Best Friends is the premiere episode of The Looney Tunes Show.
Plot
The series begins with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck watching a game show. Daffy plays along with the show, getting simple questions incorrect. Lamenting about how he's never won anything, he decides that he should go on a game show himself. Daffy sees an advertisement for the show Besties, which quizzes the contestants on their knowledge of their best friends, and convinces Bugs that they should be on the show. The next day, Daffy manages to get the duo on the show, but Bugs expresses his concerns that Daffy will do poorly because he doesn’t know anything about anyone besides himself. Bugs asks Daffy basic questions about himself, but Daffy doesn’t know any of the answers. Bugs tries to prepare Daffy for the show, but he doesn’t listen, so Bugs starts telling the origin story of Superman, which gets Daffy’s attention, but causes him to think that Bugs is actually Superman.
On the show, Bugs and Daffy end up competing against Mac and Tosh, who seem to know everything about each other to a ridiculous degree. This scares Bugs and Daffy, and annoys Chuck Berost, the host, at one point of the show. Daffy gets the first question incorrect, and causes Bugs to answer his question about Daffy's middle name incorrectly by changing it to Armando, because it sounds cooler than his actual middle name, Sheldon. Bugs decides a new strategy is in order, so he tells Daffy to start saying the opposite of whatever he thinks the answer is. This results in Daffy answering the next several questions correctly, which puts Bugs and himself in a position to win after the gophers miss the last question. This opens doors for Bugs and Daffy after being 100 points away from winning. Daffy is asked, "What's Bugs Bunny's catchphrase?" Obviously being 'What's up doc?', Daffy chooses 'I don't do Monday's'. Daffy and Bugs are slingshotted out of their chairs as punishment for their incorrect answer, and are stuck in the roof. Bugs kicks Daffy for getting the question wrong. Meanwhile, Mac and Tosh get a prize on a cruise.
Once home that night, Bugs tells Daffy that they aren't friends. After Daffy spends the night in Bugs' car, Speedy tells him that he needs to be a better friend to Bugs, because Bugs is his only friend. Daffy takes the advice, and decides he’s going be the best best friend ever. He takes Bugs on the same cruise Mac and Tosh won on the show and starts regurgitating various details about Bugs's life. He also does ridiculously nice, but extremely annoying things like celebrating 189 days till Bug's next birthday. All this does is make the rabbit even angrier. Later, after Daffy gives a disturbing toast to Bugs and best friendship in the ship's dining area, Bugs tells Daffy that he is acting more like a stalker than a friend, and that he prefers the old Daffy, but also adds that he is still Daffy's best friend for reasons he doesn't really understand. At the end of the cruise, Bugs asks Daffy how he paid for everything. Daffy then reveals that he does know something about Bugs after all, his credit card number. He starts reciting the number in public, but Bugs stops him before he can finish.
Cast
| Actor | Voice(s) |
|---|---|
| Jeff Bergman | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Jor-El |
| Maurice LaMarche | Captain, Game Show Announcer |
| Billy West | Elmer Fudd, Back-Up Singing Men |
| Tim Dadabo | Game Show Contestant |
| Rob Paulsen | Mac, Chuck Berost |
| Fred Armisen | Speedy Gonzales |
| Jess Harnell | Tosh |
Quotes
- Daffy: Say, I should go on a gameshow!
Bugs: What gameshow are you qualified for?
Daffy: Uhhh, Wheel of Words?
Bugs: You don't know how to spell.
Daffy: How about Price is Correct?
(Bugs holds up pack of gum) How much do you think this pack of gum sells for?
Daffy: ... Thirty-three thousand dollars?
Bugs: ... Good luck with that. - Daffy: I did it! I got us on tomorrow's episode of Besties!
Bugs: How'd you manage that?
Daffy: There are some things you shouldn't know about me. But you better know everything else! - Bugs: I'm more concerned with how little you know about me.
Daffy: I know everything about you! Hit me with some questions. Go ahead.
Bugs: All right. What's my favorite color?
Daffy: Pass.
Bugs: What time do I go to bed at night?
Daffy: Pass. Give me something easy!
Bugs: Fine. When's my birthday?
Daffy: (when he says a wrong month, Bugs shakes his head) January... February... September... December... Jul... July! (when he says a wrong number, Bugs shakes his head again)
July 1st, July 2nd, July 3rd, July 4th! 5th! 6th! 7th! 8th! 9th! 10th...!
Bugs: 27th.
Daffy: July 27th! Well happy extremely belated birthday or happy extremely early birthday. - Bugs: You don't know anything about me! I bet if you look "self-absorbed" up in the dictionary, you'd find your picture.
Daffy: My picture's in the dictionary? Is it a good one? What am I wearing? Does my beak look big?
Bugs: This is hopeless. - (Daffy finds Speedy Gonzales sitting on his hand-held vacuum cleaner and then shrieks in terror)
Bugs: Hey, Speedy.
Speedy: Hola, Bugs.
(Daffy, to Bugs) You said you took care of the rat problem!
(Speedy, to Daffy) I'm not a rat! I'm a mouse!
(Speedy zooms out of Bugs' house) - Daffy: Don't get mad at me; those questions were impossible. I'll bet you don't know when my birthday is.
Bugs: Your birthday is April 17th. Your favorite color is dusty rose, and you go to bed every night at 10:00 except on New Year's Eve when you go to bed at 8:30, because and I quote, "New Year's is a holiday invented by the media."
Daffy: It is!
Bugs: Forget it. - Bugs: Find a different best friend to go on that show.
Daffy: But I need you! I prize prizes above all else. This is my shot at finally winning something! I'll do anything!
Bugs: Even it means focusing on someone other than yourself for more than two minutes?
Daffy: That sounds awful... but I'll do it! - (Daffy, amazed after listening to Bugs' Superman story) You're from the Planet Krypton?!
(Bugs, angrily) No, you maroon! That's the story of Superman!
(Daffy, confused) Who's Superman?
Bugs: I can't believe I hitched my wagon to you.
Daffy: You have a wagon?
Bugs: Daffy, concentrate!
(Daffy focuses on something else)
Bugs: On me!
Daffy: Oh, sorry, Superman.
(Bugs sighs and talks to himself) This is gonna be a long night. - Chuck Berost: Tell me, how long have you two known each other?
Bugs: Seventeen yea-
Daffy: Five years!
Chuck Berost: Looks like you two better get on the same page! - Chuck Berost: What is your best friend's favorite vegetable?
Daffy: Favorite vegetable?
(Bugs begins to eat a carrot)
Daffy: I'm gonna go with beets, Chuck!
(Buzzer goes off) - Chuck Berost: Next, question. What is your best friend's middle name?
- Bugs: Oh, that's an easy one; Sheldon.
- Bugs: Armando?
- Chuck Berost: You know what that means?
- Bugs: Daffy, your middle name is Sheldon.
- Daffy: That may be true, but Armando sounds cooler.
- Bugs: Well, do you want to sound cool, or do you want to win?
- Daffy: I want to win.
- Bugs: Then we need a new strategy. In the next round, whatever you're about to say, say the opposite.
- Daffy: That's a great idea. I mean that's a horrible idea.
- Chuck Berost: Daffy, what is Bugs Bunny's catchphrase?
Daffy: Think... catchphrase.
Bugs: Really? I say it all the time.
Daffy: I know this, I know this!
Bugs: Its sort of my go-to phrase.
Daffy: It's right on the tip of my tongue!
Bugs: It's in the form of a question; I say it with a lot of sarcasm... ehhhhhhh.
Daffy: I don't do Mondays!?
(Bugs throws his head down in disappointment) - Daffy: That's your catchphrase? "What's up, Doc?" What does that even mean? We don't even know any doctors. (getting kicked) Ow! Oooh! Who's doing that?! (Bugs is kicking Daffy)
- (Daffy is angry about Bugs' catchphrase and Bugs is angry at him about losing the game, driving home)
(Daffy, sarcastically) "What's up, Doc?" Terrible. Just the world's worst catchphrase. And I don't remember you ever saying it. Say it!
(Bugs, sarcastically and annoyed) What's up, Doc?
Daffy: Nope. Doesn't ring a bell.
(Bugs parks the car)
Daffy: But it sure cost us the game!
Bugs: What cost us the game was going on a game show about "best friends" when it's obvious that we're not. (he gets out of the car)
Daffy: You're saying I'm not your best friend? Why?! Because I don't know anything about you? Because I never asked any questions or show any interest in you? Because I take you for granted? Because if it is, that's awfully pity of you.
(Bugs drops his head then turns to him more angrily)
Bugs: My best friend would probably know... that I like carrots! He would most likely know my birthday and he would definitely know my last name! And for the record... I would have lo-o-oved to have won a cruise. And that is what's up, Doc! (he goes inside and slams the door)
Daffy: That still doesn't sound right! - (Daffy, to Bugs) What's up, doc?
(Bugs gets a little annoyed by what Daffy said)
Daffy: Oh, is that just your thing? I don't want to step on any toes.
Trivia
- This is the pilot episode of the series.
- Bugs and Daffy made their debut appearance here. Speedy also debuts in this episode, to which Daffy thinks is a rat that Bugs didn't get rid of after he said he got rid of the rat problem.
- Bugs reveals that his birthday is on July 27th, which is when he first appeared on the classic Looney Tunes short, A Wild Hare.
- It's also revealed that Daffy's birthday is April 17th, which, like Bugs, was the date of his first appearance, which was on the short, Porky's Duck Hunt.
- This episode reveals that his middle name is "Sheldon," but likes to call it "Armando."
- It's been revealed in the episode that Bugs and Daffy have known each other for 17 years and that they've been roommates for 5 years.
- One of the days the cruise happens on is January 19th as that date is 189 days until July 27th.
- Bugs parodies Superman's birth and arrival to Earth, complete with the original John Williams music score.
- Daffy parodies The Price is Right as "The Price is Correct" and Wheel of Fortune as "Wheel of Words".
- This was the first episode to not include any Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote CGI-shorts.
- This is the first episode to include Merrie Melodies.
- Bugs reveals that his favorite music is smooth jazz.
- Bugs' favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, although in the song Christmas Rules he said it was a snore, but most likely it was just the Thanksgiving of that year that was dull.
- Daffy gets Bugs' catchphrase wrong by thinking it is "I don't do Mondays". This references the Garfield franchise and the title character's trade mark catchphrase, "I hate Mondays...".
- The Warner Brothers water tower makes a cameo when Bugs and Daffy's heads get stuck through the ceiling of the game show.
- The ship Bugs and Daffy take the cruise on departs from the Port of Potti which is a pun on porta-potty, a portable toilet.
Goof
- Chuck Berost asked the question, "What is your best friend's middle name?" to Bugs & Daffy but did not to Mac and Tosh. However, it might have been off screen for time.
Gallery
Production Art
