Trademark registrations for MeTV Toons were first filed in March 2023, with originally considered names for the network being "Toon TV" or "Toony TV" (a name likely inspired by the mascot of the MeTV original programToon In with Me, Toony the Tuna), as well as names of interstitials for the network such as 'Cartoon College' filed in December 2023.[6][7]
On May 1, 2024,Variety andTVLine reported Weigel was partnering withWarner Bros. Discovery on MeTV Toons, which was billed as a 24/7, free-to-air television network dedicated to broadcasting classic animated programming. TheDesk.net reported that Weigel was also working withParamount Pictures,Amazon MGM Studios (The Pink Panther),Universal Pictures and a number of other content studios.[8]
The following day, Weigel officially announced the launch of the channel, which would take place on June 25. The channel launched with a marathon of thepilot episodes of all of its non-compilation shows, with the inaugural program at 6am Eastern/5am Central time beingCaptain Planet and the Planeteers.[9] The channel follows a similar format to the formative years of Warner Bros. Discovery'sCartoon Network andBoomerang.
Officials at Weigel announced that MeTV Toons will be distributed in three formats: as a broadcast channel available in many cities via over-the-air television and cable, as a streaming channel offered through subscription-based services, and as a 'complementary offering' for ad-supported streaming platforms.
The network runs original interstitial series which animation historianJerry Beck helped produce.Bob Bergen, the current voice actor forPorky Pig, is the promotional announcer for the network.[11]
WhileRocky and Bullwinkle would be a staple program from the launch of the network, MeTV Toons would abruptly remove the series with very little warning on February 1, 2025, claiming both in a post made on the channel's social media accounts and website that the sudden removal was done at the request of the show's current license-holderWildBrain; no further information was given as to exactly why WildBrain had suddenly requested removal of the program. The show would be replaced in the affected timeslots byThe Flintstones,Totally Tooned In andWait Till Your Father Gets Home (all of which had bumpers immediately before and going into each commercial break advisingRAB viewers of the removal), ahead of a planned fuller rehauling of the network's programming on the 17th of the month. While the show would still be removed from their schedule at that time, they would still acknowledge they were "working hard" with WildBrain to return the show to the network.[12]
Sunday Night Cartoon All-Stars: An extended three-hour block airing Sundays from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET, a successor to theSunday Night Cartoons block on sister station MeTV+.[13]
House ofHanna-Barbera: A two-hour, late morning and early afternoon block, airing weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p. m. ET, and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p. m. ET. The block showcases a variety of classic Hanna-Barbera animated shorts from the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the likes ofYogi Bear,Huckleberry Hound,Wally Gator,Secret Squirrel andSnagglepuss.
Scooby-Doo! Sunday Specials: An afternoon block airing Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, featuring various films and spin-off series from theScooby-Doo franchise, that launched with a run ofThe New Scooby-Doo Movies.[13]
Spooktacular Sundays: This Halloween-themed block that first introduced in October 2024 ran on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (though sometimes continued until later in the evening). In addition, this would be the first instance of characters fromSvengoolie appearing on the channel, often seen doing hosted segments. Some of the cartoons featured on the block includedThe Frankenstones (a segment onThe Flintstone Comedy Show as well as variousScooby-Doo specials and episodes (e.g.Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School andScooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf).
Rabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys!: A 15-hour marathon of theatricalLooney Tunes andMerrie Melodies cartoons, headlined byBugs Bunny andDaffy Duck, throughoutThanksgiving Day from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST. The animated short block was introduced on Thanksgiving Day in 2024.
Black (and White) Friday: Similar toRabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys! (as seen above), this was also a 15-hour marathon of theatrical cartoons, this time focusing onPopeye,Betty Boop and black and whiteLooney Tunes andMerrie Melodies shorts (from 1931 to 1943), premiered the day after theRabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys! marathon,Black Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST.
Easter Eggstravaganza: An Easter block which aired onEaster Sunday in April 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST, featuring 3 Easter specials:Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure,The Smurfs Springtime Special, andYogi the Easter Bear. Other Easter-themed cartoons that also aired on the block include the 1947Looney Tunes shortEaster Yeggs, the 1943Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shortThe Egg Cracker Suite and the 1958Tom and Jerry shortHappy Go Ducky, alongside further Easter-related shorts on theSunday Night Cartoon All-Stars block.
