''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' is an American animated

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

for CBS. The series premiered as part of the network's Saturday morning cartoon schedule on September 13, 1969, and aired for two seasons until October 31, 1970. In 1978, a selection of episodes from the later series '' Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics'' and '' The Scooby-Doo Show'' were aired on ABC under the ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' name, and they were released in a DVD set marketed as its third season. It also aired on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

in the UK from 1970 to 1973. The complete series is also available on the Boomerang, HBO Max, and Tubi streaming services. ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' is the first incarnation of a long-running

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program ...

primarily consisting of animated series, several films, and related merchandise.

Overview

The show focuses on four teenagers

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rod ...

, Daphne, Velma, and

Shaggy Shaggy may refer to: People *Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer *Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse *Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspora ...

, and their talking dog named Scooby-Doo, who travel in their van, named The Mystery Machine, bumping into and solving mysteries. Once solved, the group typically discovers that the perpetrator of the mystery is a disguised person who seeks to exploit a local legend or myth for personal gain.

Episodes

Voice cast

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered vocal creations include Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ...

as Scooby-Doo * Casey Kasem as Shaggy Rogers *

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

as Fred Jones *

Stefanianna Christopherson Indira Stefanianna (born Indira Stefanianna Christopherson; December 15, 1946), also credited as Indira Danks and Stefanianna Christopherson, is an American actress and singer of Icelandic heritage, perhaps best known for her role as the origina ...

as Daphne Blake (season 1) * Heather North as Daphne Blake (seasons 2 and 3) *

Nicole Jaffe Nicole Cowgill Jaffe (born May 23, 1941) is a retired Canadian actress, best known as the original voice actress for Velma Dinkley in Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo'' Saturday morning cartoon series from 1969 to 1973. Biography A life member of ...

Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the '' Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short pink pleated skirt (or in later episodes an A-line skirt, or sometimes shorts), knee socks, Mary Ja ...

(seasons 1 and 2) * Pat Stevens as

(season 3)

Production

Origin

''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' was the result of CBS and Hanna-Barbera's plans to create a non-violent Saturday morning program that would appease the parent watch groups that had protested the

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

-based programs of the mid-1960s. Originally titled ''Mysteries Five'' and later ''Who's Scared?'', ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' underwent a number of changes from script to screen (the most significant being the downplaying of a musical group angle). However, the basic concept—a group of teenagers and their dog solving supernatural-related mysteries—was always in place.

Writing

''Scooby-Doo'' creators Joe Ruby and Ken Spears served as the story supervisors on the series.Shostak, Stu (05-02-2012).
Interview with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears
. ''Stu's Show''. Retrieved 03-18-2013. Ruby, Spears, and Bill Lutz wrote all of the scripts for the 17 first-season episodes, while Lutz, Larz Bourne, and Tom Dagenais wrote the eight second-season episodes with Ruby and Spears as story editors. The plot varied little from episode to episode. The main concept was as follows: # The gang is driving in the Mystery Machine, either returning from or going to a regular teenage function, when their van breaks down for any of a variety of reasons (overheating, flat tire, out of gas) in the immediate vicinity of a large mostly vacated property (ski lodge, hotel, factory, mansion). # Their unintended destination turns out to be suffering from a monster problem (ghosts, Yetis, vampires, witches, etc). The gang then volunteers to investigate the case. # The gang splits up to cover more ground, with Fred and Velma finding clues, Daphne finding danger, and Shaggy and Scooby finding food, fun and the ghost/monster, who chases them. # Eventually, enough clues are found to convince the gang that the ghost/monster is a fake. Fred then develops a much too complex trap to capture it (only for it to invariably go awry). Alternatively, the gang calls the local sheriff, only to get stopped by the villain half-way. # Eventually, the ghost/monster is apprehended and discovered to be disguised. Once unmasked, the ghost/monster turns out to be an unsuspected authority figure or otherwise innocuous local who is using the disguise to cover up something, such as a crime or a scam. # After giving the parting shot of "And I'd have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids", the offender is then taken away to jail and the gang is allowed to continue on the way to their destination.

Music

The second season featured bubblegum "chase scene" songs produced by La La Productions (which had originally been contracted to create the

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

for '' Josie and the Pussycats'', the first of many animated series made from the same mold as ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!''). These songs were written by Danny Janssen and Austin Roberts, and were performed by Roberts, who also made a new recording of the ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' theme song for the second season. The series' theme song has been covered by several subsequent artists, including Matthew Sweet for the 1995 TV special and album '' Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits''; Third Eye Blind for the 1998 film ''

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island ''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island'' is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated mystery comedy horror film based on Hanna-Barbera's '' Scooby-Doo'' Saturday-morning cartoons. In the film, Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Velma, and Daphne reunite after a year ...

'';

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

for '' Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost'' (1999);

Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series '' Kids I ...

for '' Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders'' (2000);

the B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, ...

( Cindy, Kate and

) for '' Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase'' (2001);

MxPx MxPx () is an American pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington, founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead g ...

for the live-action '' Scooby-Doo'' film (2002);

Krystal Harris Krystal Marie Peterson (née Harris; November 7, 1981) is an actress, singer-songwriter and pianist known for her 2001 contributions to ''The Princess Diaries'' soundtracks and for her album '' Me & My Piano''. Her singing career was aided by ...

for ''

Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire ''Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire'' is a 2003 American direct-to-video animated adventure film, and the fifth in a series of direct-to-video films based upon the '' Scooby-Doo'' Saturday morning cartoons. It was completed in 2002, and r ...

'' (2003); and Best Coast for '' Scoob!'' (2020). ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' utilized a laugh track, a common feature in most animated TV series until the late 1970s. It was removed for syndication in the 1980s. Following Turner's purchase of Hanna-Barbera and its networks' ( TBS, TNT and

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...

) initial broadcast of the series in 1994, the laugh track was reinstated in 1997.

Home media

On June 4, 2002,

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...

released four episodes from the series on a compilation DVD in Region 1 entitled ''Scooby-Doo's Creepiest Capers''. They later released all 25 episodes on DVD in Region 1 on March 16, 2004 under the title ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The Complete First and Second Seasons''. A DVD entitled ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The Complete Third Season'' was released on April 10, 2007, made up of episodes produced in 1978, added to the '' Scooby's All-Stars'' package, and later syndicated as part of '' The Scooby-Doo Show''. On November 9, 2010, Warner Home Video released ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series''. The eight-disc set features all 25 episodes of the series plus the 16 episodes produced in 1978 which aired as part of ''Scooby's All-Stars''. The set is encased in special collectible packaging in the form of a Mystery Machine replica. It also features a special bonus disc filled with new and archival material. The set was re-released on November 13, 2012. A

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

version of the ''Complete Series'' was released on September 3, 2019, for the series' 50th anniversary. Starting on January 27, 2009, Warner Home Video released single-disc DVDs with four episodes each, plus an episode from ''Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue''. Four volumes have been released through October 19, 2010.

Reception

''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' was a hit for Hanna-Barbera and CBS, which led Hanna-Barbera to eventually create series with similar concepts on ABC, NBC, and CBS, including, '' Josie and the Pussycats'', ''

The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show ''The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired for one season on CBS Saturday morning from September 11, 1971, to January 1, 1972. With an ensemble voice c ...

'', The ''Pebbles, Dino and Bamm-Bamm'' segments on '' The Flintstone Comedy Show'', '' The Funky Phantom'', ''

Speed Buggy ''Speed Buggy'' is an American animated television series, produced by Hanna-Barbera, which originally aired for one season on CBS from September 8, 1973, to December 22, 1973. With the voices of Mel Blanc, Michael Bell, Arlene Golonka, and Ph ...

'', '' Jeannie'', '' Jabberjaw'', '' The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan'', '' Inch High Private Eye'', '' Goober and the Ghost Chasers'', '' Clue Club'', ''

Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels ''Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels'' is an American animated mystery comedy series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC. The series aired during the network's Saturday morning schedule from ...

'', ''

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids'' is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 8, 1973, to December 1, 1973. The series title is a play on the name of the unrela ...

'', and '' The New Shmoo''. In 2005, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' came 49th in

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

's ''100 Greatest Cartoons'', in the UK, and was more recently voted the 8th greatest ''Kids' TV Show'' by viewers of the same channel. It was ranked the 24th greatest cartoon on IGN's ''Top 100 Animated Series''.

References

External links

Official Scooby-Doo website
* *
Cartoon Network: Dept. of Cartoons: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
��cached copy from Internet Archive

The Big Cartoon DataBase The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows, and cartoon shorts. The BCDB project began in 1997 as a list of Disney animated featur ...

{{Portal bar, Television, United States, 1960s, Cartoon 1960s American animated television series 1969 American television series debuts 1970s American animated television series 1978 American television series endings 1960s American mystery television series 1970s American mystery television series 1960s American horror comedy television series 1970s American horror comedy television series Yeti in fiction CBS original programming American Broadcasting Company original programming English-language television shows Scooby-Doo television series Television series by Hanna-Barbera Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series American children's animated fantasy television series American children's animated horror television series American children's animated mystery television series Animated television series about teenagers Television series created by Joe Ruby Television series created by Ken Spears