A moment of understandable unhappiness circulated through the wider internet sphere when Max sent out a recent release noting which titles were leaving and coming to its platform in December. Listed among the titles leaving Max on December 31 were the Looney Tunes shorts, The Looney Tunes Show, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. But happily, whether in actual error or in “oops, we angered the internet” error, it seems that Max listed most of the Looney Tunes titles in error. Seasons 1-15 of Looney Tunes will remain available on Max for now, as will The Looney Tunes Show.
In an updated release, Max shared, “Looney Tunes was included in error as a title leaving the platform. This is not the case, and the show will continue streaming on Max.” Still, the response to the perceived loss of Looney Tunes on the streamer speaks to a greater wound at the moment. Of course, this specific news struck a nerve because Max already removed seasons 16-31 of the iconic shorts series in 2022. That includes material first released in the 1950s.
Max, did, at the time, keep its current offerings of Looney Tunes‘ first 15 seasons. But it feels hard not to consider their existence as tenuous at best. The first season of Looney Tunes released in the 1930s, and the show has incredible historic weight. It would be a huge shame for it to fade from the world. We feel glad that will not happen today. It does seem worth noting that Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) will still leave Max in December.
Separate from Looney Tunes and even from Max as a streamer, the growing trend of simply disappearing properties from streaming channels is an alarming one. From iconic shows we love from the past to completed modern works we may never see, all media seems to exist in a fragile place. It feels hard to say what will happen going forward. But, for now, if you really love something, consider buying it on physical media.
