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49 Years & Counting: Where Do We Go Now?

9/13/2018

16 Comments

 
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Exactly 49 years ago today, the very first episode of Scooby-Doo was airing on televisions across the world.

Since then, we've had a lot of interesting incarnations of the franchise. Scooby-Doo has gone from the original "Where Are You" format that we all know and love, to episodes featuring the gang teaming up with famous guest stars, episodes that show what the gang was like when they were kids, episodes involving Scooby's nephew Scrappy-Doo, and even a series where the gang takes on "13 of the most terrifying ghosts upon the face of the Earth."

With the latest series, Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?, recently announced, there has been a lot of talk among fans about where the franchise is going, especially since we are quickly approaching 50 years of our favorite cartoon canine.

One large complaint among fans lately is in regards to all the films which feature celebrity guest stars helping the gang solve a mystery. While most fans enjoy crossovers, many feel that Warner Brothers is relying on the crossover idea too much. In the past five years, 7 of the 11 direct-to-video films have featured Scooby-Doo crossing over with a famous celebrity or property (i.e. LEGO).

A lot of fans also feel that the quality of the franchise is significantly declining, claiming that Warner Brothers is using the crossover idea as a crutch rather than a plot device. Many people feel that WB is no longer trying, and just copying elements from previous crossover films to make new crossovers.

This comment on the ScoobyAddicts forum from Russm sums the situation up humorously.

Writers meeting:
Writer 1: "Well we could write a tight script that is focused on the interactions between the gang as they solve a mystery, how they have each others' back and how each contribute towards the solution." 
Writer 2: "But we have celebrities to service and it's getting late."
Writer 1: "OK, just take the script from Speed Demon, do a global find and replace on wrestler with cook and we're done!"
Writer 3: "Wooo-hoo home early!"


Okay, obviously the situation isn't that bad, but I thought it was an amusing way to sum up the complaints of declining quality from fans.

In my personal opinion, I fully agree that the quality of the franchise is declining, at least somewhat. While the more recent Scooby-Doo movies are still entertaining, they tend to overuse celebrities and focus on Shaggy and Scooby too much. This causes the plot to be a bit thin, and while the writers' attempts are in good faith, it takes away significantly from the plot.

In the films that they are not using celebrities, however, the quality is still very good and stays true to the classic style of the show, while deviating just enough to make each film different and interesting. Shaggy's Showdown, for instance, was one of the best Scooby-Doo films in years and contained a very entertaining plot and good character development in my opinion. The most recent live-action film, Daphne & Velma, was a really fun, silly little feel good movie which provided an interesting plot and very three-dimensional characters. Daphne & Velma is for sure my favorite live-action movie, and is definitely up there in my top 10 favorites list for Scooby films.

One large issue with this is that most fans want different things from the franchise. Some people want a return to the classic Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? style, others want a more updated What's New, Scooby-Doo? look for the animation. When it comes to tone, some people want lighthearted and silly like Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, while others want a much darker, more serious tone like Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated had. Some people want Warner Brothers to play it safe and stick with the simple formula we all know and love, while others are more deviant and want radical changes made to the formula, such as the Shaggy/Scooby/Daphne and Scrappy format to make a return. I could probably go on and on, but I'm guessing you all probably got the point that everyone's idea of "great" is different.

While I am looking forward to the upcoming Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? series, I am a bit worried for what it means for the future of the franchise. I love a good crossover every now and then, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much. Having an entire series dedicated to celebrity crossovers might be a bit excessive, especially when future crossover movies have already been announced to happen in the near future, such as Scooby-Doo and KISS 2. I hope that if WB decides to continue with their current pattern of mainly crossover DTV films, along with the new series, that they will mix it up a bit plot wise. That meaning that they focus more on the gang, develop the characters throughout the series, and not rely on the celebrities as a crutch.

Where should we go from here, though? As unfortunate as it is to say, it feels like the franchise doesn't have a very clear direction at the moment. With the extensive celebrity crossovers, it feels like we're spinning in circles. One huge example demonstrating this is the whole "Daphne's in love with Fred" plotline in Stage Fright, despite that the relationship has been explored so many different times already. I think the whole Scooby fandom simultaneously cringed when Daphne "shockingly" announced that she was in love with Fred lol.

Initially, I was a bit saddened when I heard the comment at the end of this video. For those who haven't had a chance to watch, the narrator mentions that after Cyber Chase, he never had the urge to watch any other Scooby content because he knew the quality of the content was declining (presuming he heard from friends or something). However, in the past few months, I can actually say that I definitely understand why a less invested Scooby fan might lose the urge to keep up with the franchise. On the other hand, as a hardcore Scooby nerd (and just a generally dorky/quirky person in general, lol), I don't think I would ever stop watching Scooby until the quality got to the point where it was just a one-dimensional line across a white background haha.

Silliness aside, I argue that the franchise should go back in the direction of the "revival" era movies, those being Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, Alien Invaders and Cyber Chase. I can honestly say that I have never met a Scooby fan who doesn't like those movies. While there may be a rare outlier, I would say the majority of fans enjoy the more mature tone and character dynamic throughout the films. I think it would be the perfect tone for the franchise, because the films are mature enough to please the adult fans, why not being overly mature or scary to alienate the fans that are children. 

When I first saw Scoobynatural earlier this year, my first thought was "They should totally make a whole series like this!" That particular crossover was the only one, in my opinion, that even came remotely close to the revival films. I believe that making a full series in that sort of tone would please the vast majority of the fandom, at least more so than the current tone is. Scoobynatural was certainly the most hyped up Scooby-Doo related thing of the year, so clearly it would be beneficial for WB to push the franchise back in that direction, both to please fans and for them to bring in more revenue from the films.

While it's unfortunately doubtful we'll ever get a full series like this, I hope someday, we at least get another taste of the tone of the Zombie Island era films. In those films, it felt the franchise was evolving and growing (unlike the current films), which I would argue is necessary for any franchise to flourish. Let's keep our fingers crossed that WB will someday bring us back to that wonderful era of films, or better yet, that they're reading this post! :D
16 Comments
Scooby dooby Doo
9/13/2018 10:56:24 am

I agree, The witch´s ghost is probably my favorite Scooby-doo movie, it was a little bit more dark and I love that just like Zombie island (I haven´t seen any of those two on tv in years which I find really weird) I started to worry even more about all that celebrity/guest star situation when they announced Scooby doo and guess who! series , I love Scooby with my heart and just like you I´ll probably never stop watching those movies but the last one was kinda sloppy? just to much Bobby Flay and too much cats XD and It was so short I didn´t have the time to actually enjoy it , I love Scoobynatural to death, my favorite shows together was a dream come true.

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WildwindVampire link
9/13/2018 01:23:25 pm

Hmm, I enjoyed Gourmet Ghost quite a bit. It was probably the best of the crossovers IMO. Aww, but Nacho was so cute and helpful! :) Didn't mind Bobby Flay either, I thought he did a nice job. The humor, however, was pretty sloppy and mainly comprised of bad puns. That was probably the one thing I didn't like about the movie, that and the Daphne being jealous of Fred clapping for Giada thing for reasons which should hopefully be obvious.

Scoobynatural was amazing, they need to make more episodes like that!

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Gibby Norton
9/13/2018 01:23:41 pm

I actually think Cyber Chase is one of the worst Scooby movies and I’m surprised people hold it up to such high regard. And i also actually enjoyed Gourmet Ghost pretty well, I thought it was funny and not overly reliant on the celebrities, especially considering I didn’t know who they were before the movie. As for Daphne & Velma, it had a nice aesthetic.... but it was way more cringey than Daphne saying she loved Fred. The last truly hilarious Scooby movie, in my opinion, is Moon Monster Madness. I was very worried that that one would have been awful, but it was surprisingly great! For the future of the franchise, I personally think there should be a break from the TV shows. If I had to choose a new show, however, it would be my long-held idea that The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo should be brought back as a miniseries (this time with the entire gang)!

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WildwindVampire link
9/14/2018 08:02:49 am

Interesting...can I ask why you hate Cyber Chase so much? I have genuinely never heard a Scooby fan tell me that, so I'm interested to hear why you hate it so much.

Agreed. I had a vague knowledge of Bobby Flay before the film, but I barely knew who he was beyond his name. The celebrities were very non-obtrusive to the plot and actually made for a good addition to the film. Interesting about you not liking Daphne & Velma, I quite enjoyed the movie other than a few cringey lines. It's been years since I've seen Moon Monster Madness (close to when it first came out, I believe), but I feel like I remember thinking the movie was just meh.

I agree that the TV shows could use a break. Clearly with the "guest star" idea being used over and over again, the writers could use a break so they could think up new ideas and stop using crossovers as a crutch. The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo as a miniseries would be fun! :)

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Gibby Norton
9/14/2018 02:46:45 pm

Cyber Chase is just a lame film. I don’t like the villain, the jokes are mostly unfunny, the soundtrack isn’t very good, and I wasn’t interested at all. Even the gang meeting a sort of alternate/past version of themselves wasn’t fully explored. And the most interesting levels of the game were passed through in the montage, which always frustrates me. It isn’t the worst Scooby film, I would probably give Cyber Chase a 5/10 as there are a few good jokes and the animation is really nice.

Daphne & Velma isn’t my least favorite live action film, and it’s more an I feel sorry for it than an I hate it. I think it is better than the extremely unfunny, bland, and lackluster Mystery Begins. But I actually think Curse of the Lake Monster constantly gets overlooked due to its admittedly dumb inclusion of relationships as well as the reuse of Velma as a villain. But I do genuinely like many of the jokes and effects in it, and it feels like an actual story the writers came up with and weren’t forced to do.

It’s odd, how I defend Curse of the Lake Monster, but still have to give it a 5/10 cause I don’t really like it. Yet I hate on Cyber Chase, but still have to give it a 5/10 cause it isn’t the worst. I guess it’s due to how it just depends on how it makes me feel while watching it.

WildwindVampire link
9/14/2018 05:13:45 pm

Hmm, interesting, I can't say I agree to be honest but everyone is entitled to their own opinions! :) What is the worst Scooby film for you, just out of curiosity? Probably Arabian Nights?

I have never enjoyed Curse of the Lake Monster, though the relationship inclusion was a big factor. It felt so forced and like they were copying it from Mystery Incorporated, whereas I felt Mystery Begins was a much more interesting, organic story that had a lot of potential. I would say Daphne & Velma is my favorite live action film, followed by Mystery Begins.

Worst Scooby film for me is definitely Arabian Nights, then next would probably be Music of the Vampire. That's the movie that felt forced and unfunny to me, and the music was just out of place. There are definitely ways you can creatively make a musical episode, such as "Screama Donna" from Be Cool Scooby-Doo, for example.

Gibby Norton
9/14/2018 06:44:53 pm

My least favorite is actually Lego Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood. It has zero originality, zero good jokes, zero interesting story or characters. It is just a padded film for the sake of selling a cashgrab movie. Blowout Beach Bash was infinitely more entertaining.

I’m surprised at your disliking of Music of the Vampire! I don’t really care for the songs (except Scooby and Me which I think is okay, and touches on the interesting subject of Shaggy secretly worrying that the gang doesn’t care about him for like..... 0.5 seconds). But I do think the jokes and mystery in it are pretty decently fun.

As for Cyber Chase, it definitely depends on personal preferences for that one. But interestingly enough, in one of the Scooby podcasts I used to listen to (A Podcast Named Scooby-Doo), one of the I believe producers of Zombie Island through Cyber Chase mentions that the crew thought the film was a complete mess. I agree, however I still understand why there are quite a few people who like it.

And the same goes for Daphne & Velma, I can definitely see its appeal. I can’t say the same for Mystery Begins though, unfortunately. That being said I do like a couple things in Mystery Begins that make rewatches a little less painful: Anarbor, Shaggy and Velma’s actors, and the joke where Shaggy says “Wow, this goes deeper than we thought.”

CJT
9/14/2018 07:13:40 pm

I'm not used to commenting on these posts, so apologies if this ends up under the wrong reply, but I just wanted to defend Music of the Vampire. I personally love it, and think it is quite underrated & often frowned upon by the Scooby fanbase (probably because it's a musical).

I think the mystery is solid, the pacing is good, I'm a fan of most of the songs (especially "Done with Monsters... it makes me smile and sing along every time I watch it), and the villain Lord Valdronya is pretty scary.

Although I wasn't asked personally, in terms of my least fav Scooby-Doo movie it has to be Goblin King. It doesn't do anything for me at all. F, D & V are pushed aside, the plot is ludicrous, and I can't say I even enjoy watching it.

As for Mystery Begins & Curse of the Lake Monster, I really like them both. I didn't find them boring at all. Same with Cyber Chase. It's probably the weakest of the first 4 DTVs, but I grew up with it and have always loved it. I really like the premise, the songs, and the whole 3rd act with the cyber doubles. I can see why others have differing opinions on all these movies, but it's great that there is so much Scooby media to suit everyone's individual tastes and preferences.

WildwindVampire link
9/15/2018 09:48:40 am

(Replying to Gibby Norton)

Omg, are you serious? I sort of liked Haunted Hollywood but despised Blowout Beach Bash, to me the mystery seemed a bit thin and the 5 minute long "Blowout Beach Bingo Bash" song was painful to sit through. I found the jokes to be very lame in BBB. We must have very different criteria for judging Scooby films I guess, haha.

I just didn't enjoy the mystery of Music of the Vampire, and the songs all seemed out of place other than maybe "Scooby or Me."

I love APNSD! Did not listen to that episode though, so that's really interesting that the crew thought it was a mess. IMO it's a lot better quality than some of the more recent films.

I liked all of their actors in Mystery Begins. They all did a good job other than maybe Fred, though tbh I don't like him in real life either. The few times I've looked at his Twitter, he seems very stuck up and acts like he is above everyone else. You didn't like the dancing janitor? lol Anarbor is awesome! Out of curiosity, what did you think of the songs in Daphne and Velma? I personally loved every one of them and thought they all fit well with the movie.

WildwindVampire link
9/15/2018 10:00:32 am

(Reply to CJT)

Personally, I just didn't think the songs fit well within the plot, and the plot felt a bit thin to me. I will agree, however, that Lord Valdronya was pretty frightening! Just my opinion, I guess.

That's so funny that people are picking all the ones I like, haha. Goblin King, though it is very magical and a bit out there, has always been a fun watch for me. Definitely gets me into the Halloween spirit around that time of year, and the plot is different (but good different).

I agree that Cyber Chase was the weakest of the four films. I enjoy Mystery Begins, but not Lake Monster for reasons that I explained in a previous reply. I love that last sentence of your reply, so true :)

CJT
9/14/2018 07:08:14 am

Interesting thoughts on the future of the franchise. I for one am growing tired of all the crossover movies (not really looking forward to the 2nd KISS one), but on the other hand I am looking forward to Guess Who? I think the DTV line should focus on the gang and their dynamic, with a solid mystery and memorable villain. I also agree that it would be incredible if we could get a revival of, well, the "revival" era films. Lol. I love it when Scooby adopts a darker, more serious tone (one of the reasons I adore Mystery Incorporated), and it would be great to get more movies like that.

Also, despite keeping an open mind about D&V and really wanting to like it, I thought it was rather... meh. It felt so weird seeing the girls without the guys (and I know how that sounds, but I also hated Get a Clue and the Scrappy shorts until Daphne came back). Also, the mystery itself was very underwhelming & the only masked villain was a disappointment too. It's my least fav live-action movie, but that's just me. If you love it to bits then that's great! But for me, it didn't feel at all like a SD movie. For me, as Scooby series/DTV needs the whole gang together. I like the New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show/The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, but it still doesn't compare to shows that feature the Scooby gang as a whole.

In terms of your discussion of Stage Fright, it's one of my fav DTVs, as I am a huge Fraphne shipper. I'm definitely not one of those fans who cringed when Daphne said she loved Fred, and I had a bit of a tear in my eye when they kissed near the end. I love Stage Fright.

Anyway those are my thoughts. I've never commented here before, but seeing as this is my first time I need to say... this site is amazing, and you're doing a fantastic job running it. Love checking in on a Mon to read the fun-facts.

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WildwindVampire link
9/14/2018 08:13:28 am

I'm trying to keep an open mind for Guess Who. I'm hoping it will be good, and not just another repeat of what they're doing with the movies right now.

Interesting you didn't like Daphne & Velma. I do love it to bits haha! It was a cute movie for what it was, and I had already mentally prepped myself that the guys weren't going to be in the film. Good to hear people who didn't like it actually gave it a chance. I was just talking to another fan yesterday who absolutely trashed the film, and admittedly I wondered "did she actually give this a fair chance?" But it's a good reminder for me that people who did give the film a chance didn't like it either :)

Aww. I should have explained my "cringing" comment better. The cringeworthy part for me wasn't that Daphne was in love with Fred, it was how she announced it to Velma, like it was some shocking thing no one was ever expecting. That particular scene just seemed over-the-top dramatic and like we've already covered that in other DTVs a million times, as per the "Daphne being jealous of Fred" thing. I am a Fraphne shipper as well, for the record. I love Stage Fright as well! That one scene just annoyed me with its presentation, like it was some crazy new idea the writers had just come up with, when it reality they've been doing scenes like it for years. Your paragraph is really sweet though, far sweeter that my cranky "cringe" comment lol.

Thank you, I'm so glad you like the site! Really happy to know that the fun facts are brightening up someone's Mondays as well! :)

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CJT
9/14/2018 08:58:44 am

Thanks for the reply! I agree the way Daphne announced her love for Fred to Velma was OTT, but the way Velma responded, for me, was very funny and expressed what us fans were thinking.

I must admit, the whole Daphne and Fred being jealous of each other in what seems like every movie is getting a bit tiring at this stage. I like it in a few of the movies, particularly Witch's Ghost, Abracadabradoo and Camp Scare, but it's feeling like a box-ticking exercise at this stage. There is more to their characters than being jealous of the other showing affection for someone else, and that's one of the reasons I loved Shaggy's Showdown so much. As far as I can remember, there was no jealousy moment in it and the characterisation of F, D & Velma felt more natural. I'd like to see more movies like it, instead of loads of crossover movies.

Going back to Daphne & Velma again, I actually don't hate the movie. I said on twitter recently I had the same reaction to it as I do to those so-so Scooby episodes. I would watch it again. I really liked the main instrumental theme, the acting was good, the nods to the Scooby franchise were nice, and I appreciated the attempt to explore the friendship betweent the 2 female members of the gang. But like I said before, it didn't feel like a Scooby-Doo movie, and ideally they could explore such a relationship in an animated DTV with the whole gang (which I feel like they've been trying to do in more recent films, to varying extents of success). I love how Mystery Incorporated really focused on character development; giving each character flaws and having them overcome their flaws over both seasons. I could talk all day about how much I love MI but I'll leave it there.

On a different note entirely, can I just say I love your user/author name. Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire is one of my absolute fav Scooby movies, and it's nice to see that someone else thinks that Wildwind is an awesome name!

WildwindVampire link
9/14/2018 10:36:01 am

That's a good point. I'm afraid I've just gotten a little pessimistic with Daphne being jealous of Fred in every movie.

I fully agree with everything you said. The writers need to move on from the recurring jealousy gag and come up with some new jokes. It's getting to the point where it seems almost irrational, for example in Gourmet Ghost when Fred is clapping for Giada and Daphne glares for him. Everybody else was clapping, why would Daphne be jealous of just Fred for doing what everyone else was doing? I agree that Shaggy's Showdown was a really good movie! The characterization of the gang in that film felt much more natural, and you are correct that there was no jealousy moment in that film.

Ah, that makes sense. I just get a bit annoyed when people say "Daphne & Velma is a bunch of feminist crap!" IMO, there is barely anything feminism-related in there other than the two lead characters being girls and maybe the "female president" insecurity which Daphne has. Don't mean to offend anyone, but I feel like you're not going into the movie with an open mind if you are so quick to shoot the movie down for that reason only. I love SDMI for that reason as well, and I also enjoy BCSD as well for providing a more three-dimensional look at the gang's friendship. There wasn't any real continuity to BCSD for the most part, but the gang's friendship growing stronger as the seasons went on was a good (sort of) overarching plot.

Thank you! :) Legend of the Vampire is one of my favorite Scooby films, and I've always thought Wildwind is such a cool name for a band!

sdf
9/15/2018 04:46:48 pm

I hope WB will make something huge for the 50th anniversary like a very good new movie or a TV marathon with all the scooby content (movies,series,specials,crossovers). As for the franchise i like it so far. I can't tell i hate a show or a movie but there are some i don't like so much. These are A pup named scooby doo, Arabian nights, the puppet movie, Daphne and Velma and curse of the lake monster. I enjoy all the others especially most of the series, the three movies with scrappy and the zombie island era movies. I would like to see some dark movies like zombie island was and a movie or a show with real monsters.

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WildwindVampire link
9/16/2018 11:19:08 am

I really hope so too. The fact that something so amazing like Scoobynatural was put out this year gives me hope for something equally (or more) amazing for the 50th anniversary.

The three Scrappy films and the revival films are my faves of the entire franchise. I don't like Arabian Nights, Music of the Vampire, Blowout Beach Bash, Legend of the Phantosaur and to an extent Curse of the Lake Monster.

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