM	#1
cd637299 cd637299 Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 14, 2022 Location: South Florida Posts: 854	“The Bugs Bunny Show” (the original) on ABC question Calling all cartoon experts! OK….on YouTube there are snippets of interstitial animation on The Bugs Bunny Show, produced from 1960 to 1962. I myself have one COLOR show from the DVD “Saturday Morning Cartoons” (Vol 2 I think). Almost all you see on YT are black & white. Wikipedia sez, and I believe it, the Show went to color on ABC in 1965. To me, that would mean that the whole series was done in color at the start (a la Flintstones/Top Cat), but ABC didn’t have color at the beginning when The Show debuted. Ergo….aren’t all the Bugs Bunny Show episodes available in color? If so, either it would be fantastic to have it out on DVD, OR, Weigel (MeTV/MeTV Toons) grab them! After all, from 60-62 it was in prime time, for all ages. Even have the General Foods commercials as well. They sold to Kraft anyway. My DVD of The Show is grainy and not digitized (only the interstitials), but so what? …..For Weigel, they could double-run it, add the old commercials, and have Bill and/or Toony give a history lesson! Or just have it on DVD. Comments? cd

01-04-2025, 11:18 AM	#2
Charles Knox Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 17, 2009 Posts: 1,225	A good question for someone on Cartoon Research. I know when Beck is doing interviews for the Looney Tunes Collectors Choice Blu-rays, he always mentions the Bugs Bunny Show as a project he would like to work on restoring. The episode I watched on the Special Features of The Golden Collection (The Honeymousers), switched between color and black & White. For this particular episode, black and white was more appropriate.

01-04-2025, 12:12 PM	#3
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 45,057	From the limited information I have, one problem is that the original interstitial animation was produced in color, but shown on ABC primetime in black and white. The whole half hour show, consisting of the interstitial animation and three classic cartoons, was in black and white. The cartoons themselves were themed with the whole episode's theme, and they were sometimes slightly edited; for instance, updating a date reference in "Frigid Hare." The later Saturday morning shows were not reruns of the original themed episodes, so the bridging animation, consisting of the original color negatives, were edited, since the cartoon packages were totally redone. So what happened to the unused original color animation from the original show? Based on what we saw on the Golden Collections, the unused color animation was probably tossed. If that's true, all that probably exists of the original shows are the black and white network prints. This is the unfortunate story with a lot of original animation over the years--Looney Tunes, Color Rhapsodies, The Flintstones, Top Cat, MGM, Betty Boop, Rocky and His Friends, you name it--alter it for the then-current purpose, and throw out what's not needed. Note I didn't mention Popeye--it appears Paramount preserved all those originals before they sold the rights to a.a.p. years ago. If the original show were to be restored, the "surviving" color animation (from the Saturday morning versions) could likely be reused, and any black and white animation from the network masters would possibly be colorized. Of course, the cartoons themselves would be easily available, although not with any edits that were in the original show--although they could be duplicated. It would be an ideal project for MeTV Toons.

01-04-2025, 12:33 PM	#4
cd637299 cd637299 Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 14, 2022 Location: South Florida Posts: 854	I am of the opinion that if B&W are all there is—bring it on. Fine with me! So—what ABC ran from 1965-68 is missing some of these interstitials? Possible, because more commercial time is added for Sat mornings. Bummer if so. I didn’t pay attention to The Show in those years. I plan to start an offshoot thread later, to which I am extremely curious. Look for it! cd

05-11-2026, 12:25 PM	#5
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 45,057	I was looking for something else and came acreoss this early 2025 thread. We now know (or think) Warner Archive is working on restoring the original Bugs Bunny Show. They have the complete set of black and white prints, and the incomplete interstitials used on the later Saturday morning shows. What we don't know is how the Warner/Paramount merger will affect the Warner Archive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5sfDk-bfY