Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have taught the world that being unpredictable is a fine character trait. They display this truth in The Looney Tunes Show which converts their maniac antics into a half hour sitcom format. The two are finally housemates like Laverne & Shirley and Two and a Half Men. Even though this duo has been working as a team for around 75 years, they can still frustrate and drive each other nuts in new ways. The series did well in the ratings on The Cartoon Network so people did appreciate this reworking of the duo. Their unpredictable nature has struck the folks compiling the DVDs of the show. After three volumes that had only 4 episodes, the remaining 14 episodes from Season One have been squeezed inside The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes the Neighborhood, Season One, Part 2.
“To Bowl or Not to Bowl” aims at the gutter. Daffy puts together a bowling league team to get revenge on his high school grudge. He’ll do anything to beat the guy’s team, but Bugs lives by a code. “Newspaper Thief” drives Daffy nuts when he suspects one of the neighbors is swiping his morning paper. He won’t stop till he catches the robber with ink on their fingers. “Bugs and Daffy Get A Job” tells of two kinds of jobs. Daffy gets a bill job and the results are spectacular. Bugs lands a position at Porky’s accounting firm, but things don’t add up right. “Sunday Night Slice” reveals the secret origin of Speedy Gonzalez’s “Pizzariba.” Turns out Bugs was the previous owner. How did the mouse get the pizza joint from the hare? “The DMV” features the ultimate fear of Yosemite Sam being the instructor at driving school. He’s going to shoot you if you make that right on red too fast. “Off Duty Cop” inspires Daffy to bust Porky Pig and others on bogus charges. Why? Cause he was inspired by his favorite police show.
“Working Duck” loses Daffy his job as a night watchman since he napped through a robbery. He gets a major new job with a little help from his barnyard connections. “French Fries” puts Yosemite Sam on the field for the million dollar field goal. Can his short legs get the ball through the posts? “Beauty School” creates Daffy Duck into the hair stylists for the stars. “The Float” scams Porky into buying a yacht with his life’s savings. Who could do such an act? Daffy Duck wants to hit the sea in style. “The Shelf” destroys when Bugs needs a place for his latest Nobel Prize. “Muh-Muh-Muh-Murder” makes Daffy suspect that Porky is a homicidal maniac. You really can’t trust a pig. “Point Laser Point” addicts Sylvester to the red dot from a laser pointer. Why can’t he stop chasing it?
The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes the Neighborhood, Season One, Part 2 wraps up a fine season of turning cartoon shorts into sitcom scenarios. There are short subjects worked into the longer narrative. CGI upgrades of Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote give more depth to their chase. There’s also shorts featuring the various characters. While purists scoff any updating of their golden age cartoon heroes, The Looney Tunes Show does a fine job with the characters. Why shouldn’t Bugs and Daffy be sharing a fridge and TV remote after all these years? A second season is under production so there will be more of their domestic dramatics.
The Episodes
“To Bowl or Not to Bowl,” “Newspaper Thief,” “Bugs and Daffy Get A Job,” “That’s My Baby,” “Sunday Night Slice,” “The DMV,” “Off Duty Cop” “Working Duck,””French Fries,” “Beauty School,” “The Float,” “The Shelf,” “Muh-Muh-Muh-Murder” and “Point Laser Point.”
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfers look fine with the colors reflecting the Looney Tunes schemes. The audio is Dolby Digital Surround. There’s a Spanish dub track. The episodes are subtitled.
There are no bonus features.
The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes the Neighborhood, Season One, Part 2 delivers the remaining 14 episodes off the sitcom version of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The series is entertaining as the two roommates get wrapped up in strange adventures in cohabitation.
Warner Home Video presents The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes the Neighborhood, Season One, Part 2. Starring: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn and Porky Pig. Boxset Contents: 14 episodes on 2 DVDs. Released: August 7, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
