Blooper special falls flat on its faux face

Surprise endings have been a staple of the movie industry since its inception, but the folks at Disney/Pixar had a new wrinkle in mind for their delightful 1998 animated feature “A Bug’s Life.” As the credits rolled at the film’s conclusion, they were interrupted by a series of hilarious “outtakes” from the movie -- blown lines, giggle fits and temper tantrums by the computer-generated “talent.”

Other movies, such as “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Being There,” had used such outtakes to close out the show, but the idea of using animated characters for these faux flubs was inspired. Only five minutes or so long, the segment was the perfect after-dinner mint.

But tonight at 7, the Cartoon Network tries to stretch the concept into a main course with its one-hour special, “Bloopers and Other Embarrassing Moments.” The show, hosted by cartoon-voice star Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Powerpuff Girls, “Johnny Bravo”), features clips of such venerable characters as Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone, Yosemite Sam and the Jetsons.

The program is split into botched-dialogue bits (Porky Pig trying to smooth out his “That’s all, folks!” signature line), greatest “hits” (Wile E. Coyote and other poor souls taking it on the chin and just about everywhere else) and general missteps (George Jetson finds himself wearing a dress after pressing the wrong button). A few clips are funny, but a surprising number fall flat (not that the obnoxious laugh track notices).

Still, one segment is almost worth wading through the rest: the Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon “Duck Amuck,” starring Daffy Duck (as voiced by the incomparable Mel Blanc). Directed by Charles M. “Chuck” Jones, the ‘toon is allowed to run full-length, and the production-gone-haywire piece is a 10-minute marvel.