The Long Spooky History

Scooby-Doo is a long running cartoon series that follows a group of kids and their dog hunt down and solve mysteries. The first ever episode aired on CBS on september 13 1969. The first series Scooby-Doo Where Are You lasted 17 episodes where the gang would go around finding monsters and other ghouls and solve mysteries. The five gang members were Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and of course Scooby-Doo. The cast started with very few characters but as the shows went on they became more advanced and added many more. In 1972 the New Scooby-Doo movies were created where the gang teamed up with other famous celebrities and solved mysteries. These one hour shows lead to a new T.V show being created. In 1976 a 16 episode season titled “The Scooby-Doo Show was released on saturdays. This show had many of the same voice actors except the voice of Velma was new because the old one retired. This show would last 2 years from 1976-1978 and would produce 40 total episodes which is now compiled together from the Scooby-Doo Show. In 1979 a show started entitled Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. Scrappy was Scooby’s nephew and this show was used to try and boost ratings. The original show was the same with half hour mysteries but a second spinoff show was released called Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo shorts. SCOOBY These shows did not last long and Soon a third scooby and scrappy show was made but this time SNAX with Daphne returning. After several spin off series the gang went quiet for several years. In 1987 Hannah Barbera released several films starring Shaggy Scooby-Doo, and scrappy. 2

This was Scooby-Doo’s original voice actor Don Messick’s last work as he passed away in 1997. In the early 90’s many shows were doing robots where it would be the same characters but when they were younger. Scooby-Doo is no exception with it’s own show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. This show followed the saem cast but as children and with much more comedic monsters. This show lasted several seasons and would be Hannah Barbera’s last Scooby-Doo cartoon series before being taken over by Warner Brothers.

In 1998 Hannah Barbera was releasing one direct to video movie a year. This lasted for 4 years and the films consisted of the same characters but slightly older than the original gang. After Warner Bros absorbed Hannah Barbera thes films continued to last another 2 years. With the characters of Scooby-Doo acquired Warner brothers decided to put Scooby-Doo into live action. In the summer of 2002 the first live action film was released titled Scooby-Doo, and it followed the characters to a beach resort with a real mystery.

The casting was good but one stood out among them as Matthew Lillard who played

Shaggy. He would go on to play Shaggy in other cartoons and movies. In 2002 a return of the animated show would be spearheaded by the new show What’s New Scooby-Doo?.

This show would have 3 seasons between four years and place the gang in the 21st century. The gang would now travel the world and face new monsters wherever they went. This show was true to the roots of the original show but a more modern Twist. 3

Along with the new show Scooby-Doo was also coming out with new movies in the same art style as the new show. These movies would see the gang travel all around the world from the Himalayas to Hawaii and from Japan to Irelnd. After the What’s New Scooby-Doo series ended the next T.V. show would be innovative and fresh. With a new art style and some frest stories Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated was launched. This show would follow an overarching story where each episode would lead into the next.

Each episode still followed the gang solving a mystery but at the end there would be a clue about the bigger mystery ahead of them. This show would last 52 episodes across 2 seasons and ended in 2014. After this there was a new show several years later entitled Be Cool Scooby Doo and went back to the original format. This show was a weak one with forgettable mysterious and ok humor. In 2020 Scoob was released.

This was going to be released in theaters but because the pandemic was released digitally. Scooby-Doo is still releasing movies and shows today and hopefully for many years to come. With over 50 years of shows and movies Scooby-Doo is a culture icon. With all the differnet adaptations and series it is no wonder how this show managed to stay on for the better part of 50 years, and i’m sure it is not stoping soon.

This depictas the terrifying hedless spectre from thr origanal show