5 Things I Would Like To See for the Scooby Franchise in the Next Decade

12/10/2019

2020 is nearly upon us, which means a new decade is beginning in just a couple of weeks! With the show's 50th anniversary having been this year, I've been thinking lately about a couple of things I would like to see for Scooby in the upcoming decade and wanted to write a short article about it.

1. More Detailed Comics
I think everyone can agree that since Team Up and Scooby Apocalypse were cancelled this past year, just having the Where Are You? comics remaining is a bit lackluster. The comics from that series are also almost entirely just stock art poses, which grows a bit old after a while. One of my hopes for the next decade is that we'll have some comics, either Where Are You or another spin-off series, that has more detail put into it rather than it all just being stock art.

2. More Missing Episodes Released
Admittedly, I've definitely said this one in previous posts, but we still have 144 unreleased episodes remaining in the franchise, some of them shockingly being from The Scooby-Doo Show still. I would love to see WB really crack down on getting those missing episodes released, and ideally not just slapping one on a set of 20 already released episodes just to burn them off. It would be nice to have them potentially on a themed set, or in connection with my next one...

3. Season Sets
It's a bit disappointing, but we've barely seen any season sets at all in this past decade. I believe we've only gotten 13 Ghosts, The Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Show Season 1 and The Almost Complete Collection of the New Scooby-Doo Movies. While three isn't bad, we were getting tons of them back in the 2000s decade, and with so many unreleased episodes remaining, you would think it would be pretty profitable for them to release some more season sets as collector's items. I'm hoping to see an increase of the season sets again for the remaining missing episodes in the coming years!

4. Moving Away from Crossovers
This isn't so much a tangible thing like the rest of the items so far, but I'm hoping they will move away from crossovers. Between all the DTVs, and the new Guess Who series, in my opinion it's getting to be a bit much. Which leads me into my final point...

5. Playing It Less Safe
I feel like the current Scooby-Doo media is trying to play it super safe and make everything exactly like how it was in Where Are You. Obviously, this has repercussions, because it discounts how the franchise has evolved in those 50 years. I feel like I would be more engaged in the franchise if they explored different aspects of it. Playing it safe can be a good thing sometimes, but I think at some point, WB needs to get out of their comfort zone and realize that there are adult fans out there as well, not just kids, and the same old formula can get boring if it's used too much. I'm not suggesting they should completely change the show, but I think experimenting with different aspects of the show is a good way to keep viewers of all ages engaged.

If you feel like I missed anything on my list, or feel like I shouldn't have included something let me know in the comments! What do you all want to see in the next decade in the future of the franchise? I would be interested to see everybody's ideas!

35 Comments

Sha'a Gi

12/10/2019 10:05:04 pm

It is sad to see a good IP waste away. I hope they do some quality content to get a new generation engaged with all Scooby Doo content so we get more content that is neat.
I did not know their is 144 unreleased episodes of Scooby Doo content. I would have been better off not know what I have been missing out on...

WildwindVampire link

12/11/2019 09:56:09 am

I really hope so too. If it helps, of the 144 episodes, 74 of them are Scrappy-Doo shorts and 14 are Get A Clue. Not sure of your opinion on those however.

Love the username, btw!

Scoob16

12/11/2019 04:43:54 am

Release Be Cool season 2 on DVD

WildwindVampire link

12/11/2019 09:56:29 am

Agreed!!! I don't know why they haven't yet.

John Locke

12/12/2019 05:05:03 pm

Thirded! It's one of my favorite scooby doo shows and I'd love to have it all legally... at this rate (and with physical media dying) I'm getting more and more tempted to look for a bootleg...

WildwindVampire

12/12/2019 06:48:13 pm

I think a lot of people are going to bootleg now, which isn't good for WB, because they could avoid that and make money if they would just release stuff so people didn't have to look for it other ways.

Either way, makes me sad that physical media is dying. I actually still prefer a DVD copy to having something digital! I may be totally wrong, but I believe that stuff can just be taken off of digital whenever whereas they can't exactly burst in your house and take your DVD copy away from you. So more security that way too if you buy it on DVD, if I'm correct that stuff can be taken off even after you buy it.

John Locke

12/12/2019 07:43:44 pm

I agree with you, I dislike just streaming as things can be pulled back or just disappear. The wii VC and wii ware stores are gone now, wii u stores are likely following, and not enough people care so content you bought can just vanish... On streaming side there are ways to mitigate it but only for a while, apple and amazon are likely not going away any time soon and in the video game world even if a game is delisted you can still re-download it if you had bought it before (dunno how that for digital) but streaming is only viable as long as companies play well and with the current fragmentation going on... that doesn't look likely.

WildwindVampire link

12/13/2019 10:54:27 am

Thank you for the explanation, that was very informative! On the streaming side of things, do you know if it's possible for content to disappear if someplace like Amazon or iTunes loses the rights to a particular piece of media? Like say they lose the rights completely to a show, could they just remove that piece of content and delete it for everyone who had bought it?

John Locke

12/13/2019 11:30:35 am

Consumers do have rights, though lessened in this day and age, and generally something you bought will try to be available for you. so if you BUY the episode off of amazon you should keep it even if they lose the rights to the series, however this is likely only a temporary solution, as in practice it has more gone "keep it as long as enough people care." For example, wii ware and the Wii VC closed last year and no one raised a big stink about it even though there were things that were only on that system. Generally these tend to be platforms, and even when ultraviolet closed they sent e-mails telling me how I could transfer my streaming stuff, (I didn't bother but they made an effort at least), so companies do not like bad press but it's on the public to care enough to be able to make it bad press. Currently I would say safest bet for buying digital would be Amazon and Apple, but watch apple when they close itunes and transfer to a new store to see if everything stays. They are both long term players and are likely to still be around 10 years later.

WildwindVampire link

12/13/2019 01:03:41 pm

Okay, good to know, that's one thing I've been quite skeptical about when purchasing digital media. It would definitely be bad press for them to take content away, and hopefully purchasing stuff on big platforms like iTunes and Amazon would prevent your stuff from disappearing purely since they probably won't be going under anytime soon.

Greybishop

12/15/2019 09:42:23 pm

I totally, totally agree. I'm a collector of dvds for a wide variety of shows and movies and am saddened by the slow death of physical media. Streaming is definitely NOT a solution for a completest like myself who wants to own EVERY episode or movie in a franchise.

What's doubly frustrating in the Scooby-Doo situation is that Warner Bros has an existing solution for the problem. They already run a Made-On-Demand (MOD) DVD production house, The Warner Archive. The Warner Archive offers low price basic DVDs (usually no special features, minimal menu art) that are only produced once ordered. I don't imagine they make a ton of money on them but it's a safe bet they don't lose any either.

Why they wouldn't (at the very least) offer MOD sets of all the unproduced or incomplete series on the Archive is a complete mystery. They might not make a financial killing but they'd be making more on the properties than they are right now. There's nothing stopping them from just doing it right now as far as I can see.

WildwindVampire link

12/16/2019 02:55:58 pm

I know, right? I'm the type of a collector who wants a place for every series on my DVD shelf, and it really bugs me that we have so many incomplete series or having to put a million different compilations in the spot for a single series.

The only thing I can think of, other than WB is stupid, is that they're just holding on hoping someday the series will become valuable or they'll find some amazing way to release it. But either way, they should have released it on MOD by now.

Samuel Kirkwood

12/11/2019 06:17:41 am

1. For certain. I'm missing my once a month stroll to the comic book store for Apocalypse. Maybe something a little less gruesome would be good but definitely something with an overarching plot throughout like MI would be good.
2. At least a large proportion of those are those horrific shorts with Scrappy in. I have to agree though WTF on those missing Scoovby Doo Show episodes. At least you get more in the States than we do in the UK.
3. Sadly DVDs are slowly being phased out as digital media takes over, thus not a surprise so little come out past decade. Only got the nearly complete Scooby Doo movies because its the 50th anniversary and parts of that are like a train wreck, sure there are missing scenes in at least a few of those episodes.
4. Sadly it is all about making money, pulling in guest stars attracts other audiences, although not sure who a chef would really attract.
5. Sadly the whole cartoon industry has gone very safe since the millennium. Much like MLP The huge problem with Scooby is trying to attract new fans (kids) to the show, sell toys and make money, whilst still trying to please loyal fans reminiscing about their childhood. It is a very hard plot to juggle.

The only other point I'd make is greater consistency over airings, 1 year between 2 episodes of BCSD in the states and then I think it was only shown in the dead of night. That and balance things out between real and fake monsters.

WildwindVampire link

12/11/2019 10:02:12 am

I agree with all of that! I honestly think we need something different like Apocalypse/MI to pull the franchise out of the rut it's in at the moment. You're right it is all about making money and not about pleasing the fans and playing it safe. But I appreciated your point about it being hard to juggle, because it definitely can be and I think that gets forgotten sometimes in fans' frustrations at WB for playing it so safe. It does make me sad that DVDs are being phased out, but I hope we still do get all the episodes on DVD someday.

We do need greater consistency with airings on Cartoon Network, but it's some weird in-house vs. out-of-house thing, where Scooby is an out-of-house (meaning not made fully by Cartoon Network). They want to give their in-house shows more air time, but unfortunately Scooby gets dumped in those crappy timeslots because of being an out-of-house show. It's definitely getting worse, from what the head writer of BCSD explained to me. But it is something intentional that it's getting aired at crazy late hours, and not just some bumbling WB exec putting it at random times on the schedule.

Scoobyfan27

12/14/2019 04:17:42 pm

Also WildWindVampire with all respect you can’t really say Scooby is in a rut at the moment. Just because you personally don’t like the content doesn’t mean the rest of the world doesn’t. Besides the Zombie Island/13 ghost movies (which I personally liked not LOVED but enjoyed them much more than the previous movies they were based on) the rest of the Scooby content has been well received. Scooby Gourmet Ghost, Shaggy’s Showdown, and Scooby Doo Guess Who have been met with a great amount of praise. Especially Guess Who, if you check social media and other forms of review the majority are enjoying the latest Guess Who series with some relieved that they finally went back to the core animation.
Remember Mystery Incorporated got bashed and criticized to no end when it came out for being too dark, animation, and love triangles lol. But now people LOVE it lol. Someone could’ve said Scooby was in a rut when SDMI came out but looking back it clearly wasn’t that way. So everything is subjective honestly. I HATED Witch’s Ghost lol but I can’t say it wasn’t successful. Same with current projects like Guess Who, Gourmet Ghost, Camp Scare, etc, it might not be your favorite but it was successful.

WildwindVampire link

12/15/2019 08:59:41 pm

This is sincerely a really good point and I appreciate you calling me out on my generalization. I'll admit I've talked to a lot of people who feel that Guess Who is playing it too safe and not bringing the franchise in any sort of new direction. Good point as well that people did bash SDMI a lot when the first season came out. It's all very subjective to the people you talk to and are exposed to, and I guess just most of the fans I've talked to have had the perspective that Guess Who is hit or miss. I enjoyed Shaggy's Showdown quite a bit. Gourmet Ghost wasn't bad either. Thanks again for reminding me that not all fans necessarily dislike the direction the franchise is going, I really appreciate it :)

Scoobyfan27

12/11/2019 07:11:51 pm

I agree with everything you said EXCEPT real monsters. I do not want real monsters in Scooby there are already plenty of movies and series that did this for goodness sakes and it goes against the true Scooby formula.
See that’s my pet peeve lol. People think that the ONLY way to make Scooby unique is the inclusion of real monsters. They put Scooby in this box of real or fake. And that’s all he can be in some peoples eyes. How many non-supernatural shows are out there that are unique, interesting, and even dark without resorting to anything supernatural. There are MANY. Scooby started out as a non-supernatural show to debunk anything related to ghosts/monsters. That was the point of the show. Scooby can be unique by dealing with actual criminals, having character development, having an FBI/CSI styled series, introducing characters of other races as main characters, etc. the list goes on. All of these unused ideas are unique and are non-supernatural elements that don’t contradict the core of the show.
Even the first 3 OG movies with real monsters became predictable because it was always first the monster is fake...then oh SURPRISE it’s real! After 3 movies you saw exactly where they were going and it’s like you almost forgot that the whole point of Scooby is to debunk the supernatural.
I know many love Scoobynatural and Apocalypse but Scooby has never been about violence, gore, swearing, and intense themes. To me those two project completely contradict Scooby even if they would’ve included fake monsters because it’s so gory and violent. Scooby is a children’s cartoon and things don’t have to be violent and gory to be “adult” that’s just ignorant to asume. (I’m not saying you think that way but some fans use the fact that they are adults to make Scooby more violent and gory). To me Camp Scare, Abracadabra, Phantosaur, and the FIRST season of SDMI shows that Scooby can be dark, exciting, character driven WITHOUT disturbing the CORE of what made this beloved franchise so popular. Honestly I don’t watch movies like Ghoul School, Boo Brothers, Reluctant Werewolf etc. because I find them insulting to the original series. They even make me feel kinda uncomfortable. Sorry for the rant but yeah these are my reasons lol.
And again you can raise the stakes/danger without resorting to actual supernatural threats. It just takes creativity. Ok rant over. Thank you for listening :)

WildwindVampire link

12/11/2019 10:23:06 pm

This is an interesting perspective and I really appreciate you sharing it, Scoobyfan27. I personally enjoy the supernatural elements as long as it is done right, and not just overly supernatural for the sake of being magical and sparkly. This is coming from a fan who loves Ghoul School, Boo Brothers, Zombie Island and Witch's Ghost and would consider them my favorite movies (I can feel you cringing through my computer screen, so I'm sorry lol). I do like these films, I'm definitely not for gore, swearing or violence in Scooby and don't want that ever to happen. I think our definitions are these things are different, but yet I agree there are more creative ways to be mature than to have villains stabbing Scooby or Fred saying "Alright gang, looks like we have another damn mystery on our hands!" Though I don't want an FBI/CSI style series like you suggested, I feel that would be a bit too deviant from Scooby's formula in the sense that it probably wouldn't include any monsters, real or fake.

I really appreciate you sharing your opinion, honestly, and it's very interesting to hear a unique perspective on the franchise!

WildwindVampire link

12/13/2019 10:56:38 am

To add on to my previous reply, I'd be interested to know if you also hate early episodes like "Mystery in Persia" with Jeannie and Babu that features a real djinn, or the ones in The Scooby-Doo Show ("Hang in There, Scooby-Doo" and "A Highland Fling with a Monstrous Thing") that have a gag where a real skeleton appears.

Scoobyfan27

12/14/2019 04:10:19 pm

Thanks for respecting my opinion it’s nice to know we can all get along and have different opinions. :) @WildWindVampire to answer your question I don’t mind the episodes for Hang In There Scooby or a Highland Fling with a Monstrous Thing, the reason being because it was very ambiguous and not really meant to be taken to seriously. It was kinda like a little joke and not really meant to be part of the story. It was just some random supernatural gag/joke that was super ambiguous. Now when it’s super in your face like Ghoul School, Reluctant Werewolf, Boo Brothers, etc, then that’s when I have an issue with it.
Now on to the Jeannie episode, even though it’s not my favorite episode I let it slide because they were in Jeannies world after all. I kinda took it as them playing by her worlds rules so to speak. Also it was something that only happened ONCE in the series and didn’t really happen again. Now when it starts becoming regular in numerous episodes and they even make movies based on this formula then that’s when I become bothered. In my opinion real monsters should have been done in maybe 1-2 movies and maybe 2-3 episodes MAX for the entire franchise after that real monsters aren’t “shocking” anymore and it becomes irritating because it deviates from the franchise. I know fake monsters are still the majority aspect of Scooby movies and episodes but I feel that there are still way too many real supernatural productions that exist. And many times they act shocked like it’s never been done before which seems so ridiculous to me.
To me Scooby has a plethora of ways it can be creative, exciting and different WITHOUT including real monsters. So it grinds my gears when people ask for it sorry. Lol
Side note: that Jeanie episode makes no sense to me because the entire gang seems so nonchalant over the idea of encountering a real monster for the first time lol.

WildwindVampire link

12/15/2019 08:17:42 pm

Same to you! :) Oh, I think I understand, so it only bothers you when supernatural is the main focus, not if it's just a tiny element on the side. You have a really interesting perspective about real monsters being an overused trope, I had honestly not thought of it that way. The continuity aspect of the gang being shocked every time a real monster appears as if it were the very first time always irritates me too.

I think people default to the real monsters because it has often been more mature when the monsters are real. There are definitely ways to please kids and adults without making things too mature. SDMI in my opinion had a great man-in-a-mask formula while also balancing the maturity bit.

And yeah, it's interesting how the gang just acts totally chill in the Jeannie episode despite it being the first appearance of real magic and monsters. I think that's why a lot of people think the Scrappy era was the first appearance of real supernatural threats.

ScoobyFan UK

12/14/2019 04:57:50 pm

My fan film 'Wolf's End Lodge', comes out next year....

WildwindVampire link

12/15/2019 09:00:23 pm

Very cool! Is it based off of "That's Snow Ghost" from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You at all?

Johnny-Go-Screwoff

12/14/2019 08:59:01 pm

Hey idiot! you're opinions r both wrong and ridiculous. Scooby is good as it ever was and ur just spreadin ur anti-nostalgic propaganda!! why don't you learn to respect opinions you commie. People come to this blog for news and u r just tryna push ur opinions on everyone else as if it is news. Why don't u think about that before you make your next post, if u ever do after u were rightfully called out for your hatred and opinion bashing! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

ScoobyFanUK

12/15/2019 07:54:54 am

Wildwind has a right to voice opinions as it is their site. You are in their house now.

Anyway, this post was not to bash any opinions on the current state of scooby it was hopes for the future.

Also, you say Wildwind opinion bashed when you just clearly stated 'you're opinions r both wrong and ridiculous'. That is more opinion bashing in my opinion.

I am sorry you have to put up with this WildwindVampire.

So go screw yourself Johnny

IkeDaKil

12/15/2019 04:21:26 pm

If you really don’t like what he posts then I don’t think you should comments negative things. Keep opinions to urself.

WildwindVampire link

12/15/2019 09:29:15 pm

Thank you both for your kind comments, IkeDaKil and ScoobyfanUK.

Johnny, I'm sorry if you were offended by something I posted, but the fact that you are "calling me out" for hatred and opinion bashing is very ironic considering you began your post with "Hey idiot! you're opinions r both wrong and ridiculous." If you have any constructive ways that I could be more inclusive of others' opinions, I would love to hear them, but vitriolic comments like the one you just posted aren't welcome on this blog.

IkeDaKil

12/15/2019 04:22:48 pm

Also for the fifth one I think for adults all ages they should make a mystery incorporated kind of show. That has a storyline that is fun to follow and the characters are some of the most memorable I’ve seen in this show

WildwindVampire link

12/15/2019 09:01:59 pm

Agreed! I know not everyone likes that show, but I would love to see something like that personally, or even a return to the Zombie Island like films!

dooscoobert0220 (Graig)

7/17/2020 10:19:02 pm

Really interesting ideas!
1. I haven't gotten the chance to read any of the comics, so I can't really say much about this.
2. Agreed! I'm a huge fan of the show, but there are entire series I can't find, just cause they've barely been released. I love collecting DVDs, and would like to have the entire franchise sit comfortably on my shelf as my biggest collection.
3. Agreed again, for all the reasons on number 2 haha.
4. Hmmm...I get this. To be honest, I haven't watched many of the recent DTVs or any of Guess Who? yet. Besides the 2019 ones, the most recent one I watched is Shaggy's Showdown, which isn't a crossover, and I really liked it. Before that, I only watched Moon Monster Madness and Scooby-Doo & KISS, both of which I loved. I'm looking forward to the KISS sequel, if it still happens (don't see why it won't) but I do want more of a focus on the gang/their friendship and dynamics with each other.
5. YES! This times 100. I love when they change things up and get a little darker and weird. That's why Mystery Incorporated works so well - the darker, more mature tone, as well as the extremely weird, but wonderful plot. It's perfect. I would love for them to add new elements that enhance the story and franchise, instead of constantly using the same formula and ideas, even if I will still eat it up cause it's Scooby.

I'd just like to add one more thing - more Hex Girls! They've had slightly regular appearances in the shows since their debut, but their last DTV appearance was Legend Of A Vampire, and I think that it'd be great to see them more as recurring characters then guest appearances in shows. I know it kinda contradicts the crossover thing, but they are original Scooby characters so it doesn't really count haha.

dooscoobert0220

7/17/2020 10:32:27 pm

OH! And going off the more Hex Girls things, more music too! Trap Of Love is one of "their" best songs IMO, and Good Bad Girls is a bop and a half. I don't know about their song for Guess Who, but I'm sure it's great too. Honestly, they could capitalize majorly on a fictional band as great as them, I don't know why WB hasn't yet.

WildwindVampire link

7/18/2020 09:24:30 am

2. It's a shame they've been so slow at releasing some episodes on DVD. It's hard to believe we still have over 150 still missing!

4. Yeah, I don't mind the guest stars themselves, it's just that they sometimes overshadow the gang's dynamics.

5. Absolutely agreed! I would honestly be in heaven if we got another series like Zombie Island someday.

I would love to see more Hex Girls! We've only gotten 6 appearances from them so far, and we need more especially given their immense popularity! It's hard to believe WB hasn't tried to work them into more episodes or even given them their own spin-off yet. "Trap of Love" and "Good Bad Girls" are awesome songs. The Guess Who song, "Love's Curse," is pretty good too, albeit a tiny bit generic.

dooscoobert0220

7/18/2020 10:27:00 am

2. That's honestly crazy. That's so many! I don't understand how they are willing to leave all of those unreleased.
4. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think if they're going to have guest stars, they need to balance them with the gang better.
5. An entire series like Zombie Island would kill, but I'm sure you meant Mystery Incorporated haha. But same!

Exactly! They're probably the second-most popular original Scooby characters after the gang, and the fact that they've barely shown up in the past 20 years is annoying. I would absolutely love a spin-off with the girls, and this interview from October proves they would all be interested in one:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/hex-girls-scooby-doo-oral-history-music-actors-queer-wicca-a9177596.html
Yes they are! i really liked Grey's voice on Trap Of Love as well, so I wouldn't mind more "Crush" appearances haha. And that's good to know! I don't mind generic/basic music, so I'll probably love it.

WildwindVampire link

7/18/2020 11:27:43 am

5. I actually did mean like Zombie Island, I just worded it confusingly haha. I meant like a series in the style/tone of Zombie Island. I think it would be really cool to get something with a mature, dark tone again like Zombie Island and the other DTVs in that era, for a full series!

Haha that's actually an upcoming fun fact that I will be posting on the blog :)

dooscoobert0220

7/18/2020 11:55:05 am

That would actually be amazing. I'd love it so much! That would have the potential to be one of my favorite iterations of the series ever.

Oh great! Looking forward to it haha.

5 Things I Would Like To See for the Scooby Franchise in the Next Decade

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