Jarrod Fairclough – Today marks the 20th anniversary of one of the defining films of my generation – Space Jam. The Michael Jordan / Looney Tunes film has become a favorite around the world, with millions of twenty-somethings (and I’m sure a lot of other ages) able to finish the lyric ‘Come on and slam…’
Over the last few decades, The Muppets and the Looney Toons have only intercepted briefly. We thought we’d celebrate SpaceJam20 by taking a look back at just some of these moments.
Dr Livingstone, I Presume?
In this classic Ernie and Bert sketch, they travel the deepest jungle in search of Dr. Livingstone, just so Ernie can ask him one simple question – “What’s Up, Doc?”
Cartoon All-Stars To the Rescue
Back in 1990, NBC, ABC and CBS got together with McDonalds to create a special teaching kids about drugs and their harsh effects on the world. In order to get as much attention as possible, these stations gathered together the most famous cartoon stars of the day, which included Baby Kermit, Baby Piggy and Baby Gonzo from Muppet Babies. They were joined by a range of others such as Garfield, Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger too), and of course, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. If you can find half an hour, the special is worth a watch, if only for how bizarre it all is.
You Know Who…
In Episode 422 of The Muppet Show (that’s Andy Williams), Dr Bob and his team of pun-making nurses are operating on a small white bunny rabbit. Nurse Piggy asks his name, but Dr Bob replies ‘Well, he hasn’t said ‘Eh… What’s Up Doc?’ so it isn’t ‘You know who’!’.
Fozzie Bugs
In the Muppet Babies episode ‘The Great Muppet Cartoon Show’, the Muppets pay homage to their favorite cartoon stars. Kermit dresses as Jiminy Cricket, Piggy becomes a puppet as Pinocchio, and Fozzie dresses as Bugs Bunny.
Two Familiar Faces
In The Looney Tunes Show Daffy Duck searches through a book of criminals. Take a look at the photo below and see if you can spot two familiar faces?
Sunflower Street
The 1998 Looney Tunes comic book featured a story about Daffy Duck not being cast in a new film. The story had a two page spread parodying Sesame Street as ‘Sunflower Street’, including a purple Bird, an orange Frog and a purple Grouch. Take a look at the spread below!
That’s All Folks!
Episode 421 of The Muppet Show ends with a rabbit in Statler and Waldorf’s balcony, saying the famous phrase ‘That’s All Folks!’
And that’s all from us! So take a moment today to remember the incredible film Space Jam, which helped introduce a group of beloved characters to a new audience. Because we all know what that’s like.
The Muppet Mindset 