It's been 84 years since Bugs Bunny, that beloved Looney Tunes character, first bounced his way into all of our lives. And to celebrate eight fun decades of the fast-talking trickster, the folks over at MeTV Toons—a newly launched TV channel airing nothing but classic cartoons, which debuted last month—is airing Hare's to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Celebration, "a one-hour original special that takes fans and viewers on a heartwarming journey through the legacy of the world’s most famous cartoon superstar," per the network.
Premiering on Saturday, July 27 at 10am Eastern Time, the festive special will chart the characters "meteoric rise to fame and his unmatched global recognition" with classic archival footage and exclusive interviews with voice actors like Bob Bergen, Eric Bauza, Candi Milo and more, as well as historians, animators, entertainment journalists and more.
Hare's to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Celebration is part of MeTV Toons' full-day programming celebrating Bugs Bunny and will have multiple encore airings throughout the day. On July 27, you can also say "What's up, doc?" to time-honored Looney Tunes bits starring the iconic rabbit, including "Rabbit of Seville," "Rabbit Hood" "Wacky Wabbit," "Hare-brained Hypnotist" and more.
The TV event marks the 84th anniversary of Bugs Bunny’s first official appearance in the Merrie Melodies series, specifically the 1940 Oscar-nominated comedy short A Wild Hare, directed by Tex Avery and produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. (A preliminary version of the character that would later evolve into Bugs Bunny appeared two years earlier in the film Porky's Hare Hunt.)
To tune into Hare's to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Celebration as well as the rest of the Bugs Bunny-related programming on July 27, you're going to need access to MeTV Toons. The classic cartoon channel is available over-the-air with a broadcast antenna but isn't available via cable or satellite providers. However, MeTV Toons is available on live-TV streaming services like Philo TV and Frndly TV.
Get a sneak peek at what to expect from Hare's to Bugs! A Bugs Bunny Celebration before watching the Bugs Bunny birthday special today on MeTV Toons.
