Tiny Toon Adventures (TV series)

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Tiny Toon Adventures
TTA Logo.png
On screen title card.
Created by Tom Ruegger
Network CBS (pilot)
First-run syndication (season 1-2)
Fox (season 3)
Production company Amblin Televison
Warner Bros. Animation
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Original release September 14, 1990December 6, 1992
Starring Charlie Adler
Tress MacNeille
Joe Alaskey
Don Messick
Kath Soucie
Gail Matthius
Candi Milo
Cree Summer
Danny Cooksey
Maurice LaMarche
Frank Welker
Executive producer(s) Steven Spielberg
Producer(s) Sherri Stone
Music composed by Bruce Broughton
Writer(s) Tom Ruegger
Sherri Stoner
Paul Dini
Bruce Timm
Tom Minton
Jim Reardon
Nicholas Hollander
Series navigation
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Tiny Toon Adventures, also called Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, is an American animated television series created by Tom Reugger. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation for first-run syndication, and later, the Fox Kids block at Fox network. It is inspired by the Looney Tunes theatrical shorts that ran from 1930 to 1969, acting as a spin-off of sorts. It is also the first Looney Tunes-inspired series not to be a compilation of the shorts. It ran from 1990 to 1992, spanning 100 episodes across three seasons. The first episode, "The Looney Beginning," aired in prime-time on CBS on September 14, 1990.

Set in a town known as Acme Acres, it centers on a young generation of characters who attend Acme Looniversity, where they are educated by mentors comprised of the traditional Looney Tunes cast. The majority of this new cast are essentially younger, spiritual successors of their forerunners, which included the likes of Buster and Babs Bunny ("no relation"), Plucky Duck, Hamton J. Pig, and antagonists Elmyra Duff and Montana Max.

The series would also receive two specials, along with a feature-length direct-to-video film titled Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation.

The entire series has been released on DVD.

Production

Development

Aftermath

Music

The theme song was composed by Bruce Broughton.

Opening Theme Lyrics

Buster: We're Tiny!
Babs: We're Toony!
We're all a little Loony!
And in this cartoony, we're invading your TV!

We're comic dispensers
Buster: We crack up all the censors.
On Tiny Toon Adventures, get a dose of comedy

So here's Acme Acres, It's a whole world of apart.
Our home sweet home, it stands alone, a cartoon work of art.

Plucky: The scripts were rejected, expect the unexpected.
On Tiny Toon Adventures, it's about to start!

They're furry, they're funny,
They're Babs and Buster Bunny.
Montana Max has money.
Elmyra is a pain!

Buster: Here's Hampton,
Plucky: I'm Plucky!
Babs: Dizzy Devil ducky.
Furrball's unlucky,
and Gogo is insane!

At Acme Looniversity, we earn our toon degree
The teaching staff's been getting laughs since 1933.

We're tiny,
We're toony,
We're all a little looney.
It's Tiny Toon Adventures, come and join the fun!
Babs and Buster: And now our song is done!

Episodes

Episode Original air date
1x01 September 14, 1990
1x02 September 17, 1990
1x03 September 18, 1990
1x04 September 19, 1990
1x05 September 20, 1990
1x06 September 21, 1990
1x07 September 24, 1990
1x08 September 25, 1990
1x09 September 26, 1990
1x10 September 27, 1990
1x11 September 28, 1990
1x12 October 1, 1990
1x13 October 2, 1990
1x14 October 3, 1990
1x15 October 4, 1990
1x16 October 5, 1990
1x17 October 8, 1990
1x18 October 9, 1990
1x19 October 10, 1990
1x20 October 11, 1990
1x21 October 12, 1990
1x22 October 15, 1990
1x23 October 16, 1990
1x24 October 17, 1990
1x25 October 19, 1990
1x26 October 22, 1990
1x27 October 26, 1990
1x28 October 30, 1990
1x29 November 1, 1990
1x30 November 2, 1990
1x31 November 5, 1990
1x32 November 6, 1990
1x33 November 7, 1990
1x34 November 8, 1990
1x35 November 9, 1990
1x36 November 12, 1990
1x37 November 13, 1990
1x38 November 14, 1990
1x39 November 15, 1990
1x40 November 16, 1990
1x41 November 19, 1990
1x42 November 20, 1990
1x43 November 21, 1990
1x44 November 23, 1990
1x45 November 6, 1990
1x46 December 4, 1990
1x47 December 7, 1990
1x48 December 10, 1990
1x49 December 12, 1990
1x50 December 14, 1990

Specials

Title Number Original air date
Tiny Toons Spring Break 1 March 24, 1994
Tiny Toons Night Ghoulery 2 March 28, 1995

Although It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special is considered a Christmas-themed special, it is only called this as it is Christmas-themed and is treated like a regular episode. However, it did air in prime time on December 6, 1992.

Cast

Release

Premiere dates are in order of release

Promotion

Legacy

The series was cancelled as it wasn't performing as well as its sister series Animaniacs, although, that didn't stop the series from getting two specials: Tiny Toons Spring Break and Tiny Toon Night Ghoulery with the latter serving as the finale for the series. A feature-length direct-to-video film, entitledTiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation, was released on March 11, 1992.

After the show ended, the series would get 4 spin-off series: The Plucky Duck Show, the aforementioned Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain; the latter of which was followed by its own spin-off Pinky, Elmrya, and the Brain.

After the success of the 2020 Animaniacs reboot, a Tiny Toons reboot in the same vein, called Tiny Toons Looniversity, was released in 2023. Unlike the original show, this series is set in its own continuity and takes several liberties from it predecessor.

In popular culture

WARNING: The following section contains content that may be seen as mature or offensive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
  • In the Batman: The Animated Series episode "On Leather Wings," a guard reads a Tiny Toons Adventures comic. This may be both a reference to the cartoon and the comic book adaptation DC Comics published briefly in 1990.
  • In the Seinfeld episode "The Contest," Jerry watches Tiny Toons on Nickelodeon to curb with his abstinence while Kramer continues to look at naked women across the street. Jerry then sings "Wheels on the Bus" while watching it, which can be heard on his TV, although the song itself isn't heard in any episode of the actual show.
  • In the 1993 film Wayne's World 2, when Wayne and Garth talk to the permit guy for permission to have Waynestock, he mentions how they have had other big acts including Tiny Toons.
  • In the The Golden Palace episode "Tad," Tad tells Rose that he watches Scooby-Doo, Tiny Toons, and Muppet Babies.
  • In the 1995 film Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus, Lupin briefly watches a cartoon on TV featuring a woodpecker and bear who resemble Plucky and Buster, respectively.
  • In the Young Sheldon episode "A Proposal and a Popsicle Stick Dress," Missy watches "A Quack in the Quarks."

Merchandise

Home media

On July 29, 2008, Warner Home Media released the first 35 episodes of the series on DVD as Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1, Volume 1. This was followed up by Season 1, Volume 2 on April 21, 2009, Volume 3 on January 8, 2013, and Volume 4 on May 28, 2013. How I Spent My Summer Vacation was also released on DVD on August 21, 2012, although there are currently no plans for the two specials (Spring Break and Night Ghoulery) on said format.

Reading material

Toys

Video games

References