by 
Updated on December 10, 2021
The next-to-last first season episode of “The Looney Tunes Show” sees a full-episode story (no Road Runner or Merrie Melodie shorts, to my disappointment).
Plot: After seeing a news story on TV about an escaped killer that fits Porky’s description, Daffy thinks Porky’s after him. Meanwhile, Lola breaks her leg, and stays with Bugs.
This one was somewhat better than usual, but only for the middle portions of the story involving Porky and Daffy. During these scenes, Daffy isn’t as mind-numbingly (and annoyingly) stupid as he usually is on this show—just paranoid of Porky. Porky, meanwhile, sees nothing’s wrong (until Daffy “defends” himself, of course).
As usual, I didn’t care much for Lola or her portion of this story. The closing scenes (where the real killer’s revealed) also dragged out, and weren’t particularly funny.
Other observations of this episode:
- The Acme Corporation finally reveals itself (after an entire season), via an Acme labeled truck driving down the street.
- Some slapstick is actually seen here, mostly involving Porky (getting slapped around by Daffy’s antics), but also Daffy. We even get to see the “swirling stars/planets over a dazed character’s head” cartoon cliché for once!
- Porky’s license plate A) looks like a California license plate (big surprise, given TV’s California-centric nature) and B) says “PP1935.” 1935 is the year Porky’s first cartoon, “I Haven’t Got a Hat,” debuted.
- Speedy has a few cheesy-but-amusing bits (“I hope you left room for… the check!”), as usual.
Long-time Warner Bros. cartoon fans of course will recall a plot similar to tonight’s episode on “Tiny Toon Adventures.” In the episode “America’s Least Wanted,” Plucky sees news on TV about an escaped killer that resembles Hamton, and spends the remainder of the episode either paranoid of his porcine pal, or trying to capture Hamton for the reward money. Of course, “America’s Least Wanted” was much funnier than this “Looney Tunes Show” epsiode, including the sight gags (a little girl is one of “America’s Top 10 Criminals,” etc.) and the dialogue: “he calls this cable television?! Only 83 measly channels…”; “how dare you attack a defenseless simpleton!” (after “rescuing” Elmer Fudd from Hamton).
Next week is the final episode of the first season of “The Looney Tunes Show.” I’ll also probably have some season-ending wrap-up post as well…
