It’s “so far, so good,” with the next incarnation of Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo. Netflix is bringing the Mystery Machine and the Scooby Gang to the small screen, this time boasting the first-ever real dog playing Scoob. The erm… not altogether creative title Scooby-Doo: Origins will be a new take on the team and their first encounter with the young Great Dane. All sorts of genre actors are now tied to the project, including Star Trek and Animal House actor Bruce McGill, Twin Peaks star Sherilyn Fenn, and The Orville co-star Peter Macon.
But the best news is the main cast. We all watched Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie grow up in Marvel’s Ant-Man movies by way of Abby Ryder Fortson, who has been cast as Velma. Mckenna Grace has been everywhere, from young Sabrina in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to the Ghostbusters, Scream, and Five Nights at Freddy’s movies. She voiced Daphne in the animated Scoob! movie and will play Daphne here. Lost in Space reboot star Maxwell Jenkins will play Fred, and ruh-roh, Tanner Hagen (The Pitt) has just the right chin for Shaggy. Paul Walter Hauser will have an unnamed role, but seems perfect for a guy in a mask.
Netflix unveiled the scope of the show: Old friends Shaggy and Daphne team up at summer camp with scientific townie Velma and the strange but handsome Fred to solve the mystery of a lonely lost Great Dane puppy — who may have witnessed a supernatural murder. The Scooby Gang has its first adventure, setting out to solve the case that’s pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare, threatening to expose all of their secrets. The series boasts some street cred through executive Greg Berlanti, who worked early on with original series creators Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. Showrunners are Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg.
We often critique a series for its inability to hit the ground running. Perhaps no television series excelled at that (both literally and figuratively) than the one and only original 1969-1970 animated series, Scooby Doo, Where Are You? The cultural impact of “those meddling kids,” the Scooby Gang, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their Great Dane Scooby-Doo cannot be overstated. The pop song introduction, the 1960s van, the clothes, the camaraderie, mix with the first shake cam most of us ever noticed, cool colors, and a laugh track telling us we weren’t the only ones in on the fun.
Joss Whedon had the high school kids on Buffy the Vampire Slayer call each other the Scooby Gang (and it was a wholly updated but certain version of the original). On the fan-favorite Doctor Who episode “Blink,” Larry exclaims “you live in Scooby-Doo’s house?!” when he finds Sally at Wester Drumlins. Carl Sagan once suggested an adult analog to the series would be a great public service. TV Guide named Scooby as one of the top 50 cartoon characters of all time. The big-budget box office hit Wayne’s World took on its own Scooby-Doo ending, literally unmasking the villain. South Park had its own homage, and the long-lasting Supernatural series animated episode “Scoobynatural” became an instant classic.
Casey Kasem, voice of American Top 40 for decades, was also the voice of Shaggy, with Nicole Jaffe and Rosalinda Galli as Velma, Frank Welker as Fred, Stefanianna Christopherson, Heather North, and Emanuela Fallini as Daphne, and Don Messick as Scooby. Direction of the episodes was split, with 25 episodes for each of Joseph Barbera and William Hanna.
Nobody ever questioned the Great Dane in the museum, in the office, at college, at an amusement park, on an old plantation, a mine, a movie set, a music concert, a bank, an abandoned mill, a swamp, a dance contest, a zoo, a ghost ship, an abandoned airfield, an old lighthouse, an antique shop, a castle in Transylvania, or a village in Hawaii. And nobody ever questioned his unusual name. The Mystery Machine is as iconic as the Batmobile, the Ghostbusters hearse, and Marty McFly’s DeLorean. Maybe more so. And generations have fed their dogs Scooby Snacks they bought at the grocery store. Going to the library to solve problems was shown as cool to kids. Friends could resolve their problems by working together, without big arguments or fights. Scooby Doo, Where Are You? was also great fun, and it still is.
Here’s a first look at the new series:
Scooby-Doo: Origins is expected to stream on Netflix in 2027. Until then? Catch the re-airings of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? on an ever-changing array of streaming platforms. And if you’re already a fan, check out the great Scooby-Doo! Betrayal at Mystery Mansion available here at Amazon, which we reviewed here at borg. The home release of the Scoob! movie is also available.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
