Over more than 50 years, the Scooby-Doo franchise has undergone numerous revivals and reinterpretations, each with varying degrees of success.
The original series debuted in 1969, following the adventures of the mystery-solving talking dog Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery Incorporated gang: Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers.
Since then, there have been 14 unique Scooby-Doo television series, along with a plethora of animated and live-action films, comic books, merchandise, and video games.
The adventures of the Mystery Inc. gang span a wide range, from the classic mystery-solving antics of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? to the childhood reinterpretation in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, and even a divisive adult-oriented origin story called Velma on HBO.
Some iterations of Scooby-Doo delve into the supernatural, featuring ghosts, ghouls, and zombies, while others focus on embittered business people and frustrated factory owners who fabricate hauntings for their own gain. Throughout all the Scooby-Doo series, one thing remains constant: the gang is always on the case.
#14 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1980 – 1982)
Following the 1979 series of the same name, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo featured half-hour episodes comprised of seven-minute shorts with a smaller cast of Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy, often excluding the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang.
This limited cast is one reason the series is considered far from the best Scooby-Doo show, as audiences prefer to see the entire gang involved in the mysteries.
These segments sometimes aired as part of The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show and The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour.
Unfortunately, they hold little appeal except for the most dedicated Scooby-Doo fans. With Scrappy receiving an excessive amount of screen time, his character can become quite annoying, even in just seven-minute bursts.
#13 Velma (2023 – Present)
Scooby-Doo has had various origin stories in live-action adaptations, such as the Cartoon Network movies where the group meets as mystery-loving teenagers.
However, the alternative origin story presented in the series Velma has faced overwhelming negative backlash from audiences and critics alike. Led by Mindy Kaling as Velma Dinkley, the series attempts to subvert previous incarnations by reinterpreting many characters.
In Velma, the titular character is portrayed as a bisexual South Asian American, Daphne is an adopted East Asian American, and Norville Rogers, no longer known as Shaggy, is an African American.
While adding more diversity to the lineup could have been a positive change, the show loses the charm of the original series by focusing on adult situations and omitting Scooby-Doo entirely.
Velma disrupts the well-established lore of Scooby-Doo in a misguided, adult-oriented series with self-aware writing that, unfortunately, resulted in a show nobody was asking for.
#12 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979 – 1980)
In an effort to revitalize the Scooby-Doo franchise after its move from CBS to ABC, the series introduced Scooby’s feisty nephew, Scrappy-Doo, and launched a new show called Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo.
Scrappy’s go-getter attitude injected new energy into the series, serving as a clever storytelling device to push the cowardly Shaggy and Scooby into dangerous and unusual situations.
While Scrappy is now one of the most disliked characters in children’s shows, he played a crucial role in revitalizing the Scooby-Doo franchise when its audience figures were declining.
Although his introduction was initially appreciated, once Scooby regained popularity, Scrappy began to seem more like a hindrance than a help.
#11 The Scooby-Doo Show (1976 – 1978)
The first Scooby-Doo show produced by ABC and the third incarnation of the franchise, The Scooby-Doo Show, was an experimental mash-up of several different Scooby-Doo segments from the 1970s, including The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour and Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics.
This format featured frequent guest stars, which some audience members enjoyed, but others felt detracted from the original series’ charm, leading to mixed reactions.
The series also introduced Scooby’s cousin, Scooby-Dum, who was quite unpopular and borderline offensive, resulting in his exclusion from other Scooby-Doo media.
Overall, The Scooby-Doo Show served as a decent follow-up to the previous series but lacked its inherent charm and failed to add anything new or interesting to the franchise.
#10 The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries (1983 – 1984)
The sixth incarnation of the franchise, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, featured a core cast of Scooby, Scrappy, Shaggy, and the return of Daphne, who had been absent from the previous series.
Initially titled The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, this series returned to more supernatural-based mysteries but was hindered by the absence of the entire Mystery Inc. gang.
Recognizing this issue, the creators brought back Fred and Velma towards the end of the series. However, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries still felt incomplete and served as a minor addition to the long-running franchise.
The show acted more like an interlude, with Fred and Velma occupied with other projects. While it did explore the dynamic between Shaggy and Daphne, something essential was still missing.
#9 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (2015 – 2018)
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo featured an entirely new animation style that many fans found garish and unappealing compared to the original.
The series follows the Mystery Inc. gang traveling together in the Mystery Machine for one last summer before heading off to college.
Leaning heavily into the comedic side of the franchise, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! eventually won over viewers despite the initial shock of its drastically different animation style, emerging as one of the stronger series featuring Scooby and the gang.
Returning to classic mysteries with a strong comedic tone that avoided the slapstick common in most children’s shows, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! successfully tried something new. However, despite its strengths, it still isn’t considered the best Scooby-Doo series.
#8 Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! (2006 – 2008)
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! holds a special place in animation history as the last series involving Hanna-Barbera co-founder Joseph Barbera before his passing in 2006.
Like Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! later would, the show experimented with a new animation style, eliciting mixed reactions. The series followed Shaggy inheriting wealth from his uncle, along with his enemies, leading to intriguing adventures.
Despite its short two-season run, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! took animation risks and injected new energy into the franchise.
However, it faced criticism for sidelining the rest of the gang, relying heavily on Shaggy and Scooby—a departure from what loyal fans typically desire.
#7 The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972 – 1973)
The first series to follow the show’s original run, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, was a unique addition to the franchise.
Each episode featured real-world celebrities or well-known fictional characters teaming up with the gang to solve mysteries, including notable stars like Sonny & Cher, Dick Van Dyke, and Don Knotts. This series marked the first expansion of the long-running Scooby-Doo franchise.
With its campy 1970s feel, less emphasis on horror, and sometimes irrelevant celebrity guest stars by today’s standards, The New Scooby-Doo Movies remains a delightful watch.
It showcased Scooby-Doo’s enduring appeal and demonstrated its ability to incorporate elements of pop culture into its entertaining and campy stories.
#6 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (2019 – 2021)
In a format reminiscent of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who offers a more contemporary twist. This series sees the gang teaming up with various celebrities and fictional characters to solve mysteries.
With guest stars ranging from Mark Hamill to Ricky Gervais and even Weird Al Yankovic, it stands out as the most star-studded of all the Scooby-Doo shows.
Additionally, it benefits from the inclusion of beloved characters like Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and the return of The Hex Girls, who first appeared in Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost.
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who successfully integrates the guest stars into the storylines while keeping the focus on the Scooby Gang. Overall, it proves to be a lot of fun and a significant improvement over previous series that heavily relied on celebrity guests.
#5 The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985)
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo holds the distinction of being the shortest-running series in the Scooby-Doo franchise, consisting of a tight-knit (and appropriately numbered) 13 episodes.
This adventure delved into the more magical aspects of the Scooby-Doo universe, with Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Scrappy, and a street kid named Flim Flam on a mission to recapture 13 ghosts before they could wreak havoc on the world.
With its emphasis on the supernatural, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo offered a unique twist within the Scooby-Doo universe, making it one of the spookiest series in the franchise. Notably, Daphne underwent a new design change for this series, while the other characters largely remained the same.
The show concluded with a cliffhanger, as the last ghost remained uncaptured. However, this loose end was finally resolved 35 years later in the follow-up film Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost in 2019.
#4 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010 – 2013)
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, much like What’s New Scooby Do?, featured classic Scooby-Doo mysteries but with the addition of outlandish technology and a tongue-in-cheek style.
With the inclusion of real monsters and ghosts, the series was much darker and more serious than previous incarnations and paid homage to classic horror films, TV series like Twin Peaks, and borrowed heavily from mythology.
These differences in storytelling, and with nods to the adults who might have grown up watching other incarnations of the show, mean that the series appeals to viewers both young and old.
Someone could watch the characters in action for the first time with this series or revisit them for the hundredth. With strong character designs and real attention to their development and narrative arcs, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated stands as one of the most mature and interesting series in the entire franchise.
#3 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988 – 1991)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo gave the Mystery Inc. gang the Muppet Babies treatment by featuring younger versions of the classic main cast.
The series retained the basic mystery-of-the-week formula of many other Scooby-Doo series, but this time, the gang were depicted as elementary school kids, with Scooby portrayed as a puppy.
The result was a series of wackier, more comedic adventures, including encounters with monsters made out of molten cheese and Scooby and Shaggy assuming superhero alter egos.
While it’s easy to dismiss this series as childish and silly, it effectively catered to its target audience of children and succeeded in its new animation style, offering fresh, age-appropriate mysteries for younger viewers.
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo played a significant role in introducing a new generation of kids to the Scooby-Doo franchise, capturing their interest in cartoons and mysteries.
#2 What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (2002 – 2006)
What’s New, Scooby-Doo? marked the first new series in the franchise for the 21st century, returning the Mystery Inc. gang to their roots with classic adventures set in a modernized world.
This series embraced modern technology while maintaining the iconic look of the characters from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Additionally, it occasionally featured celebrity guest stars such as Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, and the rock band Simple Plan, who also performed the show’s theme song.
Expertly reintroducing the characters to a younger audience, What’s New, Scooby-Doo? delivered a series that felt fresh and exciting while retaining the same formula as earlier incarnations of the franchise.
It demonstrated that Scooby and the gang could adapt to contemporary times while remaining relevant for new generations.
By preserving the character dynamics and mysteries while updating the technology and pop culture references, the series proved to be a successful evolution of the beloved franchise.
#1 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969 – 1970)
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! stands as the cornerstone of the Mystery Inc. legacy, featuring some of the franchise’s most memorable episodes.
Originally airing for just two seasons between 1969 and 1970, this series introduced iconic villains like The Creeper, Space Kook, and The Ghost of Mr. Hyde. It laid the foundation upon which all subsequent parts of the franchise have been built.
Despite its age, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! remains immensely popular, with new generations revisiting it time and again.
With its iconic characters, captivating mysteries, and unforgettable catchphrases like “zoinks,” “jeepers,” and “jinkies,” the original series has left an indelible mark on both children and adults alike.
Serving as the inception of a franchise that continues to captivate audiences across generations, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! still holds the title of the best Scooby-Doo series.
