Every generation owns Scooby-Doo because the dog never changes
Scooby-Doo is a very big deal in my household. I was always very fond of it as a kid, but it was never a favourite show of mine. My kid, however, is mad for it. If the team at HBO Max are wondering about the dramatic spike in Scooby-Doo consumption on platform, it is her 24/7 streaming it.
She first discovered it when the ABC began airing Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? a few months ago which has Scooby and the gang meeting celebrities as they determine who the ghost/monster of the episode really is. She, obviously, has no idea who any of these celebrities are. They include Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, Axl Rose, Kristen Schaal, Sia, Steven Weber, and Wanda Sykes. I know it seems like I am making up that list, but this is real, I promise.
Back when I was a kid, I was similarly confused by old episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies from the 70s where Scooby and co would meet celebs including Dean Martin, Don Knotts, Cass Elliot, and Phyllis Diller.
In what has to be a quiet joke that up to ten people would ever find funny, Sandy Duncan was a guest celebrity on both iterations of the show.
Scooby-Doo has been on TV since 1969, meaning many generations of viewers have grown up with the show. There are very few periods during this time where Scooby-Doo wasn’t in production – the longest being an eleven year-stretch between 1991 and 2002. And even then, new episodes of A Pup Called Scooby-Doo were still airing up until 1993 with animated direct-to-video films seeing release from 1998.
2002 and 2004 also saw two well-remembered live-action films released.
Because the show is so multi-generational, viewers obviously have opinions on the franchise. Part of why Scooby-Doo continues to be popular is because the initial premise of the show is rarely challenged. One of the rare times it deviated from the standard premise of the show was the (not very good) adult-orientated Velma series, which didn’t feature Scooby-Doo at all and changed the race of Velma and Daphne.
This weekend Netflix released its first promotional images of its upcoming live-action Scooby-Doo TV show Scooby-Doo: Origins. It seems to be very much aimed at younger viewers (as it probably should be) and the show is doing absolutely nothing to challenge viewers or rock the boat. With that, it is staying firmly in line with the 57 year-history of the show.
There’s no image of Scooby-Doo yet. I imagine they’ll be saving that for the trailer. Also, production has just started, so one assumes Scooby hasn’t yet been realised by the CGI wizards who handle such things.
The premise for the new show:
During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely, lost Great Dane puppy who may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Alongside the pragmatic and scientific townie Velma and the strange but ever-so-handsome new kid Freddy, they set out to solve the case that’s pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.
Because Scooby-Doo is so multi-generational, I was amused to see Bored Panda collating some reactions to the promotional image where some expressed surprise that the characters were all kept white. Meanwhile other commenters suggested the new actors can’t live up to the earlier 00s films.
There’s something very comforting to me about Scooby-Doo being a constant presence in pop-culture. I’m looking forward to seeing the new show with my kid (presumably) next year sometime and whatever iteration is on the air when I’m watching with grandkids.
It is incredible longevity for Scooby-Doo considering Great Danes tend to only live for around 7-10 years…
News Desk
Helena Bonham Carter has exited The White Lotus season 4 after one week of filming. Her role will be recast and rewritten. Read: Variety
Prime Video has cancelled The Boys spin-off Gen V after two seasons, while new spin-off Vought Rising has been confirmed for 2027. Read: Deadline
Season three is yet to debut, but Prime Video’s animated show Hazbin Hotel has been renewed for a fifth and final season. Read: Polygon
The Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails To Save Universe will debut on HBO Max in July. Read: Deadline
Jimmy Fallon made an appearance on this weekend’s SNL UK in an effort to further ensure I won’t watch it. Read: Variety
Wuthering Heights will stream exclusively on HBO Max from May 1. Read: thefutoncritic
A 26 year-old man has been arrested in Singapore following the theft of animated feature Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. Read: Variety
35 years ago Jim Henson collaborator Kirk Thatcher designed the titular characters for ABC live-action sitcom Dinosaurs. It remains one of TV’s oddest shows. He looks back at the show in this article at Polygon.
The very real baby actor used on the set of Margo’s Got Money Troubles said its first words in a scene with Nick Offerman where it reportedly called the actor “Dad.” Read: Deadline
To promote new Netflix film Apex, Charlize Theron climbed an Apex billboard in Times Square. Not quite as thrilling as when Nick Lang did it. Read: Complex
Chad Feehan, the creator and showrunner of Yellowstone sequel series Dutton Ranch is leaving the series after the first season following challenges handling the cast. Read: Deadline
There’s a very good reason Stranger Things: Tales From 85 introduced a new kid character: They needed a character for Will to hang out with (AKA Stranger Things’ least compelling character). Read: Polygon
Trailer Park
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to Paramount+ for season 4 on July 23.
Spider-Noir debuts in glorious black and white on Prime Video May 27.
Spider-Noir debuts in color, if you’re into that kind of thing, on Prime Video May 27.
Helluva Boss debuts season 3 on Prime Video in the US fall.
Gordon debuts on Netflix later this year.
This thriller, inspired by true events, tells the story of Aníbal Gordon—a criminal who went from committing robberies to actively participating in the violent years of 1970s Argentina—and his ties to the various groups of that era.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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