Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You![4] is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera 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-Stars 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.[5]

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Title card (1969–1970)
Genre
Created by
Developed by
Directed by
Voices of
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" performed by
Composer(s)Ted Nichols (1969–70)
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes41 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)
Running time21 minutes approx
Production company(s)Hanna-Barbera Productions
DistributorTaft Broadcasting
Release
Original network
Picture format
  • Film
  • 4:3
  • 480i
Audio formatMonaural
Original release
  • Original series:
    September 13, 1969 (1969-09-13) – October 31, 1970 (1970-10-31)
  • Revival series:
    September 9, 1978 (1978-09-09) –December 23, 1978 (1978-12-23)
Chronology
Followed byThe New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972–73)

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of a long-running media franchise primarily consisting of animated series, several films, and related merchandise.

Overview

The series centers on a group of characters consisting of teenagers Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and the title character, a semi-anthropomorphic Great Dane named Scooby-Doo. The group travels in the Mystery Machine, a blue and green van decorated with orange flowers, solving mysteries involving local legends; in doing so, they discover that the perpetrator is almost invariably a disguised person who seeks to exploit the legend for personal gain.[6]

Episodes
Main article: List of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
117September 13, 1969 (1969-09-13)January 17, 1970 (1970-01-17)CBS
28September 12, 1970 (1970-09-12)October 31, 1970 (1970-10-31)
316September 9, 1978December 23, 1978ABC

Voice cast
Main article: List of Scooby-Doo characters

Production

Origin
Further information: Scooby-Doo

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-based programs of the mid-1960s.[7] 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.[8]

Writing

Scooby-Doo creators Joe Ruby and Ken Spears served as the story supervisors on the series.[9] 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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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 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 and the 2003 film Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico; Billy Ray Cyrus for Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost (1999); Jennifer Love Hewitt for Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000); the B-52's (Cindy, Kate and Fred) for Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001); MxPx for the live-action Scooby-Doo film (2002); and Krystal Harris for Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003).

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

Home media

On July 4, 2002, Warner Home Video 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 June 21, 2005 under the title Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The Complete First and Second Seasons.[10] 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.[11][12]

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.[13] The set was re-released on November 13, 2012. A Blu-ray version of the Complete Series boxset was released on September 3, 2019, for the series' 50th anniversary.[14]

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.[15]

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! home video releases
SeasonEpisodesRelease dates
Region 1
1 1969–7017Original Mysteries: 2000
Episode(s): "What a Night for a Knight" – "Decoy for a Dognapper"
Spookiest Tales: August 21, 2001
Episode(s): "A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts" • "Which Witch is Which?" • "That's Snow Ghost"
Creepiest Capers: July 4, 2002
Episode(s): "Hassle in the Castle" • "Go Away Ghost Ship" • "A Night of Fright is No Delight"
Greatest Mysteries: 2004
Episode(s): "Hassle in the Castle" • "A Clue for Scooby Doo" • "The Backstage Rage"
The Complete First and Second Seasons: March 16, 2004 / May 23, 2017 (reissue)
Episode(s): Entire season featured
Volume 1: A Monster Catch: January 27, 2009
Episode(s): "What a Night for a Knight" – "Mine Your Own Business"
Volume 2: Bump In The Night: May 5, 2009
Episode(s): "Decoy for a Dognapper" – "Foul Play in Funland"
Volume 3: Hello Mummy: September 1, 2009
Episode(s): "The Backstage Rage" – "Scooby Doo and a Mummy, Too"
Volume 4: Spooky Bayou: October 19, 2010
Episode(s): "Which Witch is Which?" – "A Night of Fright is No Delight"
The Complete Series: November 9, 2010 / November 13, 2012 (reissue)
Episode(s): Entire season featured
2 19708Creepiest Capers: July 4, 2002
Episode(s): "The Haunted House Hang-Up"
Greatest Mysteries: 2004
Episode(s): "Jeepers, It's the Creeper"
The Complete First and Second Seasons: March 16, 2004 / May 23, 2017 (reissue)
Episode(s): Entire season featured
The Complete Series: November 9, 2010 / November 13, 2012 (reissue)
Episode(s): Entire season featured
3 197816The Complete Third Season: April 10, 2007 / June 6, 2017 (reissue)
The Complete Series: November 9, 2010 / November 13, 2012 (reissue)
Episode(s): Entire season featured
Special features
Original Mysteries:
Scooby-Doo Music Video (featuring scenes from Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost) • Take the Scooby-Doo Challenge • Snack Tracks • Scooby Snack Time
Spookiest Tales:
Bonus episodes: The Scooby-Doo Show: "The Headless Horseman of Halloween" • "Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats" • Mystery Inc. gang character bios • Trivia
Creepiest Capers:
Mystery game. • Get the Picture: How to Draw Scooby-Doo. • Music Video • Mystery, Inc. Yearbook
Greatest Mysteries:
Scooby-Doo's Greatest Mysteries music video • Barrels of Mystery Challenge
The Complete First and Second Seasons:
Scooby-Doo's Ultimate Fans (disc 2) • Get the Picture: How to Draw Scooby-Doo and the Gang (disc 2) • Funky Fashion (disc 3) • America Loves Scooby-Doo Music Video (disc 3) • Scooby-Doo Street Smarts (disc 4) • Take the Scooby-Doo Challenge (disc 4; original from the Original Mysteries DVD)
The Complete Third Season:
Hanna-Barbera: From H to B featurette
Volume 1: A Monster Catch:
Bonus episode: Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: "Shags to Riches"
Volume 2: Bump In The Night:
Bonus episode: Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: "More Fondue for Scooby-Doo!"
Volume 3: Hello Mummy:
Bonus episode: Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: "High Society Scooby"
Volume 4: Spooky Bayou:
Bonus episode: Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: "Lightning Strikes Twice"

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, Dino and Bamm-Bamm segments on The Flintstone Comedy Show, The Funky Phantom, Speed Buggy, 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, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, and The New Shmoo.

In 2005, Scooby Doo, Where Are You! came 49th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Cartoons,[16] in the UK, and was more recently voted the 8th greatest Kids' TV Show by viewers of the same channel.[17] It was ranked the 24th greatest cartoon on IGN's Top 100 Animated Series.[18]

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See also

References
  1. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! [Animated TV Series]". AllMovie. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  2. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  3. "Super '70s and '80s: "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"—Larry Marks, theme song singer, season 1". Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  4. Later iterations of the series added a hyphen to spell the character's name "Scooby-Doo". However, the first series and spinoffs used no hyphen, such as Gold Key Comics' Hanna-Barbera Scooby Doo... Where Are You! and Scooby Doo... Mystery Comics.
  5. Lenberg, Jeff (2006). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. New York: Facts of File. ISBN 0-8160-6599-3. pp. 618–619.
  6. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 718–726. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  7. Cronin, Brian (September 25, 2013). "TV Legends Revealed | Jinkies! The Mysterious Origins of 'Scooby-Doo'". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  8. Mikkelson, Barbara (May 22, 2006). "Scooby-Doo, What Is You?". Snopes.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  9. Shostak, Stu (05-02-2012). "Interview with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears". Stu's Show. Retrieved 03-18-2013.
  10. "Scooby Doo, Where Are You! - The Complete First and Second Seasons : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. 2004-03-16. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  11. "Scooby Doo, Where Are You! - The Complete Third Season : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  12. "Warner Home Video Unleashes Classic Animated Fun with the Third and Final Season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! on DVD April 10, 2007". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. January 17, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  13. Lacey, Gord. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Complete Series Announced - Mystery Machine Packaging!". Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  14. Salmons, Tim (2019-09-02). "Scooby-Doo: Where Are You? – The Complete Series (Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Mystery Mansion Boxset) (Blu-ray Review)". The Digital Bits. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  15. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! DVD news: Announcement for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Season 1, Volume 4: Spooked Bayou". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  16. Channel4 - 100 Greatest Cartoons Archived September 3, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  17. channel4.com - one hundred greatest kids tv Archived February 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Top 100 Animated Series—Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!". IGN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
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