Wabbit- New Looney Tunes - | Season 1

Perhaps the most daring move of Wabbit- New Looney Tunes - Season 1 was the decision to sideline classic villains like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam (they appear rarely or in cameos). Instead, the creators invented a host of new, utterly bizarre antagonists. This was controversial at the time, but it ultimately gave the season its identity.

Here are the standout original villains from Season 1:

1. Squeaks the Squirrel (The Accidental Sidekick) Technically not a villain, Squeaks is a small, hyper-intelligent, mute squirrel who lives in Bugs’ tree. He is the "Ned Flanders" to Bugs' "Homer." Squeaks is unfailingly polite, mechanically brilliant, and utterly oblivious to danger. He often accidentally solves Bugs’ problems in ways that frustrate the rabbit even more than the original threat. Their chemistry is the heart of the season.

2. The Three Bears (Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear) This ursine family—Papa Bear (tough but dumb), Mama Bear (a sweet, apron-wearing brute), and Baby Bear (a genius toddler in a diaper)—constantly mistake Bugs’ hole for their den. They aren’t mean; they’re just entitled and incredibly destructive. Many episodes revolve around Bugs trying to evict them via absurdist home renovation schemes. Wabbit- New Looney Tunes - Season 1

3. The "Bigfoot" (The Sasquatch) A massive, furry, surprisingly gentle cryptid who lives in the woods. He wants to be friends with Bugs, but he has zero concept of his own strength. The humor comes from Bugs trying to let him down easily while avoiding being crushed by a "friendly hug."

4. Claudette Dupri (The French Acrobat) A master of disguise and martial arts, Claudette is a pink, perfumed skunk who has a crush on Bugs. Unlike Penelope Pussycat (the old Looney Tunes skunk), Claudette is aggressive and competent. Her episodes are a delight as she uses parkour and judo to "win" Bugs’ affection, forcing him to flee for his life.

| Character | Role in S1 | Helpful Note | |-----------|------------|----------------| | Bugs Bunny | Clever, calm trickster | Uses wit and misdirection, not violence, to outsmart foes. Great model for non-aggressive problem-solving. | | Squeaks the Squirrel | New character; Bugs’ small, excitable neighbor | Represents youthful enthusiasm. Often needs Bugs’ help but shows bravery. | | Bigfoot | Gentle giant; Bugs’ friend | Subverts the “monster” trope. Shows kindness and loyalty. | | Porky Pig | Occasional straight man | His stutter is handled respectfully—not mocked, just part of his character. | | Yosemite Sam | Recurring villain (as a spaceship captain or outlaw) | Classic explosive temper; always outsmarted. | | Wile E. Coyote | Still after the Road Runner | Same silent, invention-based humor. Great for cause/effect discussions. | Perhaps the most daring move of Wabbit- New

Note: Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, and Tweety appear less in S1, making room for new antagonists like theCyborg Bunny or The Grim Rabbit.

The most critical decision the showrunners made in Season 1 was the depiction of Bugs Bunny. Following the 2011 cancellation of The Looney Tunes Show (which sitcomized the characters into apartment-dwelling roommates), Wabbit stripped away the domestic setting.

Season 1 returned Bugs to his roots: a wandering trickster living in a burrow, seemingly unaware of the passage of time. Crucially, they gave Bugs his Brooklyn accent back. For years, voice actors had struggled with the character, but Jeff Bergman (and later Eric Bauza in later seasons) delivered a performance that channeled the late, great Mel Blanc. This wasn't a sitcom neighbor Bugs; this was the confident, singing, dancing, "knock-knock" joke-cracking Bugs who always knew he was on camera. He was charming, arrogant, and—most importantly—funny again. Note: Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, and Tweety appear

No serialized plot; instead, a loose thematic arc: Bugs adjusts to a world blending classic cartoon logic with modern conveniences. Repeated motifs include Bugs exploiting technology, suburbia vs. wilderness gags, and rivalries that escalate then reset by each episode’s end.

The animation (by Rough Draft Studios, directed by Erik Knutson) deliberately rejects the lush, fluid motion of classic WB or the hyper-kineticism of The Looney Tunes Show.

Deep Feature: The visual calm forces you to watch character logic, not motion gags. You laugh at the thought, not the impact.

Season 1 adopted a format reminiscent of the original theatrical runs: two 11-minute segments per half-hour, sometimes broken down further into micro-shorts. This allowed for rapid-fire pacing. Unlike modern cartoons that rely on serialized drama, Wabbit embraced the sitcom reset.

However, the show didn't ignore the modern era. It leaned into a meta-humor that felt fresh. Bugs was now interacting with the modern world—smartphones, viral videos, and corporate bureaucracy—but he treated them with the same dismissive wit he used to treat Elmer Fudd’s shotgun. Watching Bugs outsmart a tech startup or deal with a stubborn GPS felt like a natural evolution of the character, proving that a character born in the 1940s could still thrive in the 2010s.