Early last month, animation fans all over the internet rejoiced when it was announced that Weigel Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Discovery were partnering to bring us MeTV Toons, an over-the-air channel dedicated to classic animation. I put out a post shortly after the news broke covering the first details, and since then, more has come out about the channel. With MeTV Toons only three weeks away from premiering, I've put together this post highlighting every bit of news you may have missed about the channel since its announcement.
Let's start with what's the most important thing, the schedule! This past week, a graphic was put out featuring the schedule for most hours of the day. You can see it below. In regards to Hanna-Barbera programming, everything you see here had already been announced for the channel earlier, save for two blocks. On Sundays, viewers can look forward to "Flintstones Family Sundays" and "Scooby-Doo Sunday Specials." The Flintstones block will present movies and specials based on the series. June 30th, the channel's first Sunday, will see a presentation of The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones, while the following week is The Man Called Flintstone. The Scooby block will air later incarnations of the show, starting with The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
But what about the late-night and early-morning programming? Don't worry, the MeTV Toons website has the entire schedule available. During these hours, we will see a couple of Hanna-Barbera productions that marketing hadn't mentioned before. You'll see The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, and, much to my surprise, The Greatest Adventures: Stories from the Bible. Who would have thought?
As exciting as this is, just know that this channel is only getting started. Unlike, say, Boomerang, this isn't going to be the schedule forever. Within the first six months, you'll see more shows join the lineup. These additions include silent theatrical cartoons, as well as TV shows that haven't been aired in decades. Also airing on the channel will be a series called Cartoon College; interstitials that cover the history of these cartoons. Over 100 have been made so far, and they will cover a wide variety of topics.
Now, I move on to what is, in my opinion, the most exciting tidbit I've heard yet. According to Jerry Beck, who did an interview with the Musical Innertube that a lot of this info comes from, Warner Brothers is undergoing a massive project that will see them restoring the ENTIRE Hanna-Barbera library. His words, not mine. Pretty exciting stuff, and knowing WB's history with restorations, I have no doubt that they will all look amazing.
So, how can you watch the channel? If you're looking to see if your antenna will pick it up, this website has a guide to every channel and location that currently carries it. If you don't see your area, don't fret just yet, as there are still a few weeks to go before the network goes live. Beyond that, the live TV streaming services Philo and Frndly will both carry it. A FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) version will appear during the fall, but will have a different schedule from the other versions. So even if you don't get it over the air, you can rest knowing there will be some way for you to watch.
And I think that's everything! MeTV Toons sounds like a haven for us animation diehards, and I cannot wait for its premiere date. Like many of you, I just wish it was June 25th already! Before I sign off, I want to give a big kudos to the Twitter accounts MeTV Toons Updates and News and CN News/Schedules. Both have done a terrific job covering news for the channel, and I highly recommend giving them a follow if you're active on the platform. If any other big developments happen with the channel, I'll be sure to cover them, but until the 25th arrives, I think I've covered everything you absolutely need to know about it.
"YES, YES, HELL YES!"
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