Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (usually just Scooby-Doo) was an animated show produced for television by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the 1970s, with various variations on the theme since. It is now a recurring feature on Cartoon Network in the USA.
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2 Scooby Gang as "Potheads" 3 Scooby Doo TV Shows over the years 4 Direct to video Scooby Doo cartoon movies 5 See Also 6 External Links |
The show features a dog named Scooby-Doo (voiced by Don Messick) and four teenagers named Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Stefanianna Christopherson prior to 1970, Heather North afterward), Velma Dinkley (Nicole Jaffe), and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers (Casey Kasem). The five drive around in a van called the "Mystery Machine" and solve mysteries typically involving tales of ghosts and other supernatural forces. At the end of the episodes, the supernatural forces turn out to have a rational explanation.
The plot varied little from episode to episode, running as follows:
Overview
One season, called "The New Scooby Doo Movies" (1972-1973), includes a guest star in each episode. Notable guest stars included The Addams Family, Phyllis Diller, Jonathan Winters, Sonny and Cher, Tim Conway and Jerry Reed.
The "Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show" included Scooby's feisty (and almost universally hated by fans) nephew Scrappy-Doo. Another incarnation introduced Scooby's dimwitted brother Scooby-Dum and female cousin Scooby-Dee. "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo" is another series which involved real ghosts. The show teamed Shaggy, Daphne, and Scooby with a boy named Flim Flam and a warlock mentor, Vincent VanGhoul, voiced by Vincent Price.
"A Pup named Scooby Doo" chronicled the original show's cast members during their childhood, when they were also encountering fake ghosts and solving crimes. The show has even more outrageous slapstick than "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?"
The show is responsible for many pop-culture catchphrases, such as "Scooby Snacks" and "if it weren't for you meddling kids I'd have gotten away with it" (alternatively, "I would've got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids!"), traditionally said by the culprit when caught. The question of Velma's name (Velma or Thelma) has even been the subject of Internet polls.
Subsequent television shows and films often make reference to Scooby-Doo, for example Wayne's World and the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which Buffy and her monster-slaying friends refer to themselves as the "Scooby Gang" or "Scoobies", a knowing reference to Scooby-Doo. (Ironically, Sarah Michelle Gellar later played Daphne in the live-action movie.) Even South Park paid homage to Scooby-Doo in an episode entitled Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery. In 2002, online comic Sluggy Freelance featured a weeks-long guest strip culminating in the reincarnation of the Scooby Gang from other comic characters.
Having established a successful formula, Hanna-Barbera then shamelessly proceeded to repeat it ad infinitum. Goober and the Ghost Chasers, The Funky Phantom, Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels and Josie and the Pussycats (to name a few) all involve groups of kids solving mysteries, usually with the help of a wacky animal, ghost or caveman. Some of these shows even use the same voice actors.
In the fall of 2002 a new Scooby-Doo series premiered on the WB Network. The show, What's New Scooby Doo? was quickly picked up by Cartoon Network in the UK. With Don Messick's death in 1997, Frank Welker, the voice of Freddy, took over as Scooby's voice as well.
A live action feature film version of Scooby-Doo was released in 2002. The cast included Freddie Prinze Jr (Fred), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne), Matthew Lillard (Shaggy) and Linda Cardellini (Velma). Scooby-Doo was created on screen by CGI special effects. The movie did not receive much critical acclaim, but it was popular enough to support a sequel due for a 2004 release. It contained a nod towards fans' hatred of the Scrappy Doo character, by making the pup a villain.
The scooby gang is often (jokingly) refered to as potheadss and do bear a resemblance to the stereotypical "pothead". This can be considered fanon.
"Clues" include:
Scooby Gang as "Potheads"
Scooby Doo TV Shows over the years
Direct to video Scooby Doo cartoon movies
See Also
External Links
