| Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Greg Ford Terry Lennon |
| Directed by | Greg Ford Terry Lennon |
| Starring | Mel Blanc (voices) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Steven S. Greene Katherine Helppie-Shipley |
| Running time | 23 min. |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Animation |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | October 21, 1988 (1988-10-21) |
| Related | |
Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars is a 1988 animated television special broadcast onCBS on October 21, 1988.[1] The story revolves around two competing television stations that show music videos from classicLooney Tunes shorts. The stations are hosted byBugs Bunny (WABBIT) andDaffy Duck (KPUT).[2] This special aired afterThis Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers.
It was one of the first specials produced by Warner Bros. where new animation was both traditionally anddigitally inked and painted. It was also the first Looney Tunes television special to be broadcast in stereo, with the exception of the classic cartoon footage. It can be found in the Adventures section of theSpace Jam 2-disc box set.
After the title is announced, we cut to a VJ Bugs at the end of "In Old Indiana". He runs the highly successful music video TV stationWABBIT. He then plays his "highly requested" song "Home on the Range". We then leave the city where WABBIT is to the woods, where Daffy's music video TV station KPUT is. Daffy plays "Sunrise in Nutzville", then displays his disgust for WABBIT because they have higher ratings. On a television screen (above is a picture labeled the Nielsens, but the family in the picture is not yet seen), a hand changes the station to WABBIT.
After the commercial break, Bugs and Daffy deliver their signature songs "What's Up, Doc?" and "Oh, People Call Me Daffy!". Then, Bugs presents "The Songs of the 1930s", which displays songs from the 1930s Looney Tunes. He plays "Those Were Wonderful Days" and describes how some of the best music came from Vaudeville, usinga song from the Bunny Sisters as an example. On his break, Daffy is clueless at watching Bugs do his radio show with "no panache, no charisma". He sees "We're in the Money", then his break is over. He has a caller service giveaway for a free T-shirt and free copy of hisdisco album. He then rips off WABBIT on KPUT by presenting his own golden oldie "We Watch the Skyways" before the same hand changes the channel. Bugs presents a back-to-back tribute toPorky Pig with his debut single "Porky's Poppa Has a Farm", his imaginative videos,and his duet with Petunia Pig. Watching this, Daffy is disgusted. He then delivers a trivia question: "Whose musical talent combined the upper-beat level of bluegrass music with the intoxicating Latin rhythm of salsa?" He is the answer to that, and then plays the song "Banjo Chicky-Boom", the song for said answer. He is dead last in his competition ratings, then shows lament before the same hand changes the channel again.
After the commercial break, Bugs displays "The Songs ofWWII" with songs "We Did It Before" and "Any Bonds Today?". Daffy then rips off WABBIT once more, saying that "those bigshots at WABBIT would have you believe that us ducks did nothing but sit on our tail feathers during World War II". He then plays "We're In to Win" before being changed by the hand. Bugs then plays "Gee Whiz Willigans", which infuriates Daffy. He then jams WABBIT with a drum solo of his fromThe Bugs Bunny Show. Bugs jams KPUT right back with "The Old Soft Shoe", with a confused Daffy jamming Bugs back with "I Can't Get Along, Little Dogie" byYosemite Sam. They then jam each other back-to-back with songs byTweety ("Wee Widdle Bird") and Sylvester ("Pussycat's Parade"). They then resort to holidays likeValentine's Day,Halloween,Columbus Day,St. Patrick's Day,The 4th of July, andChristmas.
The Nielsen Family Ratings come in, and Daffy announces the show canceled. But then, he asks who the Nielsen Family is. The hand (which is from the Nielsen family) switches to WABBIT. The family is revealed to be a family of rabbits. Bugs gives a shout-out to the Nielsens, saying, "It helps to have a lot of relatives". The Old Soft Shoe video plays over the end credits.
