Well, Porky and Daffy seemed to work together well enough in that Duck Dodgers 
series...this might be OK.


David




________________________________
From: Wesley McGee <[email protected]>
To: tvbarn2 <[email protected]>
Sent: Tue, May 3, 2011 9:16:53 PM
Subject: [TV orNotTV] Quickie Review: The Looney Tunes Show

"Oh, is that just your thing, Kevin? I don't want to step on any toes."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbPp9PeEIdY#t=21s

Earlier today, Jaime Weinman -- the television critic for MacLean's magazine -- 
posted an interesting analysis about why it is so tough to write Bugs Bunny 
properly. He contends that most Bugs Bunny stories violate accepted rules for 
good screenplay writing. http://bit.ly/iOif04

Bugs Bunny is less of a classic protagonist, but rather he's like a trickster 
spirit who will torment the antagonist when provoked through various put upons. 
The problem and the antagonist is less important to Bugs than it is to most 
protagonists. Now, this is a character archetype that is very hard to write 
for, 
as without a very good reason to root for Bugs, he becomes a jerk. That is the 
problem that plagued characters like Screwball Squirrel, Woody Woodpecker.

This dilemma could probably explain why it seems that this is not Bugs Bunny, 
but Porky Pig playing the role of Bugs Bunny in "The Looney Tunes Show". The 
show is premised around Bugs and Daffy being roommates (a la The Odd Couple). 
Daffy Duck is mostly the self-absorbed, self-interested version of Chuck Jones 
but with bits of Bob Clampett insanity, but without an actual villain to play 
off of, Bugs is now saddled as the straight man to Daffy Duck's schemes.

I suspect one's opinion of The Looney Tunes Show will depend on how much much 
you revere the personalities of the characters from the 40s-60s -- or at least 
the Bugs Bunny personality. I was somewhat disappointed by the show. I really 
could not accept Bugs Bunny being domesticated.

That said, the show does have a path to improvement. Daffy Duck's antics are 
always enjoyable, and when the show moves on to focus on Daffy (Daffy tries to 
make amends to Bugs for knowing nothing about him by trying to become the 
bestest best friend possible), it becomes amusing.

Another path to improvement is noting that most Bugs & Daffy cartoons tend to 
have three characters. Bugs generally needs a good (comic) villain to play off 
of, with Daffy Duck being a complication. (It's unlikely that they will make 
Daffy a villain, but someone whose will need rescuing from the real villain or 
from himself.)

(Also of note: Speedy has been unbanned.)


-- 
Wesley McGee
http://www.ambivi.com
http://drawing-a-blank.tumblr.com

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