Monday, June 29, 2015

Still More Toonage

The Journal gives details.

... Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo are coming off the bench later this year for a new mission: to make Time Warner Inc. a bigger competitor in the children’s television business.

New cartoons featuring the characters are part of a larger agreement between Warner Bros. Animation and sister company Turner Broadcasting’s Boomerang Network. As part of the deal, the studio will create about 450 half-hours of content for the cable channel.

“It is a Time Warner priority to grow a much bigger kids business,” said Craig Hunegs, president of business and strategy for the Warner Bros. Television Group. ...

The one thing you could rely on regarding Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation? Year in and year out? Zero cooperation or coordination or mutual reinforcement between the two. CN was run out of the Turner Group in Atlanta; Warner Bros. Animation reported to the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank.

It was like the two entities were on different planets. And it made no sense. Warners people would complain to me that it took an act of Congress to get a WBA show on Cartoon Network, no matter what it was. Meanwhile, three miles away, the Walt Disney Company was making sure all its cartoon divisions worked together like gears in a Swiss watch.

So maybe it's finally dawned on Time-Warner that Disney has spent a couple of decades eating their lunch (and several desserts) when it comes to cartoons. Whatever the reason is, the divisions have finally, haltingly, started to help and reinforce one another to ... you know ... generate more profits.

Hell of a concept. And I'm pleased the company has turned the big ship around to make more cartoons.

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