An Inside Look at the ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live Spectacular Touring Show — Plus 50 Years of the Scooby Gang

‘Scooby-Doo: Where Are You!’ (1969-70)

How long has Scooby-Doo been around? It debuted in 1969 (50 years ago, for those keeping track of that sort of thing), and it set the stage for all that was to follow in the decades to come, from the characters to the formula of seemingly supernatural threats that ended up having a far more earthly explanation. It’s pretty much a guarantee that way back when, no one could have ever imagined that Scooby would still be a part of pop culture.

Origins

WildwindVampire: “In 1968 a CBS executive named Fred Silverman came up with the idea of creating a child-friendly cartoon revolving around four teens, after parental watchdog groups had spoken out about too much violence in cartoons. Initially, Silverman released The Archie Show, a television program based off of the currently popular Archie Comics. Excited about the widespread popularity of the show, Silverman decided to make another show revolving around four teens. After talking with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the co-creators of Hanna-Barbera Productions, Silverman decided to use the formula of a teenage rock group for a new show. Being a fan of shows such as I Love a Mystery and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Silverman wanted to take elements from these two shows and have the teenage rock group solve mysteries in between concerts.”

The Next Step

The webmaster continues, “William Hanna and Joseph Barbera pitched Silverman’s idea to their two head story writers, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. They decided to title the show Mysteries Five, with five teens named Geoff, Mike, Kelly, Linda and her brother W.W., as well as their dog named Too Much. The band named themselves The Mysteries Five because they all shared a strong interest in solving mysteries. Hanna and Barbera also tasked artist Iwao Takamoto with designing the dog, which was currently slated to be a sheepdog. In collaboration with Ruby & Spears, and Hanna & Barbera, the dog’s breed was later changed to a Great Dane, to avoid similarity with The Archies, who had a sheepdog. Takamoto also consulted with a dog breeder before designing Too Much, trying to get the dog’s features similar to what an actual Great Dane would look like, while also making the decision to give the dog some unique features.”

And Back to the Network

“A lot of mental labor had been put into the show, and it was finally time to pitch it back to Fred Silverman to see what he thought of the changes. Silverman decided to change Geoff’s name to Ronnie, and eliminate Mike’s character completely. He presented the show to the CBS network executives under a new title, ‘Who’s S-S-Scared?’ as the centerpiece of the 1969-1970 Saturday morning programming block. The networks rejected Silverman’s pitch, citing that the show was much too frightening for younger viewers. After the show’s rejection, Silverman went back to Ruby and Spears and requested they make the show more comedic. Ruby and Spears made several creative changes to the show, including renaming Ronnie to Fred after Fred Silverman. The rock band element of the show was dropped, and Silverman wanted to incorporate Frank Sinatra’s scatting in his song ‘Strangers in the Night’ (‘scoo-by-doo-by-doo’) into the show somehow. They decided to name the dog ‘Scooby (Dooby) Doo’ after Frank Sinatra’s hit song, and Scooby-Doo was born. The characters were also renamed to Shaggy, Velma, Daphne shortly thereafter. After Silverman renamed the show one last time to Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, his pitch was accepted by the CBS network executives, who made the show the centerpiece of the 1969-1970 Saturday morning season.”

Meet Don Messick, the Original Voice of Scooby-Doo

When you listen to Scooby-Doo talk — especially in the character’s first couple of decades — you may notice that he sounds very similar to Astro, the family dog on the futuristic animated series The Jetsons. Now, it’s possible that that’s because Scooby-Doo is actually Astro’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather. More likely, however, it probably has something to do with the fact that they were voiced by the same guy. His name was Don Messick, and other characters he voiced that you may be familiar with are Muttley, the dog with the wheezy laugh in Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines; Boo-Boo and Ranger Smith on The Yogi Bear Show; Sebastian the Cat in Josie and the Pussycats; Hamton J. Pig in Tiny Toon Adventures; and, well, the list goes on. After Messick’s passing, the character has been voiced by Scott Innes, Neil Fanning, Frank Welker, Dave Coulier (from Full House), and Seth Green.

‘Scooby-Doo: The New Scooby-Doo Movies’ (1972-73)

This was certainly an interesting idea, and pretty innovative at the time. The adventure was expanded to an hour, and it would have Scooby and the gang interacting with fictional characters, real-life actors, and kind of a combination of the two to solve mysteries. Fictional characters they encountered included Batman, Jeannie, and the Addams Family, while real-life personalities included Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Dick Van Dyke, Sandy Duncan, and Sonny & Cher. And then they had installments in which imitators played classic comedians like The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. The show ran from 1972 to 1973 for a total of 24 episodes.

Joy of the ‘Movies’

Nikki: “I really enjoyed the guest stars on this show. It was fun to see Scooby team up with celebrities to help solve mysteries. I would say it definitely helped the franchise. A lot of people really like this series and they are coming out with a new series called Scooby-Doo, Guess Who?, which is supposed to include modern celebrities as guest stars.”

WildwindVampire: “The series was really enjoyable and I’m so glad they’re finally getting to release eight of the episodes for the 50th anniversary. My favorite episode of all time, ‘The Loch Ness Mess,’ is in this series, and many of the episodes are so well written. Of course, there is a bit of filler in a couple of them — odd jokes which would be considered wildly sexist today, corny gags and, of course, various trademark stunts from each of the celebrities which the gang met each week.”

Casey Kasem Supplied the Voice For Shaggy

Known largely for hosting the syndicated radio series Casey’s Top 40 and American Top 40, Casey actually began his career as a voice actor. He voiced the character of Shaggy from 1969 to 1997, and was followed by Billy West, Scott Innes, and Scott Menville. And for those asking, “What is Shaggy’s real name?” you’ll be happy to learn that his full name is actually Norville “Shaggy” Rogers. Oh, and because we can’t stop ourselves, here’s an interesting bit of trivia: Kasem was also the voice of Robin the Boy Wonder in The Batman/Superman Hour and the Super Friends animated series. Impressive, huh?

‘The Scooby-Doo Show’ (1976-78)

This ran from 1976 to 1978 for a total of 40 episodes, which were broken down as follows: 16 of them were part of 1976’s The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, eight episodes for 1977’s Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, nine for 1978’s Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and seven for that same year’s Scooby’s All-Stars. It sounds like an awful lot of Scooby-Doo, doesn’t it? Apparently, the audience felt the same way, as the ratings fell pretty rapidly.

WildwindVampire: “This show brought us back to the original formula, but there was a bit of a different feel for me. With the second season in particular, we got some pretty dark mysteries, including a blood-sucking vampire and a sea monster which steals people’s souls out of their bodies. For the very first time, we get to meet Scooby’s cousins, Scooby-Dum and Scooby-Dee, which was a big plus in my book.”

Nikki: “A lot of people would like to see more of Scooby-Dum and Scooby-Dee in episodes.”

Frank Welker Voiced Fred

All these years later, Frank Welker is still voicing the character of Fred Jones, the de facto leader of Mystery, Inc. Additionally, he’s voiced Scooby-Doo since 2002 and brought Megatron to vocal life in Transformers G1 and Transformers: Prime. The only other person to voice the character of Fred was Carl Stevens in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. (Be patient, we’ll get to it.)

‘Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo’ (1979-84)

There was a real possibility that Scooby-Doo could have been canceled, and in an attempt to shore up those falling ratings, the decision was made to downplay Fred, Daphne, and Velma and change the focus to Shaggy, Scooby, and the latter’s previously unseen nephew, Scrappy. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who actually likes Scrappy (voiced by Lennie Weinrib). These days, he’s pretty much universally seen as more of an annoyance than anything else. But back then, the audience took to the pup and, the following year, the show was back in a new incarnation that consisted of two short adventures an episode.

Nikki: “I am not and never have been a Scrappy fan. I never liked his character; I always thought he was trying to steal Scooby’s thunder and make him look bad. I wasn’t a fan of the series with Scrappy in them, but there are people that really like him and they would say this series helped the franchise.”

More on Scrappy

WildwindVampire: “I know some people combine all the Scrappy series as one, but I don’t think an honest conversation can be had about Scrappy without recognizing each of the different series. The first series from 1979, The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, included the entire gang, and Scrappy was very hyperactive to the point of stealing Scooby’s thunder sometimes. While I initially disliked Scrappy, I don’t mind him now and even enjoyed him in the later TV films such as Boo Brothers and Ghoul School. The next series were the first set seven-minute shorts, The Richie Rich / Scooby-Doo Show. These were okay, though it was probably my least favorite Scooby series due to how rushed many of the plots were. The format was essentially Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy (Daphne, Velma and Fred were removed from the show entirely) running around and chasing monsters, which could be real or fake, and then escaping. It was pretty formulaic and there was no mystery or variety whatsoever. The same, more or less, happened with the next series The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour, even though there was the added element of Shaggy’s ‘Uncle Fearless’ sending them out on different cases.”

A Few More Thoughts on Scrappy

“I did enjoy the next series, The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, due to the re-addition of both Daphne and the same mystery element that made the series so great. Removing this mystery-solving component of the series, was arguably one of the biggest mistakes they made, as it made the plot fall pretty flat and made the characters one-dimensional. The short seven-minute runtimes also didn’t allow for a substantial plot to be developed. The 11-minute plots in The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show at least allowed for slightly more time for a concrete plot, and also had the added bonus of making the monsters sometimes real and sometimes fake. Finally, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries retained many of the same elements of the previous show, but added Fred and Velma back as guest stars, as well as had more two-part episodes. This was probably my favorite of one of the Scrappy series, as we finally got the concrete plot we were looking for, and there was at least some character development even if it was minimal.”

Heather North Was the Face Behind the Voice of Daphne

Although actress Stefanianna Christopherson originated the role of Daphne Blake in the first season of Scooby-Doo, Heather took over in 1970 and continued until 1997. Kellie Martin voiced the character in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, and Grey DeLisle is the current actress lending her voice to the role.

‘The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo’ (1985)

In 1985, it was time to shake things up again. Veteran horror star Vincent Price (who was enjoying some renewed fame for his involvement with Michael Jackson’s Thriller) joined the cast in animated form. He played Vincent Van Ghoul, who teamed up with the Scooby Gang as they travel around the world attempting to capture 13 terrifying ghosts. It ran for a single season.

‘Ghosts’ Story

Nikki: “I remember liking this show as a kid. However, when I rewatched the series before watching the new movie, The 13th Ghost of Scooby-Doo!, it was difficult to get through the series. It was slow and kind of boring and I felt like each episode took an hour to get through. I really liked Vincent Van Ghoul, but Fred and Velma were missing and Scrappy and Flim Flam were quite obnoxious. I know a lot of people who think this series was the best one ever made, so I can’t say this series hurt the franchise at all.”

WildwindVampire: “This series was quite an interesting one. I enjoyed it, though it sometimes struggled to balance between the silliness and dark tone. The series concept was indeed quite dark at points, with ’13 of the most terrifying ghosts on the face of the Earth’ escaping from a mystical chest. However, there were certain aspects of the show which were quite absurdly silly, like wacky songs and the recurring rubber duck gag. This wasn’t a bad thing, though it made the tone of the series vary quite a bit. I personally enjoyed the addition of Flim Flam, and Scrappy became a bit more toned down in this series. And of course, Vincent Price did an extraordinary job playing “Vincent Van Ghoul!” It bugged me a bit that not all the demons were captured, except of course for the 2019 movie which, with all its continuity errors, is another story.”

Nicole Jaffe Originally Voiced Velma

Nicole voiced Velma from 1969 to 1974. Her successors have included Pat Stevens, Marla Frumkin, B.J. Ward, Mindy Cohn (from The Facts of Life), and Kate Micucci. Nicole did return to play the character again in the 2003 made-for-video adventures Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico. And just because we’re sure you’re curious, she had parts in Disney’s The Love Bug and Elvis’ The Trouble With Girls.

‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’ (1988-91)

Back in the day, network honchos became obsessed with taking popular characters and telling stories about them when they were young. We had Muppet Babies, Flintstones Kids, and needless to say, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. The show was a success, and it ran from 1988 to ’91. Its tone was pretty different from previous versions, and much of that came from the creative team — many members of which would move over to Warner Bros. to develop shows like Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, which sharpened that irreverent style even more.

Silly or Cute?

WildwindVampire: “Just when we thought Scooby couldn’t get any sillier than 13 Ghosts, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo came along. This series featured the gang as young kids, solving mysteries in their treehouse detective agency. Some of the characters were changed a bit, such as Fred believing in zany conspiracy theories, Daphne being a prissy fashionista, and Velma being almost awkwardly quiet. The monsters were also more comical, and the tone shifted a bit from being mysterious and scary to goofy and comedy-oriented. Overall, this was a pretty good addition to the Scooby franchise, even if it departed from the norm.”

Nikki: “This was a cute series with them being younger kids and Scooby being a puppy. The dance sequences during chase scenes were always weird to me and the villains were kind of weird. I guess they really wanted to cater to the younger audience with villains like the Burger Monster and Big Wig.”

Scooby-Doo Animated Movies

There have been many made-for-video animated movies based on the Scooby Gang, and trust us when we say there are a ton out there you’re most likely still watching if you have any little ones in your life. It kicked off with 1987’s Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers and has spanned (so far) to 2018’s Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with a total of 38 produced.

A Brief History of the Movies

Nikki: “I love that WB is still releasing Scooby movies! Some of the movies are better than others, of course. Some of my favorites are Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost, Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders, and Scooby-Doo Camp Scare. They have been releasing at least two movies a year since 2009 and I hope that trend continues. We already had The 13th Ghost of Scooby-Doo this year and The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection will be released on June 4th, 2019. Good things are in the works for Scooby, I just hope they do something amazing for his 50th in September!”

WildwindVampire: “It all started with Zombie Island, of course, which honestly revived the Scooby fandom. Zombie Island was revolutionary in connecting both children and adult fans of the series through a darker plot and real monsters. That 1998-2001 era of films was arguably one of the high notes in the Scooby franchise. Even today, we’re getting about two direct-to-video films every single year. While the heart is still there, they have lost some momentum in the 20 years they’ve been releasing these. The DTV films are overly reliant now on celebrity guest stars, which many fans are getting sick of now. Though having celebrities as part of the cast can be an interesting plot device, in my opinion, WB is using them as sort of a cop-out for filling in parts of the film which would otherwise be lackluster. Celebrities are of course an easy way to draw people in and make money, but I hope we see a shift back towards the days of Zombie Island, Witch’s Ghost and the other ‘revival’ era DTV film. Those films had flawless plots which appealed to the maturity of adult fans, and still had comedy and intriguing mysteries that didn’t talk down to fans of any ages.”

‘Scooby-Doo’ Movie (2002)

In this first live-action movie based on the franchise, it seems that the gang has been apart from each other for two years. But what better way to bring them back together than with a mystery? That’s exactly what happens when they are drawn to investigate “Spooky Island.” The film starred Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar (you know, the Buffy lady and Freddie’s real-life wife) as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, Linda Cardellini as Velma, and Neil Fanning as the voice of Scooby-Doo. Two years later, they were back in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, trying to solve the mystery of a town plagued by monsters while a reporter (Alicia Silverstone) is out to prove that they’re phonies.

One Enjoys the Movies …

WildwindVampire: “I personally enjoyed all the theatrical films and TV live-action movies to a degree, though I liked some more than others. The first one had its flaws, like relying too much on bodily function humor, as well as laying the foundation for making Scrappy into a joke for 17 years and counting now. The general plot, however, is pretty solid and fun to watch. The second film was for sure an improvement, especially with including all the classic Scooby monsters and referencing old Scooby shows. Personally, The Mystery Begins is one of my favorites of the live-action films. The prequel provided is a ton of feel-good fun, and provides some backstories for the gang that more or less fit with the continuity. My least favorite would have to be Curse of the Lake Monster, which felt incredibly forced in places and copied the current series at the time, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated in several ways (especially the romance bits). However, the plot itself was somewhat interesting and it isn’t painful to watch or anything. The best live-action movie by far is Daphne & Velma, no competition. The story is just such a feel-good adventure which preaches exemplary ideals of positive and empowerment, which are so necessary to be teaching to kids in today’s day and age.”

… One Does Not

Nikki: “I am not a big fan of the live-action movies. I thought Matthew Lillard was born to be Shaggy. He was perfect as the live-action Shaggy. He had the look and he made the perfect facial expressions. I also thought Linda Cardellini made a great Velma. She looked the part and she was believable as Velma. They didn’t even have Frank Welker voice Scooby! I wasn’t impressed with the movies, though I liked Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed more than Scooby-Doo. In Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, I thought Nick Palatas was good as Shaggy and Kate Melton was good as Daphne. I didn’t like that Robbie Amell didn’t go blonde for the role of Fred. When I asked him about it on Twitter, he said he didn’t look good as a blonde. At least Frank Welker voiced Scooby in these movies.”

‘What’s New Scooby-Doo?’ (2002-2006)

You can call it a Doo-enaissance: With a renewed popularity of all things Scooby in 2002 came a new series that ran until 2006. The premise was essentially back to the original series in approach, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Nikki: “I liked this series. I felt like it was pretty close to the original series but modernized. They used computers and cell phones and more updated equipment and their attire was updated a little. I thought it was drawn pretty similar to the original series. I know of quite a few people that didn’t like this one.”

WildwindVampire: “What’s New, Scooby-Doo? updated the series for us and though the same general format was kept, the gang was upgraded to more 21st century-looking designs. The formula was slightly updated; though the gang still solved mysteries together, they often did so in exotic locations around the world. This was an excellent addition to the franchise which brought back the classic formula which we had departed from a bit with the past few series.”

‘Shaggy and Scooby Get a Clue’ (2006-08)

Annnnnnd we’re back to shaking things up. The focus of this one was primarily on the two title characters, with Shaggy inheriting a mansion and wealth from an uncle who had gone into hiding along with a secret weapon of sorts that villains are after. You didn’t really think Shaggy and Scooby would be lounging around, eating Scooby Snacks, did you?

WildwindVampire: “I know the common reaction to this series is intense hatred, but I think this show is good in its own quirky way. The bits with Dr. Phibes and his agents are actually pretty funny, and it’s interesting to see the show taken in a completely different direction. It may not be the Scooby we’re used to, but it’s a fun little show if you just look at it by itself and don’t try to hold it up to the standards of previous Scooby series.”

Nikki: “This was my least favorite series. I didn’t like the animation or the writing very much. It was a tough series for me to watch, and I have not been able to get through all of the episodes, but it seems like the villain was always the same person. I know a few people that like this series, but not many.”

‘Scooby-Doo’ Live Action TV Movies

When a successful film franchise shows signs that it’s running out of steam, it frequently continues on the small screen. Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009) shows how the gang came together, while its sequel, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010), has them investigating a large frog-like creature that is terrifying the locals. Both films starred Robbie Amell as Fred, Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma, Nick Palatas as Shaggy, and Frank Welker as the voice of Scooby-Doo.

‘Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated’ (2010-13)

It’s back to the early days for the gang as they are still solving mysteries in their hometown. While the writers have some fun with the formula, what’s different this time out is that the storyline is serialized, continuing from one episode to the next with some pretty dark overtones. That was unexpected. The show consisted of 52 episodes.

WildwindVampire: “This series is pretty amazing! We get some real depth and a bit of more adult humor and character development here, along with some little nods to some of the most classic Scooby episodes and films. The villains are genuinely scary and the overarching plot is exemplarily fleshed out and explored. The writing is spot-on and witty, and the viewer is genuinely kept on the edge of their seat.”

Nikki: “I really enjoyed this series a lot. It was a little more adult than the other series. There were implied deaths and much darker villains. It was definitely not written for young kids as the audience. I had heard some parents say their kids were afraid to watch the series. I think this show helped the franchise and made people see Scooby in a more adult way.”

‘Be Cool Scooby-Doo’ (2015-18)

The gang has graduated high school and they’re looking to spend their summer having fun, driving around the country in the Mystery Machine. Not unexpectedly, they seem to find mysteries everywhere they turn.

Nikki: “When I first saw the animation for this series, I was not happy. I felt like they were trying to ruin Scooby. The characters were drawn so strangely and it just didn’t make any sense to me that they would do that to the gang. But I decided that I was going to give the show a try despite the animation. I’m so happy I did! The writing was incredible and funny and so well done. Jon Colton Barry and Zac Moncrief really did a great job. The writing went well with the animation style. I don’t think the writing would have worked with the classically drawn characters.”

WildwindVampire: “This show has certainly seen its fair share of criticisms due to the character designs, but the humor is absolutely spot on. I’m a bit of quirky person, so the absurdist humor featured here is right up my alley. The show has a central underlying plot of the gang’s friendship, and how their characters shift and change over time as life goes on. Daphne’s character has to be my favorite, she’s just so silly and wonderful all throughout, and I really appreciate the unique take on her character here. This is one of the most vital parts of Scooby’s history, in my opinion.”

‘ScoobyNatural’ (2018)

On March 29, 2018, the CW’s long-running series Supernatural actually did a crossover with Scooby-Doo with an episode called “ScoobyNatural.” In it, series stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, and Misha Collins find themselves animated as they attempt to solve a mystery involving a ghost with the Scooby Gang. Besides just being a fun idea, you’ve got to figure that after 13 years, the producers of Supernatural have begun to say, “What the heck?”

WildwindVampire: “The Supernatural crossover was revolutionary for the franchise, and came the closest to Zombie Island (my favorite Scooby film) of any Scooby production in the past 20 years. It had the perfect level of darkness and had a really creepy atmosphere that combined two amazing series. I loved how they remade one of the most classic Scooby episodes of all time, ‘A Night of Fright is No Delight.’ I think it’s a favorite of a lot of fans, so it’s great they chose that one. This crossover reminded us that the Scooby formula can still work even when it’s more adult-oriented, while also making us miss the good old days of the more mature tone from Zombie Island.”

Nikki: “I absolutely loved the Scooby-Doo/Supernatural crossover! It was done really well. Supernatural is a fantastic show, and since Scooby and the Gang solve mysteries like The Winchesters, it was a perfect fit for a crossover. I really liked how they played on the innocence of the gang because they were cartoons and it was pretty funny. Dean saying ‘Scooby-Dooby-Doo’ at the end was hilarious. I would love to see a ScoobyNatural series someday!”

‘Velma & Daphne’ (2018)

On May 22, 2018, the made-for-DVD live-action prequel Daphne & Velma was released, with Sarah Jeffrey as Daphne and Sarah Gilman as Velma. The plot’s official description from the studio is as follows: “Daphne and Velma are high school students who are brought together when they suspect their fellow students are being turned into zombies or mindless drones.”

‘Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?’ (2019)

Available on the Boomerang steaming service is this brand new series, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? — think of it is as a modern day version of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. Describes Boomerang: “The Mystery Inc. gang [will be] facing their toughest mysteries yet, but have no fear because help is on the way! Each week, the gang is joined by a different, special celebrity guest and together, those ‘meddling kids’ will get to the bottom of any mystery.”

As noted at the start, one of those celebrities is going to be Jaleel White voicing Steve Urkel from the sitcom Family Matters. Others include Wanda Sykes, Wonder Woman (being voiced by Rachel Kimsey), Weird Al Yankovic, Sherlock Holmes (voice by Ian James Corlett), Ricky Gervais, Kenan Thompson, Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy), Jim Gaffigan, Penn & Teller and Abraham Lincoln (voiced by John DiMaggio). The series debuted June 27.

‘Scoob!’ (2020)

The next chapter of Scooby-Doo goes back to the beginning with this CG animated film telling the story of Scooby and Shaggy meeting for the first time, and how they team up with Daphne, Velma and Fred to launch Mystery Incorporated. Zac Efron voices Fred, Amanda Seyfriend is Daphne, Gina Rodriguez is Velma, Will Forte is Shaggy and Fred Welker is Scooby. In addition, Tracy Morgan will voice Captain Caveman, Ken Jeong is Dynomutt and Kiersey Clemons is Dee Dee Sykes.

Nikki: “Scoob! is supposed to be a movie about how it all began. I’m a little torn with this new movie. I’m thrilled that they want to make a Scooby movie that will be released in theaters. However, changing the voice actors  won’t necessarily make the movie better. I would love to see the normal voice actors (Frank Welker as Fred and Scooby, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, Grey DeLisle as Daphne and Mindy Cohn as Velma) cast in this movie. They have been bringing these characters to life for years and I feel like they deserve the right to voice the characters in the movie. I understand WB is trying to get people to go see the movie and they don’t feel like the normal voice actors will bring the crowds. I’ll go see the movie in the theater because it’s Scooby-Doo, and I really hope it’s good.”

WildwindVampire: “Scoob! sounds like a pretty interesting film. It was certainly an interesting choice to replace all the voice actors in favor of having celebrities voice everyone, and a bit underhanded on WB’s part for not telling any of the normal voice actors and causing them to have to find out through the fans. That had to be pretty rough for all of them.

“The idea, however, is interesting and it sounds like they’re trying to create an Avengers-like Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe with this film. I hope there will be some sort of mystery to go along with Dick Dastardly and Muttley being the villain, as it would be very un-Scooby-like not to have any sort of mystery for the gang to solve. Nonetheless, as a fan of Laff-a-Lympics I think it’s a very cool idea to have all the Hanna-Barbera characters make cameos in the film. Fingers crossed that the movie will be good!”