Weekly Poll #120

3/13/2022

Just for fun and to celebrate March Madness with a poll given we've been doing a lot of sports polls lately, this week's poll focuses on the best basketball episode in the franchise. A similar poll was done around March Madness back in 2020, though the poll specifically asked people's Globetrotters episodes. I don't think "Basketball Bumblers" will win, but I thought it might be fun to re-do a similar poll to see how the results change years later. Those who know me will already know my answer haha. Also, I wanted to note that I didn't include "Revenge of the Swamp Monster!" as even though Chris Paul is a basketball player, the episode centered around a golf tournament.

Here are the final results for last week's poll. The results definitely surprised me as season 2 had a strong lead to begin with (and so many people chose season 2 in the comments!), but ultimately ended up barely getting passed by season 1!
Which season of The Scooby-Doo Show collectively had the best villains overall?
Season 1 - 28
Season 2 - 24
Season 3 - 9

54 Comments

Jacob Berger

3/13/2022 07:59:17 am

This isn’t related to the poll today but what is your favorite and least favorite Scooby-Doo series?

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 09:20:20 am

My favorite Scooby-Doo series is Where Are You! I’ve got a lot of nostalgia around the series, and almost every episode is amazing. It’s the series that started it all and the franchise is still going strong over 50 years later! My least favorite Scooby series is The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour. The short 7 minute runtime didn’t really give time for any meaningful plots to develop for the most part, and the writing wasn’t as good as the full-length episodes IMO.

Jayden

3/13/2022 09:26:45 am

I prefer The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour just because it's atleast watchable. I feel like Scooby and Shaggy find a clue is such a bad series. I've never watched it but even the animation and the intro made me turn it off.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:09:07 pm

I don't mind Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue personally. It's far from my favorite series, but it's still somewhat enjoyable for me. There's pretty much no elements of the classic formula there, but I found that I enjoyed it more going in with the mindset that it's not going to be a traditional Scooby series. The intro can be annoying but the actual episodes aren't as bad, IMO. You get used to the animation after a while too. It's sort of like Be Cool where it's a bit jarring at first and then you slowly get used to it.

Sdf

3/13/2022 12:01:04 pm

For me there are 2 answers based on nostalgia and objectivity. I feel so nostalgic about WNSD (and that era's movies as well) so it is my favorite. I think SDMI has the best plot overall and might objectively be the best series but WNSD is my childhood.

As for worst i never really thought about it i guess i'll go with laff a lympics just because i watched it the less

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:01:19 pm

SDMI is one of my favorite series as well! I loved the overarching plot and thought it did an excellent job with the dark tone.

Jacob Staggs

3/13/2022 10:35:58 am

Where Are You is also my favorite series but I also really like Laffalympics, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue, and both series of 7 minute Scrappy shorts.
My least favorite series is either Pup or Mystery Incorporated but I am not a very big fan of The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show and NSDMY either.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:06:28 pm

I know you really enjoy the Scrappy episodes, so I'm surprised to hear you don't care for The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show and The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries! What about those didn't you like?

Jacob Staggs

3/13/2022 07:44:09 pm

Like I said in my above comment, I really like the 7 minute shorts and, to me, in the early 80's, the franchise was on a great path and trajectory.
Then comes 1983 and I find it to be straying from the best path. I call most of the period from 1983-1991 the Tom Ruegger era. I had always enjoyed Scooby Doo for many reasons, 1 being its simplicity. Then they had to start giving them last names, doing story arcs,;and all of this stuff that I find gratuitous. With Pup, it is fine in that regard since they are doing a complete reboot, but I thought 1983 was too early to do a mild reboot. I just wanted more shorts with Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy by themselves, lengthened to 23 minute episodes right before the superstars 10 movies.
Even if was to say I wanted an unnecessary retooling of the show, I have never been much of a fan of Heather North's Daphne so bringing her back does nothing for me. Velma would have been a much more logical choice, for her character has much better chemistry with the guys than Daphne and she is naturally skeptical to the supernatural. That being said, I don't know if I could handle several episodes voiced by Marla Frumkin in a row. It is not that I think Marla did a bad job or anything it is just that her voice sounds artificial. I think that an ideal replacement for Velma on a series like this would be actress Patricia Parris who did Velma's voice for the HB educational film strips or her voice actress from the Scooby and the Snowmen Mystery LP.. Patricia in particular would have been a real delight.
Lastly, I think that Scrappy is way too toned down post 1982. I like him to be a menace and rambunctious yet still love his uncle. We get very little of that feistiness that I come to expect. Only in the Superstars 10 movies when they flesh out his character more is Scrappy truly able to be enjoyable again.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 08:28:19 pm

That's a really interesting perspective! I wouldn't have minded seeing a Velma / Shaggy / Scooby show, however, like you said, I wouldn't want Marla Frumkin doing the voice. I do not like her Velma voice. It sounds quite robotic to me. I don't think I've ever heard Patricia Parris's Velma voice.

It's really interesting you consider Scrappy to be more toned down in the 1983-1985 shows. He definitely didn't get as much time in the spotlight once Daphne came back, and while I hadn't thought about it before, I can see what you're saying about how his personality came through a bit more in the Superstars 10 films. I really liked his characterization in those three films, and I would say it's my favorite characterization for him.

What about the story arcs did you find gratuitous? Was it just that you wanted more adventure-type stories like the shorts, rather than mysteries?

Jacob Staggs

3/13/2022 09:20:04 pm

Yes, I just prefer the self contained episodes in the adventure format with a few mysteries snuck in for the Scrappy episodes.

Jacob Staggs

3/13/2022 09:28:02 pm

Some of the HB Educational film strips have Velma voiced by Pat Stevens, the rest are by Patricia Parris.

WildwindVampire link

3/14/2022 08:26:28 am

That's fair! And I'll have to see if I can find those film strips to hear Patricia's Velma voice.

Matt

3/16/2022 06:32:38 pm

Definitely understandable even if I don’t feel the same way. Honestly, this era of Daphne is my favorite Daphne and tied up the best of Fred, Velma, and herself together really well, so I prefer it to having Velma there. Especially with the Frumkin voice which didn’t bother me for the amount she was on there, but I could see myself being annoyed if she was there more often

And to be honest, these two seasons of Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, and Scrappy are what I feel have the strongest chemistry of any gang in Scooby Doo even if I still prefer the classic gang. Everyone seems to work really well with everyone

Becker

3/18/2022 01:51:35 am

@Matt I agree. Daphne in the 80s is one of, if not the best version of Daphne. 83-84 has the chillest and most comfortable feeling (for the lack of a better term) version of the gang, namely Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne and Scrappy as regulars with sprinkled appearances of Fred and Velma. That whole dynamic works really well. Tom Ruegger nailed everything he was going for in terms of gang relations, which were kinda lacking in '79 imo, they felt divided in 2 halves of a gang back then, resulting in some bland and pretty repetitive interactions withing the group.
However, I do believe the original 69-78 lineup is the most broadly enjoyable and funniest, thanks to that bit more of contrasting characteristics than they had with Scrappy alongside them in both 79 and the mid 80s.
And obviously the original line-up has the most versatility with how many iterations of it we've had, where they usually change a couple charactistics of most of the members to bring some new interesting dynamics, interactions and relations. That is a bit of an unfair knock on the TNSDMy line-up, as no one has tried to use it since Tom Ruegger left.
All in all I don't know which line-up I'd say is my favorite, they're neck and neck for different reasons. If I had to choose one for the very next possible Scooby show, I'd go with the TNSDMy style, because it's been so long since we saw anything like it and it worked great when it was used. But if I had to dictate how the franchise would overall be like for the future, I'd stick to the original one.

Matt

3/18/2022 08:50:37 pm

I pretty much agree with everything you said completely. I still prefer the original 5, but the way you described this group of 4 is perfectly stated. There’s never real division between any of them, even if TYPICALLY, they split up with Shaggy and Scooby together and Scrappy and Daphne together, but even then it doesn’t feel divided at all. It’s crazy how much Daphne seems to add to these series for me because I feel without her, those 3 gets pretty repetitive together

WildwindVampire link

3/18/2022 10:32:27 pm

You all make really good points about what amazing chemistry Daphne, Scrappy, Shaggy and Scooby have in the 1983 and 1984 series. The gang dynamic is very comfortable in those two shows and doesn't feel as awkward as in the 1979 show. I still like the original gang dynamic the best, but the 1983/1984 gang dynamic is great and very underrated in my opinion.

Becker

3/20/2022 02:31:15 am

I honestly love how Fred and Velma were utilized in '84 as much as the regular '83-'84 gang dynamic! They're pretty much half-members in NSDMy, they join in every few episodes, together or just one, which I think was an amazing creative choice. And I really enjoyed the way they executed that halfway gang membership, it felt very natural, understandable and confortable.
Even the characterizations of Fred and Velma themselves seem so genuine and likable, while keeping their classic vibe. They really bounce off the other 4 in a way we never saw in '79 (or most Scooby series in general if I'm being honest). It's all done in a way where you get why they're not part of the detective gang anymore while still wanting to stay close with them. I really wanna give these 2 a shout out, because I feel they were revitalized a similar way to Daphne, it's just that they didn't appear nearly as much in this '80s era.
Seeing the whole gang still being friends while not necessarily all working the same good ol' mystery solving job most of the time felt like a very real approach to how a gang like them would grow and change with time. We got the right amount of Fred and Velma in '84, not too much, not too little, just how the group dynamic is all meant to be there. When they would show, you would know you're in for something special.
Really wish we would've been able to see even more Tom Ruegger Scooby-Doo after A Pup, because he brought a really unique and fresh perspective for the franchise. In particular his 22-minute episodes from '84 compete for some of the best content in the whole classic HB era, which is such a hard feat to achieve with what we got in the first decade of Scooby-Doo. Those 6 aforementioned episodes are the peak of Tom Ruegger Scooby to me, and they're a lot better than the whole '79 season imo.

Matt

3/20/2022 09:35:49 am

@Becker I agree completely. It was always a treat whenever they showed up as well. It truly felt like a special episode when they did. I also adore the 22 minute episodes in the NSDMy A LOT. Although, admittedly, I also like the 79 season quite a bit. There are probably a good few episodes from that season I'd put ahead of Ghosts of the Ancient Astronauts, even if I still like that one. Night Ghoul of Wonderworld, I Left My Neck in San Francisco, Shiver and Shake that Demon's a Snake, The Ghoul, the Bat, and the Ugly, and The Scarab Lives come to mind as highlights from that season for me

However, as a whole, I think I have also started to prefer those two seasons to the 79 season as well

I also want to shout out the two parters from the 83 season as well. Where's Scooby Doo is a really fun episode, and Wedding Bell Boo's may very well be my favorite from either season. It is just so much fun all around

WildwindVampire link

3/20/2022 11:42:37 am

I completely agree with you both that the Fred and Velma episodes in 1984 always felt very "special." Like Matt said, the 1983 episodes definitely deserve a shoutout as well! "Wedding Bell Boos" is one of my favorite Scrappy-Doo episodes in the entire franchise. I like the 1979 season as well but the group dynamic felt more natural, at least to me, in the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

Joel

3/16/2022 04:21:10 pm

Jacob, I love your perspective on the 7 minute Scrappy shorts and how they are among your favourites. I'm not a fan of this series, but I'm happy there are Scooby fans who are. Great take on Scrappy losing his feistiness as time progressed. And yes - Marla Frumkin - Not a great Velma - I was shocked when I first heard the change in voice!

Jacob Staggs

3/13/2022 11:03:17 am

4) The Lochness Mess - I intend no disrespect by placing this last. I thought that this episode was okay and it had some.entertaining moments.
3) Ghostly Creep from the Deep - Velma, Fred, and Daphne sure liked making jokes while trying to dispatch of those henchmen. That is one psychedelic skull. That ringleader in pirate's clothing. He looks familiar. ....hmmm... have I seen him somewhere before lol
2) Basketball Bumblers - Shaggy has hung up his green shirt in favor of a basketball uniform. Will Shaggy and his team achieve their most coveted victory or will a sinister, clandestine force use its own surreptitious means to threaten not only the sanctity of fair sportsmanship but also Shaggy and his team's bid for victory?
With a healthy dose of determination and a wallop of puppy power, Scooby and company prove that fair play is more than just two words!
I find this episode entertaining.
1) Mystery of Haunted Island - Very good.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:13:08 pm

4. Basketball Bumblers - not a huge fan. There didn't feel like enough time for the plot to develop for me, and it's the only one of these four that doesn't feel particularly rewatchable. Also, how was that coach able to still manipulate the team when his controller was broken in half? haha

3. Ghostly Creepy from the Deep - My least favorite of the Harlem Globetrotters episodes, but that doesn't mean it wasn't still amazing! I didn't mind the discolored Redbeard and his crew as much as everyone else did, and the antics in the old inn were fun. I enjoyed how they introduced the Globetrotters as the gang thinking they were a swamp monster. Swampy Pete was a really cool character. I liked the psychedelic skull as well haha.

2. Mystery on Haunted Island - excellent episode, particularly the second half but the antics on the boat were fun too. Similarly to Loch Ness Mess, I love the haunted house and all the various ghosts. The Globetrotters once again made great guest stars, and Meadowlark and Curly felt like a part of the gang.

1. The Loch Ness Mess - I already gave my review in another comment but this is my favorite Scooby-Doo episode of all-time. Easy choice for this poll.

Sdf

3/13/2022 11:52:49 am

the loch ness mess is one of my favourite scooby episodes in general so easy choice

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:01:38 pm

Same haha.

Scoob’s

3/13/2022 12:21:56 pm

All Harlem Globetrotters episodes are good

Samuel Kirkwood

3/13/2022 02:40:24 pm

Mystery of Haunted Isle!

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:02:10 pm

That's my second favorite, although it's one of my favorite of The New Scooby-Doo Movies in general.

Becker

3/13/2022 03:09:34 pm

I never knew how to choose between the Harlem Globetrotters episodes, especially Loch Ness Mess and Haunted Island, cuz they have the same strengths. But now I realize that I actually enjoy Haunted Island the most and find it the most memorable, which seems quite unpopular with Loch Ness Mess being one of the most revered episodes of classic Scooby. Not to insinuate Haunted Island isn't well liked among the fan base, it is, but so many people put Loch Ness Mess on the high pedestal of perfect Scooby episodes. I've said it before, but I don't quite understand why that episode in particular is almost unanimously considered the top NSDMo episode and even one of the absolute best Scooby things in general. I don't see what's so special about it from other eps, I never thought of it differently than a lot of the rest of the show, thus I find it a bit overrated compared to the general consensus. That doesn't mean I don't like it, because I do really like it, but there's nothing about it that puts it above all the other NSDMo material. Never thought it would be a hot take to say Loch Ness Mess ain't in my top 5 NSDMo until a few years ago. It's a classic episode that doesn't particular stand out or above the expected quality of the show (at least to me). Haunted Island sticks in my head more, it's the most fun, so I voted for that one.

Becker

3/13/2022 03:11:59 pm

Man, didn't plan for this comment to be so long lol. But I thought I might as well share my thoughts on a topic that's been kind of a mystery in my eyes in some ways.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 06:05:16 pm

For me, Uncle Nat's house feels like a textbook example of a Scooby-Doo haunted house, and I enjoy the fact that it seems like there's two mysteries, that end up being just one mystery in the end. The ghosts are also excellent villains, and the Harlem Globetrotters (particularly Meadowlark and Curly) were such great guest stars that they felt like a part of the gang. I will also admit I have a LOT of childhood nostalgia. I do really enjoy "Mystery on Haunted Island" as well, particularly the second half with all the various spooks. And no worries about the long comment, it was fun to read and respond to :)

Becker

3/14/2022 03:16:26 am

I'd say the seemingly 2 mysteries being just one isn't particularly given that much focus and development to come off as such a brilliant twist or shock imo. And unfortunately you can kinda figure from the start they must be connected somehow purely because it's a Scooby episode, so it's not fair to judge it based on that though. The ghosts aren't really amazing as far as design or screen presence, which is something you can say for almost all of NSDMo tbf, so it's not a big deal. Uncle Nat and his haunted mansion are awesome, I agree, but the latter along with all the other positives can be applied to Haunted Island. The way everything is executed in Haunted Island makes it a bit more fun and memorable for me personally.

WildwindVampire link

3/14/2022 08:30:11 am

I suppose you're right on the two mysteries, and you make a fair point on Haunted Island. I still prefer "The Loch Ness Mess" but I can absolutely see the appeal for "Mystery on Haunted Island."

Matt

3/13/2022 07:42:02 pm

4. Basketball Bumblers: EASY last choice here. Not even in the same galaxy as the Globetrotters episodes

3. Ghostly Creep From the Deep: I mean, it is a pretty good episode. A lot of nostalgia, but it is a middling episode of the series. The white Redbeard was pretty lazy though. Didn’t even bother to change the name

2. Mystery of Haunted Island: Don’t get me wrong, it is a great episode, but the hijinks feel a bit too random in comparison to the episode above it.

1. The Loch Ness Mess: One of the best episodes of all time. You could split this episode in half and it would still create two all time classic episodes. The double mystery is excellent, beautiful scenery, the scene with the ghost with the lantern is one of the most classic scenes ever, a top 3 haunted house in Scooby history, this episode just has it ALL

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 08:45:07 pm

It was a bit lazy for them to just use the same Redbeard again, but i didn't mind overly much.

Yeah, I can see why some people wouldn't really enjoy the hijinks in this episode. The boat hijinks at the beginning are a bit long but I enjoy them for what they are (a bit of it is probably nostalgia). I must admit I get a good chuckle out of Bobby Joe turning the wheel around every time. It's just such a ridiculously corny joke that's so bad it's funny (at least to me) lol.

I forgot to mention it in my above review but yes, the scenery and backgrounds are AMAZING and the ghost with the lantern scene is one of the most memorable Scooby scenes of all time. This episode can do no wrong.

Shadowscooby

3/13/2022 07:57:45 pm

I went with Mystery on Haunted Island. That basketball game against the Scorpions was fun and funny. Plus, this was actually the first globtrotter episode I watched.

WildwindVampire link

3/13/2022 08:23:08 pm

I'm glad they didn't just reuse footage like they did with "The Ghostly Creep from the Deep." The game in that episode wasn't even created for Scooby, they just took the scene from a Harlem Globetrotters episode from 1970 and put it in this episode frame-for-frame lol.

Scoob16

3/13/2022 11:45:18 pm

I'm gonna go for "The Ghostly Creep from the Deep". Lol, among these episodes, "Basketball Bumblers" is the only episode directly themed around basketball (the Globetrotters episodes just have a basketball ball team guest starring and 2 of them have a match at the end of the episode) and it's gonna be the least popular.

WildwindVampire link

3/14/2022 08:32:10 am

Haha that's true! "The Loch Ness Mess" seems to be in the lead at the moment (as expected), and "Basketball Bumblers" is dead last with only a single vote.

Carson Maitland - Smith link

3/15/2022 12:39:01 am

I like them all 🫧

John Locke

3/15/2022 02:41:40 am

So, anyone wanna take bets if the Harlem Globetrotters episodes DON"T take the top 3 spots?? Cause really it feels like "Which Harlem globetrotter episode is your favorite, and oh here's these other 2 I guess" :P

WildwindVampire link

3/15/2022 07:30:36 am

Haha, I have no doubt the Globetrotter episodes will take the top 3 spots. Just for fun I'll guess what will win in the end (and I haven't looked at the results recently):

1st - Loch Ness Mess
2nd - Mystery of Haunted Island
3rd - The Ghostly Creep from the Deep
4th - All of the basketball episodes are awful, basketball in general is awful, in fact, all sports are just plain awful
5th - Basketball Bumblers

Matt

3/15/2022 03:33:24 pm

I’m honestly surprised Basketball Bumblers even has one vote tbh

WildwindVampire link

3/15/2022 05:51:05 pm

I'm surprised as well, especially given it's up to 4 votes now!

Matt

3/16/2022 06:48:07 am

Once you get through these sports polls, you should do a poll of the top vote getters from each, and the last place from each

WildwindVampire link

3/16/2022 09:41:12 am

I was already planning to do one with all the top vote getters, but I love the idea of doing one for last place! That would be really interesting to see which of the least popular options people would choose. I've been kinda switching back and forth between the "best season for villains" polls and the sports ones though just so the polls don't feel like the same thing week after week.

Matt

3/16/2022 06:34:00 pm

I think both poll series are a ton of fun, so I am enjoying it

And, it would definitely be fun to see what ends up being the best of the “worst” lol

WildwindVampire link

3/16/2022 07:46:33 pm

Glad you're enjoying them! :)

Shadowscooby

3/18/2022 06:59:24 pm

The Ghostly Creep From The Deep:
This was the first Harlem Globetrotter episode and i liked it. They were great funny and entertaining guest stars. The swamp monster gag was funny. The antics in the old inn were fun.

The Ghost of Redbeard and his crew were great villains. I honestly didn’t mind that he was colored white. The skull he was operating and projecting spirits was cool.

Swampy Pete was a spooky and creepy character. It was so surprising that he was actually an undercover police lieutenant of the Harbor Control named Pete Dugan.

The ending was nice with the gang and Pete Dugan at the Globetrotters game and Shaggy and Scooby with the burger was amusing.

WildwindVampire link

3/18/2022 10:30:11 pm

My least favorite Harlem Globetrotters episode but I still really enjoyed it! I liked how they introduced the Globetrotters as being a swamp monster as well. They were definitely very entertaining guest stars! I really enjoyed the antics at the inn as well.

I also didn't mind that Redbeard was just recolored white. I thought he was a good villain and I particularly enjoyed the skull.

Swampy Pete was an awesome character and the twist at the end was nice.

The ending was sweet, although I wish HB hadn't just recycled it from an old Globetrotters episode. It's hard to get much lazier than that haha.

Matt

3/19/2022 06:22:23 am

The theme of this episode seems to be copying and pasting older episodes, but it still being enjoyable enough on its own for me not to mind it too much, or enough for me to not like it

WildwindVampire link

3/19/2022 03:27:04 pm

That's a good point haha. I also found it enjoyable enough and liked the plot even though elements were stolen from other episodes.

Shadowscooby

3/20/2022 05:14:52 am

Basketball Bumblers:
Typical Scooby Doo and Scrappy short. It was fun episode to watch and it was nice for Shaggy’s team to win.

WildwindVampire link

3/20/2022 11:06:38 am

Yep, agreed. Not much to say here. It makes me laugh that the villain is still able to use his controller when it's snapped in half lol.

Weekly Poll #120

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