The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo is an interesting series, as it changes up the formula of the series to have real ghosts (which would be followed by three TV movies that would follow the formula). The series sees Scooby, alongside Daphne, Scooby, Scrappy, and new characters Flim Flam and Vincent Van Ghoul capture the 13 most powerful ghosts that have been released from the Chest of Demons due to Scooby opening it. This series basically gives the franchise a breath of fresh air, as after nearly two decades of the same old crook in the mask cliché, they finally bring in real ghosts who have powers that can pose an actual threat to the gang.

Some people hate this because of Scrappy-Doo, and as a Scrappy fan, I say the hate has gotten too far nowadays. He is tolerable here, as he was toned down for past series to where he is more mature and not yelling "Puppy Power" all the time. This show introduces Flim Flam, who adds to the comedy of the series with his con artist schemes. Also, Vincent Van Ghoul is a good mentor, voiced by the late Vincent Price, who is a real sorcerer, not the crazy, powerless old man that Curse of The 13th Ghost portrays him to be. Also, the show does a good job of keeping the comedy the franchise is known for, even adding some gags and fourth wall breaks (like a news report where Scappy puts a network censor in her place for wanting to remove a dragon, to a scene where Flim Flam leads the gang through a maze, causing them to recreate the gag of them going through different doors).

Sadly, this series was cancelled after only eleven of the thirteen ghosts were captured (not twelve, as Captain Ferguson was not counted until Curse Of The 13th Ghost rewrote the show's continuity) when the show ended after (ironically) 13 episodes. This is a good series and should be watched. A shame Warner Bros. decided to ruin its magic with the DTV movie, in which they ordered the toning down of the supernatural elements that made this unique and made it where the series never happened.

this show is really good but a lot of people have forgotten about it. they don't even show it on TV anymore except on boomerang, and thats only of you have that digital cable thing thats expensive. they should definitely make it into a DVD collection if they don't want people to forget it. i mean this is a really good show that shouldn't be forgotten and should be made into a did set so it can be added to scooby-doo show fans like me. i haven't even seen every episode. i know the TV company got rid of it because it got too 'boring' which i don't think so. i mean if you watch it over and over again maybe but this is one of the best shows who cares if its old Hanna Barbara can't just put the old shows on the shelfs if it gets old. they need to warn people that they aren't airing on TV and make it into dvds or VHS so people can still watch this show.

Honestly, the 13 Ghosts is one of the better Scooby Doo shows, and is a high 7. I really love the establishment of an overarching story arc, which allows characters to actually develop and for a grander sense of uncertainty and large scale to unfold. It also set the precedent for Mystery Incorporated to do it, which is just an unbelievably great show. I quite liked the script, with lots of clever wordplay and amusing, absurd segments (especially the episode 2 dragon interview comes to mind, but also things like Bogel and Weerd's miscommunications or Flim-Flam's ability to put on any costume and get demons to go along with it). It was also very different in its clear self-awareness and frequent pop culture references, which I think were an interesting twist and worked given the more modern and comedic vibe of the show. Some of the premises were really good, and in particular: It's a Wonderful Scoob with Time Slime and Scooby retiring and seeing the world fall apart; the circus episode 12 with the music brainwashing people; the finale with a genuine mystery of who stole the demon chest and what people's motives were, coupled by the only actual twist in the show; and to some extent the Nicara episode with her seducing warlocks and draining their power, and the ship episode with Scooby being afraid of monsters, were great and satisfying episodes. Unfortunately, too many of the episodes were never really thought-provoking or exciting because the end result is never really in doubt and there's no mystery to solve, which is the traditional crux of each episode. The monster premises, characters and humor could carry some episodes, but didn't sustainably make the show exciting. Not having Fred and Velma did hurt, as Flim-Flam was occasionally funny due to absurdity and some societal commentary, and Van Ghoul was actually an enjoyable character to have, but Scrappy didn't add anything. I do think this show maybe did the most with Scooby himself of those I've seen, as we really see him wrestle with the trauma of catching monsters and being scared all the time. I hope the Curse of the 13th Ghost movie doesn't drop the ball (as it seems many online believe it did), because this is a solid and fun show.

I've just discovered this on Virgin. (TV on Demand, Boomerang) It has my favourite pup, Scrappy, who still worships his Uncle Scoob, but has learned the art of running away. And he has a new friend called Film Flam - a street urchin. He doesn't bother me either. I didn't like the costume change for Shaggy, but he's just as goofy & lovable. Daphne also remains. However the stand out character is Vincent Van Ghoul, a warlock (played by Vincent Price) who lends magical aid to the gang. The annoying characters in the show are Weird & Bogle, who act as henchmen to the evil ghost of the episode - very cartoony, & as in the other Scrappy cartoons - real. (Sorry, I'm not that keen on the older fake ghost episodes.) And Scooby is Scooby. It's not the standard formula, but it's entertaining enough. Whether or not you like the younger characters, it's worth a look. 7/10

"13 Ghosts" is the ultimate Scooby series--the wildest, the creepiest, the zaniest, the most daring...even the most romantic! (See Daphne and Shaggy's hug in the first episode "To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before".) It is a delight to hear the late Vincent Price as Vincent VanGhoul. And Flim Flam is a fun new character in the tradition of Short Round from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". Daphne and Shaggy wore different clothes. Each episode, unlike the old mystery episodes, has a distinct plot, and the episodes are so clever that it's fun to watch them over and over again.