Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated and Paying Attention to Fans: A Television Season Review

Creators: Joe Ruby and Ken Spears.

Producer/writer: Mitch Watson.

Animation is no stranger to the horror genre and one of the most enduring cartoon icons associated with this crossover is Scooby Doo. The cartoons that follow his capers made those spooks that went bump in the night not as terrible as it should be. The scares are only as real as Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby want it to be and by the episode's end, they usually face up to it. The only thing they have to fear is fear itself.

And in the 40+ years since this franchise's inception, nearly everyone has grown up watching at least one episode of this great dane buffooning his way into popular culture. The comedy relief Scooby provides take the edge out of nearly all of the frights that play out on network television. Unlike "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits," this cartoon series gives younger viewers a campfire story they can comfortably fall asleep to.

"Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated" is the latest incarnation of the much beloved franchise that is willing to poke a little fun at itself. The writers acknowledge a few of the franchise's early shortcomings and work to improve Scooby Doo's lasting legacy. Unlike earlier inceptions, the sleepy haunted town of Crystal Cove is where the gang solves crimes. This town is reputed to have more sinister hauntings per capita. For this particular group of teens, there's a dark sinister history that link their lives with a deeper mystery that's associated with the town.

There's a cursed Spanish treasure that the original Mystery Incorporated tried to discover. Brad Chiles, Ricky Owens, Cassidy Williams, Judy Reeves, and the parrot, Professor Pericles vanished. They were only the latest in a string of disappearances that has happened. As years passed, the legacy they left behind was forgotten until the Scooby-gang started digging into secrets best left undiscovered.

As each episode focuses on these meddling kids going out to solve a mystery, the romantic relationships and character development that happens within the group is what keeps viewers coming back for more. The lessons learned are not just for the Scooby-gang, but also the viewers. Those pesky kids have parents who worry about them: Velma's parents run a tourist operation catering to the town's haunted past, and they dislike Velma’s need for uncovering the truth. Daphne's folks are rich socialites and their pairing only overstates the obvious when it comes to why she's attracted to Fred. And Shaggy's folks are a bit of a surprise.

Fred Jones' father is the mayor of Crystal Cove, and that makes for some interesting dynamics in terms of how much freedom the gang have when they go about solving mysteries. Junior does not have the run of the town, and true to form, the generational divide between parents and their teenage sons and daughters is explored. This type of attention in storytelling is wonderful and it may even teach the old and young viewer a thing or two about listening to each other.

But for viewers in general, this series stays very true to the source that launched a franchise. There are even plenty of in-jokes to satisfy the long-time fan, like including Vincent Van Ghoul into the lexicon, and for the horror enthusiast, there are stabs at literary icons from various generations: namely H.P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison and Stephenie Meyer.

Even some members of the original voice cast, like Casey Kasem, returns. He voices the father of Shaggy, and to compare Kasem and Matthew Lillard (the voice of the new Shaggy) playing two different generations of the Rogers family line is one of those rare treats that are not often found in entertainment.

For a new generation, this product is nothing like "Martin Mystery" or "Ben 10." Those creations had to start from scratch in order to build an audience. Scooby Doo has been an engaging product that does manage to stay fresh. A Pup Named Scooby Doo even managed a Daytime Emmy nomination. And with this franchise expanding in various directions, including direct to video and live-action films, there are no signs of it slowing down.

With "Mystery Incorporated," this series is approaching story telling in a direction not often used: the story-arcs do not end when one season ends. It will continue on in season two, which is already in production.

The first twelve episodes of "Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated" are available on DVD, and the television show continues to broadcast on Teletoon Canada and Cartoon Network (see local listings for exact times). The last six episodes promises to reveal a few more surprises and provide information about the original team who started to investigate the paranormal. There's going to be a grande reveal which even the writers of CW's Supernatural can be proud of.

Season 1 is available here:



| | | |

Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA

Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis Email Subscription

Posted in: cartoon network,mystery,scooby doo mystery incorporated,teletoon