When I started last year's year-in-review post by saying "it's been an unexpectedly light year" for Scooby, I had no idea what we'd be going into this year lol. After a huge renaissance of Scooby content since Zombie Island, this year was arguably one of the strangest years in the past few decades. Besides the normal comics, picture books and assorted merchandise, the only official Scooby content we got was Velma, which was hated by most of the fandom, and Scooby-Doo and Krypto Too!, which was shockingly leaked online in full six months before its release. Because I usually rank the top 10 things from each year, I considered not even doing a post this year given there was only two things worth ranking. However, I really like the tradition of these year-in-review posts, so I decided to do one even though the ranking is going to be obvious. Unlike previous years, I'm not going to rank the comics, picture books or merch. I haven't kept up on the comics or read the picture books, and while some of the merch definitely looks cool, I don't really have a strong enough opinion on any of it to rank it. 2. Velma I really wanted to like this series and I went into it with an open mind, but ultimately, the series ended up being the worst show in the franchise IMO. The core of my issues with the show were the poor character development, poor writing, and overfocus on social commentaries. The characters were written in a way that was very unlikeable, especially Velma. She was written in a way that was very mean and self-centered, and treated those around her like garbage. I felt the last two episodes illustrated this best, as without ruining anything, there's a moment where Norville ends the friendship with Velma. Honestly, I was actually happy that Norville ended the friendship with Velma, because they'd made her such an unlikeable jerk that I felt Norville deserved a way better friend than her. There is another moment in the finale where she finally listens to all Norville's voicemails she had been ignoring for years, which the show tries to present as a sweet moment. By that point, her character had been assassinated so badly that her not behaving terribly for once was not at all compelling. Daphne was also very mean and self-centered throughout the whole show. I will admit that Fred grew on me over the course of the show, but more in a "so stupid it's funny" way (the scene with Fred running through a cave collapsing due to sound, shouting "help, help!" at the top of his lungs, stands out most when thinking of his character lol). Norville was the only likeable character in the bunch. The show did an equally poor job with writing in general. Lots of corners were cut and several plot points were rushed, and the writers seemed weirdly fixated on forcing their social commentaries in, regardless of whether they actually fit into the plot or not. A great example of this was in "Fog Fest," where there was a great atmosphere for the gang to run into the murderer. Instead, the stuff with the murderer was pushed to the last four minutes of the episods, and the rest of the episode was for some reason made into a social commentary about Velma experiencing male privilege when she dresses up as a guy. The pacing of the overarching plot was really off, where they'd do episode-long social commentaries and then cram an important part of the overarching plot into the last few minutes of an episode. Perhaps the worst part is that the social commentaries weren't even funny most of the time, and came off as one-liners some angry person would post on Twitter. At best, most of the social commentaries oversimplified characters into two-dimensional stereotypes, and at worst, they were painfully try-hard attempts to be edgy and shocking. By the end of the show, the edgy stuff didn't even really shock me anymore, because it quickly became clear the writers were just trying to troll and offend the audience. I found it obnoxious how hard the show was trying to cement their "edgy" image. I have no problem with them wanting to make the show edgy, but it goes to the old saying of "show, don't tell." If the writers wanted to make an edgy show full of social commentaries, it should have been better incorporated into the plot, instead of being so try-hard and forced in every other minute. Season 2 is now in production and is supposedly coming out next year. I'm not even sure if I plan to watch, as I don't really want to give the show further attention. Honestly, I think a big part of the reason it got renewed is because it was getting so many hate-watches, so I'd rather not support it in hopes it doesn't get a season 3. It's possible I may check it out way down the line, which is unusual for me because I usually watch Scooby content the instant it comes out, but after how awful the first season was, I don't really have a strong desire to watch it right away. 1. Scooby-Doo and Krypto Too!
There was pretty much no competition this year to get the #1 spot, as there was no way I was ranking Velma any higher than last place lol. I really enjoyed this film! I'm not super into the DC fandom and haven't really watched any DC content other than the theatrical movies (although I still have to catch up and watch Blue Beetle), but I thought they did a great job of making this film appealing even to those without a lot of familiarity with the DC universe. I've talked in previous year-in-review posts that I'm ready for them to take a break from the crossovers, especially after most movies have been crossovers and we just finished a whole series of crossovers. However, I really liked how they switched it up with this film, where they had the gang go into the guest stars' universe, rather than vice versa like it usually is. I thought Krypto's friendship with Scooby was adorable, and he fit right in with the gang without overshadowing them. I also liked how they toned down the references a bit here. They felt a lot more subtle and not like we were being hit over the head with them. The villain was also a really interesting and creative idea, and I also thought the Hall of Justice was a great setting with an excellent atmosphere. This was overall a really good film and I'm so glad it wasn't scrapped like a lot of us were worried about. As an aside, I also think it was cool they put out so much merchandise for the film! I imagine it was probably to make up for the losses they were worried about from people seeing the leak, but it was cool to see so much merch and promotion for a Scooby film. To conclude the year in review articles, I usually talk about what I'd like to see for the franchise moving forward. Of the two hopes for the franchise I mentioned in last year's article, we did get Krypto Too like I'd hoped. I also said I was hoping there wasn't too much backlash to Velma, but honestly, I think the backlash it got was justified given what a shoddy show it was lol. This was such a weird year for Scooby content that I honestly have no idea what to expect next year. At this point, I'm just hoping we get a DTV. I don't think we'll get any other series besides Velma, since Mystery Pups was supposed to be the show for next year, and it was sadly cancelled by WB. We were also supposed to get another Scooby film, Haunted High Rise, either this year or next year, but this also suffered the same fate of Holiday Haunt and got written off by WB for taxes. While we may not be getting another series next year, I have been thinking a lot recently about what I'd like to come next in the franchise. In thinking about this, my mind turns to an interview about Return to Zombie Island that a few regular commenters on the blog and I were discussing. In the interview, it was heavily implied that Return to Zombie Island was made with the intent of disowning the original Zombie Island. The reason given for this was essentially that it went against what the co-producer of the film believes to be the message of Scooby-Doo, which is that there's nothing to be afraid of, and monsters being people in masks symbolize that things aren't as scary as they may seem. I definitely think this is a cool takeaway from the franchise, but I don't believe it's all that the franchise is or ever can be. With how safe Guess Who and the recent DTVs have played it, I would really like to see something that is more experimental. By "experimental," I don't mean it has to be anything super risky like Get a Clue, but even something like What's New, which had an updated feel for the 21st century, or SDMI or Be Cool that honed in more on the tone and comedy would be fun. The writers have really seemed to hone in on trying to make the franchise exactly like the classic series, but their main way of executing this seems to be keeping the character development limited like it was in the 60s/70s, and in turn, they haven't really paid as much attention to the tone and atmosphere. All that said, I think my biggest wish for the franchise is that the next new series does something different and experiments with different elements of the franchise. I hope you enjoyed reading this year-in-review post! Next year will be interesting for Scooby, since the only thing we know for sure is coming is Velma season 2, and it remains uncertain whether we'll get another film or series. It will be an interesting road forward with WB cutting back content, but I am hopeful for a great year for Scooby!
55 Comments
Thomas Beaumont
12/5/2023 08:16:22 am
Hey blog snax!, hope you had a fab birthday yesterday , I hope you had nice presents and cards as well , so next year is going to be interesting for scooby doo , another Velma ( oh dear), I haven’t seen many I have only seen the first half of season one and episode 6 and my favourite one is episode 6
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12/5/2023 10:09:08 am
Hi Thomas! Thank you, that's really sweet that you remembered it was my birthday yesterday! I had a really nice birthday yesterday. We have the same favorite and least favorite! Even though I didn't love episode 6, it was the best of the episodes (although "best" is a relative term here as this isn't a good series in general). Episode 3 was definitely my least favorite as well. Velma was especially mean in the episode and the whole thing was just a mess. I hope we get an announcement for another series next year too! Based off Velma, I hope we don't get another adult Scooby-Doo series. If we did end up getting one, I would want it to be more like Zombie Island, since I don't think "adult" has to mean super raunchy and crude. A zombie series like the Scooby Apocalypse comic series would be cool!
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Thomas Beaumont
12/5/2023 10:21:52 am
Blog Snax definitely!, I think next year will be a quiet year as it will just feature the Velma series and that Halloween special , I could be wrong but I don’t know, but that’s what I think will happen! I would love an announcement for a new series next year!
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12/5/2023 12:52:16 pm
I think so too, but it would be great if we were wrong and we ended up getting more Scooby content!
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Becker
12/5/2023 12:43:43 pm
Would've been funny to rank all Velma episodes separately so we could keep the top 10 streak going, but it would've been too painful to try to remember every awful thing that happened to be able to differentiate between shitty and shittier episodes.
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12/5/2023 12:51:06 pm
I'd done a ranking of them back at the end of my reviews in February, so I didn't really want to go back and relive that trauma haha.
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Gibby Norton
12/5/2023 03:19:24 pm
This certainly was a dismal year for Scooby content, and the amount of cancelled projects is disheartening. I’ll still be watching Velma season 2 when it comes out because I simply cannot resist curiosity. I haven’t missed a single new Scooby episode or movie my whole life thus far and I think it would honestly be harder for me not to now, regardless of quality.
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12/5/2023 06:59:31 pm
Even with how much I dislike Velma, I'm the same way, and I've gone back and forth a lot as to whether to watch season 2. I've always watched Scooby content almost the instant it comes out, so it would be weird for me not to watch season 2 even if it's terrible. I may watch season 2 a few months after it comes out after the buzz dies down, since my big thing is that I don't want to give it attention or continue the cycle of WB renewing it from hate views. I wouldn't feel as strongly about it, but the fact that this is only Scooby content we're getting makes me not want to encourage them to continue renewing this in lieu of other Scooby films/shows. They renewed the show for a second season right after season 1 ended, so watching/reviewing it a while after the initial buzz likely would avoid that issue.
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Gibby Norton
12/6/2023 08:30:09 am
I haven't watched the Mystery Incorporated fan series! I hear good things, but I am simultaneously hesitant because I also heard good things about recent teen shows like Riverdale and Goosebumps (2023) and neither were exactly my cup of melodramatic tea. Is it still just the one episode released of that show so far? 12/6/2023 03:16:53 pm
I haven't seen Goosebumps or Riverdale, but personally I found Mystery Incorporated to be a great show! Honestly, I would go as far as to say it's the type of thing I would want if we ever got another official adult Scooby-Doo show. One of my friends in the franchise has seen Riverdale and dislikes it, but really liked Mystery Incorporated, for what's it worth. Yeah, there's just the one episode so far! They've announced they will be releasing a second episode, but they haven't given any sort of timeline for when it will be released, just that they "have to remain tight-lipped," which makes me feel that maybe a discussion to have the show picked up by a network is underway. I think the first episode is definitely worth the watch if you ever have a chance!
Carson Maitland - Smith
12/5/2023 07:08:10 pm
Scooby-Doo and Krypto Too's better
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Greybishop
12/5/2023 11:27:15 pm
I think it's safe to assume that it'll be a year of little Scooby content with all the recent upheaval at WB.
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Carson Maitland - Smith
12/6/2023 12:42:30 am
Pure Scooby for everybody 🤎
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12/6/2023 03:27:00 pm
Yeah, sadly I think it will be another light year for Scooby content as well. Hopefully all of the tumultuousness at WB will resolve itself within the next few years, so we can go back to getting a regular-sized slate of Scooby content.
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Greybishop
12/8/2023 05:23:47 pm
Great use of "tumultuousness". 12/8/2023 09:06:58 pm
Thanks haha. I looked it up out of curiosity, and there are two words tied with "tumultuousness" for most 'u's, including "unscrupulous" and "superluxurious."
ScoobyVerse
12/6/2023 02:27:48 am
Velma is somehow still ranked too high.
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12/6/2023 03:27:38 pm
2 does feel too high for Velma, even if it is last place lol.
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Mr Neither
12/6/2023 06:23:52 am
A very peculiar year. For me it's clear that WB haven't much interest in releasing new Scooby stuff, rather just using Scooby for whatever merchandise they can because that's a simple way to make money!
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12/6/2023 03:28:49 pm
Agreed with the second part, although I think it's honestly more Zaslav's overcautiousness about releasing any new content for any franchise, rather than anything specific to Scooby that they're not interested in.
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Juan
12/6/2023 09:41:03 am
Happy New Year and holidays, WV
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Scoob360*
12/8/2023 03:08:18 pm
Maybe WB will release Holiday Haunt (given that it's finished) if they don't have new content ready after season 2 of Velma !
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12/8/2023 06:58:53 pm
It'd be awesome if they could do that! I know there are some legal stipulations that prevent them from releasing it (which I will admit I don't fully understand the ins and outs of), but if the investigation on Zaslav by the DOJ leads to them stopping the tax write-offs, maybe it could be released!
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threephantomrey
12/8/2023 03:09:03 pm
happy holidays!
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Becker
12/8/2023 04:52:27 pm
What exactly makes you believe next year will be good though? The only thing we know we're getting next year is more Velma, which is the most hated thing this franchise has ever produced and I highly doubt it will change. There are 0 zero rumors or leaks of any upcoming movie, which we usually get 1 or 2 years in advance. And the Mystery Pups show – while not cancelled per se – is totally up in the air and relies on another distributor to pick it up because WB has decided not to release it themselves. It's not a tax write-off, so it is possible for it to come out, however it hasn't been picked up by anyone yet after almost a year now, and unfortunately it doesn't seem to likely it will happen the way it did with the upcoming Batman: Caped Crusader cartoon that was picked up by Amazon for next year after WB did the same thing to it.
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12/8/2023 09:04:02 pm
Happy holidays to you too! I'm glad you agree with me :)
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threephantomrey
12/8/2023 09:45:40 pm
thank you!❤️
Becker
12/9/2023 03:57:55 am
@Wildwind, DOJ and FTC haven't started an investigation on Zaslav yet. And even if they did, we know it takes quite a while to reach the end result and judicial decision. 12/9/2023 10:19:49 am
@threephantomrey Yeah, I feel exactly the same way about crossovers. I still enjoy many of them, but it's gotten to feel like they have been almost constant in the past 10 years. If they were shift to giving us a crossover every few years, I'd be totally fine with that, but every other DTV being a crossover has gotten to be a bit much for me.
Matt
12/9/2023 02:13:03 pm
I'm personally not optimistic about next year or the next few years, unfortunately. I'm hoping in at least a few years we get change, but it's hard for me to see it coming anytime soon 12/9/2023 03:16:18 pm
Same for me, the whole Coyote vs. Acme movie thing shows me WB is still very much in turmoil unfortunately. I agree it's hard to see anything changing in the next few years, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
Becker
12/10/2023 04:42:35 am
@Matt, the thing is though that Riverdale draws so little inspiration from the material it's adapting that it feels very much like a completely different creation that just uses a few recognizable names from another property to bring a bigger audience in. In a way that aspect is kinda similar to Velma, as both shows have been criticized for having no resemblance to the original IP besides the names and general likeness of the main cast. The more I think about it, the more Velma just becomes an animated, much raunchier, less CW melodramatic Riverdale lmao.
Becker
12/10/2023 04:55:57 am
@Wildwind, but even then, I'm not sure how we could properly rank the Mystery Incorporated live-action series, because we only got the pilot episode for it. That's not really enough to make a judgement on whether or not it's even good or if it adds anything of value or detracts from the respective year (beyond the fact it's not an official production).
Becker
12/10/2023 04:58:11 am
Coyote vs Acme* 12/10/2023 08:56:51 am
@Becker Speaking of Amazon, have you seen Merry Little Batman? 12/10/2023 09:17:03 am
@Becker Yeah, that's fair. I wasn't trying to say I think it should definitively count for anybody else, I just counted it in my personal rankings because there wasn't much else for last year, and I really enjoyed it.
Becker
12/10/2023 09:58:31 am
@Jordan, no, I haven't seen Merry Little Batman, the target audience for that film is much younger than my age. I'll watch the Batman: Caped Crusader show they'll put out next year though, it will be a dark and mature Batman. 12/11/2023 01:55:50 am
@Becker "dark and mature" as in like The Animated Series ('92-'95)?
Becker
12/11/2023 03:14:15 am
Based on the comments I've seen, it will be darker than BTAS
Becker
12/11/2023 04:18:16 am
The show is supposed to go back to Batman's noir roots while "diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters", as per the quotes, which means it is in fact darker. 12/11/2023 04:51:41 am
@Becker Oh, I see. Well, I've seen Merry Little Batman on Amazon a couple of days ago and I think it's an alright film. I know it isn't exactly appealing to everyone but I thought it was wonderful seeing Bruce Wayne as a caring father.
Becker
12/11/2023 06:29:25 am
I didn't know they were making a series following up on Merry Little Batman. I see Amazon's really enjoying their Batman properties! 12/11/2023 07:23:06 pm
Not just him. Just last month, Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie! was released.
threephantomrey
12/8/2023 05:07:58 pm
well, us getting more Velma isn’t a good thing so i agree on that. but we have the batman and scooby mysteries comics as an ongoing series, so that’s content even if it’s not a movie or series. and i think because we haven’t heard any rumors or seen any leaks of new movies doesn’t exactly mean there’s not going to be any movies next year. and recently, there was calling for the department of justice and the FTC to investigate WB Discovery for scrapping movies, so there’s a chance of Zaslav getting in trouble for what he’s been doing. so that’s what makes me hopeful, but i totally get why people aren’t.
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Becker
12/9/2023 03:43:53 am
I don't read comics, so frankly I don't personally care which year was better for them. While 2022 had way less content than 2023, this year we had Velma, which singlehandedly brings it down. Trick or Treat and Krypto Too are comparable enough movies for me quality-wise, so it comes down to which year had Velma in it. And so the year without Velma is automatically better.
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Amber Noel
12/8/2023 11:23:15 pm
I personally thought 2023 was a bit better than 2022 , I know in terms of shows and movies it was lacking but in terms of everything
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Carson Maitland - Smith
12/9/2023 06:15:16 am
I'm not worried about 2024
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12/9/2023 10:28:25 am
That's definitely possible, although I know Krypto was in production for a while. I think it started in 2020 if I remember right, but it's been at least since 2021. That was before the merger, and Scooby movies are usually made 2 years in advance, so it's possible they weren't able to develop any new ones with the tax write-offs. It's possible they're making a film and we just don't know about it, but we've typically heard about films a year or so in advance, so it's unusual that we haven't heard anything. Yeah, not getting any DTV films next year definitely won't end the franchise. Like I said in one of the above responses, the lack of DTVs isn't anything specific to Scooby, it's a problem with all WB franchises because of the merger.
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Amber Noel
12/9/2023 01:27:47 pm
I personally feel like the reason we haven't heard anything about the next dtv movie yet is because of what happened with the krypto crossover so I feel like warner bros discovery is being more careful about leaks.
Joel
12/11/2023 09:06:38 am
I always look forward to reading your year end post. While it was a slowish year for Scooby, you kept us all entertained for 52 weeks with great posts, polls, fan fiction, editorials and trivia contests! Thank-you for your hard work and talent! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!
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12/11/2023 01:38:42 pm
Thanks so much Joel! So glad you enjoyed all the content! :) Happy holidays to you too!
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Andy
12/13/2023 11:02:38 am
This is so sad but true
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