Scooby-Doo, dove sei tu?

While Disney and Warner Bros. are the kings of made-for-film cartoons, Hanna-Barbera are the kings of made-for-TV cartoons. The creators of The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and Hong Kong Phooey; they've all been successful, but the crown jewel of their creations is Scooby Doo.

Unlike most cartoons, Scooby Doo was a smart and ingenious creation that required thinking and deep thought. The adventures of four teen sleuths and their Great Dane have been a regular viewing pleasure for years. Heck, I still watch it today. The best episodes were the first ones from 1969-72. I think they got progressively better over time because in the early ones, they didn't have enough suspects; usually, they'd only meet up with the guy who was the criminal. Later, they'd have 4 or 5 guys who could be the one unmasked at the end.

As for Scrappy, the only episodes worth seeing with him were when he's with the full cast, solving mysteries. I liked him here, because the act with Scooby and Shaggy always being frightened of every situation got tiresome; at least Scrappy would go right in, and Shaggy and Scooby had no choice but to follow him in, or Scrappy would egg them on. Only when they didn't have the full cast and were only in comic situations (i.e. all the other shows) would the show be awful.

I heard that the creators wanted to have the youngsters solve mysteries that involved scary characters, but the execs found the bad guys a bit too intense for young audiences. Enter Scooby-Doo, the wacky, funny great dane. They make him the focus of the series, the counterbalance to the villains, and the rest is history.

I enjoy the many memorable lines, and contrary to what you might think, they're not just from Shaggy. They include Daphne saying to the Swamp Witch, "You can't believe everything you read" or Freddie saying to Shaggy as he's trying to get into the museum to see the Knight, "That's it, no more jack." Just a great series, especially if you enjoy the quirks and sayings of the late 60's/early 70's.

I will not pretend that Scooby Doo, Where are You! is high art, or the greatest animated series ever; however, there is a reason this is a classic and so fondly remembered. This hits so many strong points, from the eerie music, the oppressive yet whimsical tone, and the creepy and sometimes scary villains. Perhaps the most daring has to be the choice of such a dark color scheme(especially for 1969.) All this contributes to the wonderful mood that permeates Scooby Doo. It is a shame that many future Scooby Doo series could not equal the magic that was there in 1969, because they got so much right. The first season is by far the best, but do not knock the second, both are great.

The Gang(Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, Fred, and of course Scooby Doo) travel around in their van(The Mystery Machine) and investigate seemingly supernatural events. This allows each episode to have it's own spooky locale with a wacky spin on the horror genre. Primarily Shaggy and Scooby Doo are the main focus of the show, acting as comic relief to the goings on. Lastly by encouraging critical thinking, having rational explanations, and showing them confronting their fears teaches good lessons to children, who are the target audience. Not that adults can't absolutely love this show, as the superb mix of comedy, mystery, horror, and atmosphere all make this a great cartoon for all ages!

If you liked this show and wanted more Scooby shows, I recommend, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. They are all a little different, but are about as good if not better.

Scooby Doo is a classic cartoon. Now they're releasing new Scooby Doo videos, and I must say, the one I saw wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but NOTHING touches the classic. Now if there were only a real snack called Scooby Snacks:)(there're some for animals)

P.S. The episodes that came later with Scrappy are stupid. Don't watch them.

This cartoon was always good. It had creepy stuff and good music. I loved it when the show had guest stars. The characters are very likable! There are many versions of the cartoon but the original is the best in My opinion.If you like this animated series then check out Scooby Doo: The movie!