MeTV to launch animation TV network spin-off, "MeTV Toons"
Big news in the animation and broadcast TV space this week: Weigel Broadcasting (owners of over-the-air nostalgia TV network MeTV) and Warner Bros. Discovery (owners of DC Comics, CNN, HBO, Looney Tunes, and whatever else Zaslav hasn’t erased by now) have announced the former is launching a new broadcast TV network, “MeTV Toons.” The new network is basically a 24-hours-a-day extension of MeTV’s existing animation lineup. Programming will feature the classic Warner Bros. animation library: Looney Tunes; Hanna-Barbera (“The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Scooby-Doo,” “Top Cat”, etc.); Popeye; Tom and Jerry; and also some non-Warner properties (Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Betty Boop, “Speed Racer”).
MeTV Toons will also feature the contributions of animation historian Jerry Beck, presumably for segments/programming reflecting animation history. Toons will also have voice actor Bob Bergen (the usual modern voice of Porky Pig), who’ll serve as MeTV Toons’ announcer for bumpers.
MeTV Toons launches on June 25 as a digital subchannel network, joining Weigel’s numerous other such networks (MeTV, Heroes & Icons, Movies!, etc.). A version of MeTV Toons will also be available for streaming, though at this writing, in what form (standalone? As a “channel” on a service like Pluto TV or Tubi?) is unknown. Presumably the existing Warner Bros. Discovery animation content deals (with Tubi and Hulu) will remain in place for now.
My thoughts
MeTV Toons sounds like actual good TV (and Warner Bros.) related news. Fortunately, like MeTV itself, it’s Weigel who’ll be doing the work running Toons, not Zaslav and company. That said, while Beck notes Toons won’t be “another ‘Boomerang’,” Toons sounds like it’ll resemble the 90s and early 2000s version of Cartoon Network, just as MeTV resembles Nick At Nite during its prime. Back then, Cartoon Network ran a mix of classic and new cartoons, plus some animation history-themed programs such as “ToonHeads” and “The Popeye Show.”
As for Toons’ lineup, the obvious classics will be there, but surprisingly, so will a number of less famous and now-obscure older cartoons. These include Warner-owned programs that don’t fall under one of their major animation libraries/categories (Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, etc.). MeTV Toons currently has a landing page with a trailer.
Finally, I assume there’ll be wide carriage of MeTV Toons as a digital subchannel, even in spite of the number of other subchannel networks Weigel already offers. As such, I wouldn’t expect a main channel (“x.1”) channel spot for Toons. Based on the other Weigel networks, Toons will probably have a 720p main feed, but broadcast in 480p (standard definition) in most markets.
MeTV Toons lineup
Based on the trailer and landing page, among the possible cartoons airing on MeTV Toons:
Beetlejuice
Police Academy
Heathcliff (presumably the DIC version)
Inspector Gadget
The Smurfs
Wally Gator
Magilla Gorilla
Richie Rich (Hanna-Barbera version)
GoBots
Snagglepuss
Breezly and Sneezly
The Mask animated series
Dynomutt
Wacky Races
Krypto the Superdog
Atom Ant
Secret Squirrel (“Super Secret” version from “2 Stupid Dogs”)
Touche Turtle
The 80s Mr. T animated series
Captain Caveman
The 2000s Duck Dodgers series
Josie and the Pussycats
The 60s Hanna-Barbera Abbott and Costello shorts
Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles
Xiaolin Showdown
“A Flintstone Christmas Carol” (suggesting there’ll be holiday-themed specials and films)
Captain Planet
Underdog
Freakazoid
That’s quite a few programs, including some surprising but welcomed choices. For starters, Toons will carry some action shows, not just comedies. There’ll also be some classic anime via “Speed Racer.” Some of the programs (such as “Underdog” and “Rocky and Bullwinkle”) haven’t really aired on TV in years. “Beetlejuice” suggests the Nelvana animation library could be an option in the future; maybe the “Babar” animated series?
Also surprising: there’ll be some relatively recent programs from the 90s and 2000s: “Freakazoid,” “The Mask” animated series, “Duck Dodgers,” and “Krypto the Superdog” stand out. A strong sign that this lineup won’t just be Golden Age theatrical shorts and Baby Boomer-era cartoons. (Also a sign that it’s been about 20 years since “Krypto” and “Dodgers” debuted on TV.)
Conclusion
Overall, MeTV Toons sounds like a positive way of keeping much classic animation in the spotlight. Toons also will have wider carriage and accessibility than the Boomerang cable channel, per Comcast not carrying Boomerang for some reason.
Hopefully, Toons will be available for streaming in some form; I don’t use an antenna, and rely on streaming (plus a Jellyfin media server) for TV.