Patrick Viesti
There is a special art in trying to turn a beloved cartoon series from the past into a brand-new show that is more modern, updated and adult-oriented. Some have succeeded, like Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and The Brak Show to name a few.
But Velma is not one of them.
If anything, it highlights everything wrong with current year entertainment in how incredibly mean-spirited the show is toward the original property that it is based off of. And it’s very disrespectful to the audience who watches it too. From drastic shifts in character personalities that feel out of place to just how downright insulting and awful the comedy and dialog is written; this show looks to be another forgotten series that no one will miss.
In other words, Velma is just plain bad and should not be watched by anyone who loves Scooby-Doo.
I’m personally tired of seeing established properties like Scooby-Doo and other classics getting such dreadful treatments from showrunners who clearly don’t care about the characters, stories and the original source material that came before (I’m looking at you Star Trek: Picard). So I feel the need to help you, our Dork Daily audience, find some better entertainment options out there that are worth your time.
Thankfully, I’m the Dork who can recommend far better movies and TV shows that you can be watching right now that are far more entertaining, faithful and fun to the original series that you love and grew up with.
And for this particular Top 7 List, I’ll be focusing on finding the best movies and TV Shows on everyone’s favorite sandwich eating great dane, Scooby-Doo!
So grab some Scooby-Snax, tie up your best ascot, don’t forget your glasses and let’s go solve this mystery gang!
7. Scoob! (2020)
This is the film that inspired me to make this Top 7 List in the first place. And while it has a mixed reception from the Scooby-Doo community and general audiences alike, I personally enjoyed it for what it was: an updated telling of how Shaggy met Scooby-Doo, Fred, Velma and Daphne while being a fun adventure story with themes of friendship, finding your courage and not giving up on the people who you deeply care about.
As a lifelong Scooby-Doo fan myself, I saw what the creators were trying to do. And I could tell that they clearly did have their hearts in the right place when they made this, even if some of the creative decisions they made with the story were not the best.
But you can still feel the love, passion and dedication that went into this movie from people who grew up loving these characters and wanting to share that same love and passion with a whole new generation.
Although to be fair, I did feel that this was at times an attempt to launch a larger Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe, with Scooby-Doo as the introduction to it a-la Iron Man for the MCU (and I can make that comparison properly, as Scooby-Doo does get a superhero outfit in this movie).
The classic cartoon cameos and easter eggs of various Hanna-Barbera movies and TV series over the years, along with some Scooby-Doo themed easter eggs, are fantastic and the polished stylized CG animation did look great for Scooby-Doo and Shaggy.
And yes, I am well aware of voice actor Matthew Lillard not being asked to return to voice Shaggy in this film. It was unfortunate and more than likely a decision from Warner Bros. executives to cast a popular actor in the role to boost the “star power” of the film. Thankfully Lillard still voices Shaggy to this day in other animated movies and TV shows.
Overall, an enjoyable film if you can get past these “Perils of Penelope Pitstop” (Jeepers I’m really going all out with the Hanna-Barbera references in this article).
At least this film made a better attempt to tell a Scooby-Doo story than Velma ever will.
6. Scooby-Doo Meets Batman (1972) and Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2018)
Holy Heroic Crossover Specials Batman!
Yes, dear Dork Daily readers. There were two episodes and a direct-to-video movie that focused on Scooby-Doo and the gang fighting alongside the Caped Crusader himself!
First up is Scooby-Doo Meets Batman (Originally two separate episodes from the first season of The New Scooby Doo Movies (Episodes 2 and 15 respectively) that were compiled into a DVD set called Scooby-Doo Meets Batman).
It’s a great crossover with Scooby-Doo and the gang helping Batman and Robin solve the disappearance of a confused professor while thwarting criminal masterminds such as the Joker and the Penguin.
Several decades later, the idea of having Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. return to fight alongside Batman once more would materialize in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and The Bold, which followed Mystery Inc. traveling to Gotham City to be recruited and join the Mystery Analysts of Gotham: an exclusive crime-solving organization run by Batman, the Question and Professor Chimp (Wow DC Comics is both weird and awesome).
As a big fan of Batman: The Brave and The Bold myself, which does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of Gold & Silver Age of DC Comics as a whole, it was incredible to see Scooby-Doo and the gang not only fighting alongside Batman, but story-wise seeing them working very well together to highlight the strengths of Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Scooby-Doo in helping Batman to solve a case that even the Dark Knight himself could not solve.
5. Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (2021)
Like Zoinks Scoob! A crossover of two of the most famous scaredy-dogs in one movie? You can bet your farm in the middle of Nowhere on that!
This direct-to-video movie really caught a lot of people off-guard, but became a very welcomed addition to the Scooby-Doo canon of films, along with fans of Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Scooby-Doo is drawn to a mysterious sound in the middle of the town of Nowhere that only he and Courage, The Cowardly Dog, can hear. It’s up to both of them, Mystery Inc., Muriel and her husband Eustace Bagge to track down the mysterious sound that is causing all kinds of chaos.
As a big fan of both Courage The Cowardly Dog and Scooby-Doo, it was incredible to see them both getting scared and working together in finding their own courage to save the people they love.
Sadly, this would be Thea White’s final role as the voice of Muriel. But I am grateful that she lived long enough to be a part of this. And we are lucky to have her send off this series on a high note.
This movie was a true love letter to every Courage The Cowardly Dog fan out there with fond memories of the show, with so many references and easter eggs to the original Courage series that it made me say “YES!” like Courage would do in the show.
And, as a personal tribute, I want to thank my cousin John Leiger for introducing me to Courage The Cowardly Dog. Thank you for the memories that we shared in talking about this series and doing the “I have to save Muriel” line.
4. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) / Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost (1999) / Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000)
I know I’m kind-of cheating on this one, but the first 3 direct-to-video films in the late 90s and early 2000s are really something special (both in the animation department and storytelling).
For the first time in the Scooby-Doo universe, instead of the usual crooks in rubber masks scaring off the local family to secure a property deed or chase away the townspeople to one-up the local competition, these monsters were real! Zombies, were-cats, ghostly witches and even aliens from outer space were just some of the supernatural forces that Mystery Inc. had to contend with to not only solve the mystery, but to save their own skins in the process too!
I won’t give away too much of the plot for these three movies. Just give them a watch…IF YOU DARE!
3. The Venture Bros. (Season 2 Episode 11 ¡Viva los Muertos!) (2006)
[Note: This show is intended for ages 16 and older]
Those who did want a more adult take on the Mystery Inc. gang are in luck, as this idea was already done and executed perfectly in Season 2, Episode 11 of The Venture Bros. In this iteration of our mystery solvers, known as “The Groovy Gang” in this show, the team run across the Venture compound looking for a mystery to solve.
This parody of the Scooby-Doo gang, both personalities and appearances, are modeled after infamous criminals of the 1960’s and 70’s (such as Ted Bundy, Patty Hearst, Valerie Solanas and David Berkowitz) in addition to their original Scooby-Doo counterparts. It’s a master class in how to not only do a proper mature parody of a beloved cartoon from childhood, but still respecting the original source material too (sound effects and all).
Fun Facts: Did I mention that Ben Edlund, creator of the big blue bug of justice The Tick, wrote this very episode of The Venture Bros.? It’s true. This is the only episode of the series not written by its co-creators Jackson Publick (aka Christopher McCulloch) and Eric A. “Doc” Hammer. Which is also ironic because Patrick Warburton played The Tick in Edlund’s short lived live action series from 2001 of the same name AND voices the character Brock Samson in The Venture Bros. AND voices yet another Scooby-Doo character later in this list.
This episode is funny, dark, witty and captures the essence of the original Scooby-Doo series it parodies that Velma wishes that it could do.
Heck, watch the entire series of The Venture Bros. It’s one of the best love letters to Johnny Quest/Hanna-Barbera shows while forging its own path and building a rich lore of superpowered beings, futuristic science inventions and strange magical phenomenon that very few TV shows seem to balance just right. Go Team Venture!
2. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969)
The one that started it all and a perfect starting point for anyone to understand why Scooby-Doo has become such a beloved institution to Saturday Morning Cartoons for over 50 years. Originally created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears for William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (with production handled by Hanna-Barbera’s company and artist Iwao Takamoto) for Fred Silverman (the head of CBS daytime programming at the time), this cartoon series was made in response to parent groups advocating for more non-violent children’s programming during the mid-1960s.
Silverman wanted a show that was a cross between The Archie Show and the mystery/detective genre. Originally called Mysteries Five and later Who’s S-S-Scared? these versions focused on a group of traveling teen musicians who would fight crime in their spare time, with more of a focus on horror (I know our friends at Halloween Year-Round would have loved to have seen that).
After the initial drafts, Silverman would then request that the show be re-tooled to lose the music group angle and instead focus more on the teens, suggesting to use the main characters from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as inspiration, which Ruby, Spears and Takamoto agreed on. Further re-tooling would be requested by Silverman’s bosses to make the show less scary and have the Great Dane character (who was at one time going to be a sheep dog) become the main focus for the humor & comedy aspect of the show. As for Scooby’s name, you can thank good ol’ Mickey Blue Eyes himself; Mr. Frank Sinatra’s tune “Strangers in the Night” with the line “doo-be-doo-be-doo” become the base for Scooby-Doo’s name. The rest is cartoon history.
I myself have wonderful memories of waking up just before 6 AM on Saturday mornings in the 1990s to come down to the living room to turn on the TNT channel to watch re-runs of Scooby-Doo when it aired. I loved seeing Scooby-Doo and the gang figure out who was behind the dastardly capers while chasing The Creeper, The Spooky Space Kook and The Ghost of Captain Cutler.
The show also had some great groovy tunes from “Love the World” to “Daydreamin’” to “Seven Days a Week” performed by George A. Robertson, Jr.
Even if you have already watched this series, give it another watch. You might find something that you may have missed when you first watched it as a kid. Or at the very least, it will give you some great ideas for making more memes.
1. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)
If you are looking for more of a proper update/spiritual continuation of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! series with a fresh take that provides some excellent character growth and development that feels more in line with the characters, then this is the show you need to start watching.
Taking place in the town of Crystal Cove, Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo are solving some very unique mysteries that continue to crop up around their hometown when a mysterious “Mr. E” begins to send them cryptic clues to a larger mystery that could very well shake the town of Crystal Cove to its core.
And Jinkies! Character development that involves a romantic relationship between Velma and Shaggy which puts a strain on Scooby and Shaggy’s friendship? Velma trying to make Fred realize that she has feelings for him and he’s too obsessed with his traps to realize it? And the gang discovering that they weren’t the only teenage crime solvers to exist in Crystal Cove? Looks like we got ourselves a mystery that needs solving!
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated also has some excellent callbacks to the original series, along with cameos from other Scooby Doo shows from the past such as The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo’s Vincent Van Ghoul, The Creeper making a return, The Hex Girls music group stopping by for a concert and various surprise Hanna-Barbera characters making appearances (I’ll keep that mystery of who they are under wraps, you just gotta watch the show to find out who they are).
Even Patrick Warburton makes an appearance, now voicing Crystal Cove’s local sheriff Bronson Stone (I told you he would make a return).
The amazing thing is that while the show does take place in the 2010s, the show still has that late 60s & early 70s antagonistic vibe to it that just makes it work even better as you watch it, along with its classic animation style.
But the biggest selling point for the series is the world-building of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and how each episode keeps building up to a larger mystery, keeping you invested in watching it. The running plotlines take some very unexpected turns as Mystery Inc. unravels the mystery of this mysterious teen crime solving group from the past, and what it means for the future of Crystal Cove.
This is the true successor to the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and a beautiful, touching love letter to the works of Ruby-Spears, Hanna-Barbera and the Scooby-Doo legacy that continues to present day. I give this series the highest recommendation from me to you to check out!
Honorable Mentions:
Scooby-Doo Meets The Boo Brothers (1987)
One of the first Scooby-Doo made-for-TV movies that I loved watching as a kid growing up, which I hope you enjoy too.
Scooby-Doo and The Ghoul School (1988)
A great underrated tale of an all-girl school of famous monsters being taught by the one and only Scooby-Doo.
Scooby-Doo and The Reluctant Werewolf (1988)
A very fun wacky-racers inspired romp where a werewolf Shaggy has to race against Dracula’s monstrous friends to win a cure for his recent case of lycanthropy.
The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972)
With cameos from legendary singers Mamma Cass, Cher and many others, it’s a great fun time with Scooby and the gang.
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988)
A fun, campy telling of a very young Mystery Inc. team solving crimes in their hometown. Just watch out for that Red Herring fellow Fred.
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979)
Whether you love him, hate him, or just felt that he was okay, Scooby’s little nephew Scrappy always kept his Uncle Scooby on his toes.
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (2002) (Season 1 Episode 3 Shaggy Busted)
Harvey Birdman has to defend Scooby and Shaggy, who are accused of being under the influence of drugs when pulled over by a patrol car.
And that’s my Top 7. Making this list was my personal response to Velma. And it is my sincere hope that this list will bring back some positively into the world by showing everyone that there are better things to watch and enjoy out there instead of a series that clearly hates the very characters it portrays.
Hopefully this will inspire you to check out these and other Scooby-Doo favorites. Over 50 years and Scooby-Doo is still rolling along…even with the speed bump that is Velma.
If you have your own personal favorite Scooby-Doo recommendations, or even other non-Scooby-Doo related shows about mystery solving to check out, post them down in the comments below.
Thank you for reading and I’ll catch you next time you meddling kids!
