The Scooby-Doo Show

The third installment in the series returned to the premise of the original show and improved with it's villains like in the case of Jaguaroo but while it improved on one aspect it declined on another. Like the show before it the hidden jokes were toned down. However, still managed to be entertaining.

What is sad and best remembered about this show is that it's the last good Scooby-Doo series before the infamous Scrappy makes his big debut.

This is the third incarnation of the cartoon series featuring Scooby Doo. He continues his crime-solving and ghost-unraveling adventures with best friend Shaggy and fellow mystery sleuths Fred, Daphne and Velma.

This installment of the series is more in line with the original "Scooby Doo Where Are You?" show, but with more zest and suspense. You continue to get good old classic detective work, from finding clues to splitting up to investigate, while trying to escape the grasps of the ghostly antagonists.

In addition to the detective elements are hilarious gags, witty humor and slapstick comedy that will have you laughing from start to finish. The characters are memorable and the opening scene song is as catchy, toe-tapping and fun as the first two series incarnations.

It's an entertaining show that never grows old with me. I would still catch certain episodes of this show just for the fun of it.

Grade A

The "Scooby Doo Show" was the third iteration of Scooby Doo following the original "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" show of 1969-70 and "The New Scooby Doo Movies" of 1972-73. This show, which ran from 1976-78, was undoubtedly one of the very best. It succeeds more than the hour long movies and the later Scrappy Doo cartoons because it keeps the basic 30 minute story format of the original show, which is part of what made Scooby so successful. When I was a kid, I had no idea these were all different shows with different productions, etc. (I had to look it up to realize that these old shows came out years apart from each other). As an adult, it's interesting to see how the creators had different ideas and themes for each new Scooby show they would make.

This "Scooby Doo Show" lasted 40 episodes and the monsters are very entertaining and mostly all memorable. The vampire is definitely one of scariest vampires of any cartoon up until that time. The Tar Monster is one of the greats. The maniac doctor at the sanitarium is very scarily drawn. The scariest one for me as a kid was the Diabolical Disc Demon - that one stuck with me for years. Even the weaker monsters are fun in a nostalgic way. Joe Ruby and Ken Spears had a wonderful technique and formula for this show. The formula essentially starts with the introduction of the monster. The gang then comes to town and gets on the case and they start investigating. Velma says, "Jinkies!"; Fred says, "Let's split up"; They find a clue; Shaggy and Scooby look for something to eat; Daphne says, "Jeepers"; Shaggy says, "Zoinks!"; Fred makes Shaggy and Scooby trap the villain and they overcome their fear and catch them in some crazy chase. Once caught, the villain is unmasked and tells everyone, "I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids"; Scooby then says, "Scooby-dooby-dooooo!!!" and it ends. This formula is Scooby Doo at his very best and this 1976-78 show followed it to a "T".

As the previous reviewer rightly stated, the mysteries are actually pretty good and complex for a kids show and the animation is classic Hanna Barbera. Scooby Doo was never ha-ha funny, but there's always several funny bits in every episode and the magic comes from that Scooby is such a good-natured and lovable character. Scooby never once gets mad and he always overcomes his fears to somehow (and sometimes accidentally) catch the villain. I once saw that the characters of Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy are loosely based on their counterparts in the old Dobie Gillis show and that they included the Great Dane and made him the star of the show. Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy act like kids from that generation and always accept each other and work together and we never see them argue or fight. It works perfectly as a kids show as kids never question why these young adults never go to work - they just solve mysteries. I see kids today still getting engrossed in and enjoying these classic episodes that are now 50 years old! The hook is the mystery and the spooky atmosphere that make it stand out from other cartoons. And the endings are always wonderful with the capture and unmasking of the villains.

If you like Scooby Doo and don't know where to start, this and the original two seasons of "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" are the definitive shows to watch. I'll always appreciate the good natured character of Scooby and his friends, especially Shaggy, who is his closest pal. These kinds of characters are like old friends and when you're a kid, you simply enjoy it. When you're an adult and you look back, it's a good memory. Cheers to the creators of this show!

The Scooby Doo Show is a very good show, though not as good as my childhood favourite Scooby Doo Where Are You? and this is coming from a biased Scooby Doo fan. The animation is perhaps a little dated by today's standards, but not that bad at all. The theme tune is perfectly fine too. Scooby and Shaggy have still got their fun and charm, and there are one or two appearances from Scooby Dumb. As much as I love Fred, Velma and Daphne, Scooby and Shaggy will always be my favourite characters, these two never fail to make me laugh. There are some very memorable villains like the Ice Cream Ghosts, The Gator Ghoul, Ironface and the Jaguaroo, and again, I can't decide which one's my favourite. All in all, not as good as Scooby Doo Where are You, but is still an improvement over most of the stuff with Scrappy in. 9/10 Bethany Cox.

The Scooby Doo Show is in My Opinion next to the original Scooby Doo, Where are You! In quality.

The Mysteries are fairly complex and The Episodes feature very good Writing, so even as a 25 y/o, I still enjoy The Series as much as I did when I was just 5. Many Episodes also feature Relatives of Scooby or The Gang, so there is even some Character Development.

The Animation is lovely like It's Predecessors, featuring those beautiful Hand-Painted Backgrounds which give The Show that classic look You can only get from Old Fashioned Cel Animation like This.

The Acting however is where I think This Series exceeds It's Predecessors, The Victims of The Ghost/Monster Attacks especially sound genuinely terrified, so much that even as an Adult, My hair still stands on end a little.

My One and Only Negative is that many Depictions of Ethnic Groups are very Stereotypical, which is The One and Only Reason I subtract 1 Star from My Rating. I would remove more then 1, but I am lenient given that This Series is now 45+ years old.

My Closing Statement; The Scooby Doo Show deserves a Solid Thumbs Up, just remember that at 46 years old, It can be rather dated in Diversity.