Clue Club

The short-lived Hanna Barbera produced animated series "Clue Club" was the show that replaced the long-running "Scooby Doo" during the mid-1970's(when America's favorite canine made the switch from CBS over to ABC)on CBS' Saturday Morning schedule. As for the reviews to this show are slightly mixed,be as it may if you want to size up the onslaught of "Scooby" clones and rip-offs during that period. But "Clue Club" at least isn't as slow as dead molasses("Speed Buggy","The Flintstone Mysteries","Chan and the Amazing Chan-Clan"),doesn't have sloppy animation("The Scooby Doo Movies","The Funky Phantom","Goober and the Ghost Chasers","Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids", "Inch High:Private Eye"),and it was FAR better from being a crappy moronic no-brainer with incompetent characters(being the worst of the "Scooby" clones..."Jabberjaw","Fangface","The New Shmoo","Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels", "The Buford Files","The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo").

It might be somewhat predictable,but at least it was far from being shallow. Out of the 16 episodes that this series produced,"Clue Club" lasted four months on the air from August 31,1976 until November 27, 1976. In perspective,"Clue Club" was at least compelling and it was one of the better "Scooby" clones" that was very well-written,and very well-produced especially coming the team of Saturday Morning animation:Hanna-Barbera Productions. Not only that,"Clue Club" really captured the mood and the spirit of the mid-1970's. CBS reaired these 16 episodes from 1976 until 1979,when the two of the characters from the show(Woofer and Whimper)when on to have a spin-off titled "Woofer and Whimper:Dog Detectives" for the short-lived Hanna Barbera produced series "Skatebirds", that also lasted no more than three months on the air as part of CBS' Saturday Morning schedule. After that,the show was moved to Sunday Mornings(in repeats)until 1979. The show that replaced "Clue Club" and the rest of the repeated cartoons and kids shows from their Sunday Morning slot? CBS News correspondent Charles Kurault whose "Sunday Morning" news and information telecast eventually replaced everything on the Sunday Morning timeslot in September of 1979.

Clue Club is another show in the long line of Scooby-Doo clones made by Hanna-Barbera in an attempt to capitalize on the success they had with the great dane by making shows using the formula of teenage sleuths and an animal sidekick solving mysteries involving criminals disguised as monsters or ghosts.

The show revolves around the Clue Club, Larry, Pepper, D. D., and Dottie, as they solve mysteries. As this is a Scooby-Doo clone, the four teens (Dottie is left to hold the fort due to her being 13 years old) are joined by two dogs by the name of Woofer and Wimper, who while they are talking dogs, they do not talk directly to the other Clue Club members, instead communicating in barks and other dog noises.

Now this is a neat Scooby clone. As the characters can be compared to Mysyery Inc. (Larry is Fred since he is the leader, Dottie, despite being in base on communications, is Velma, Pepper is basically Daphne, and D. D. is Shaggy while Woofer and Wimper are both Scooby), it is still a good cartoon, as the voice acting is neat, the storytelling is on par with Scooby, and Woofer and Wimper are actually good comic relief.

As a kid growing up in the mid-1970's,I can remember watching this show since it came on Saturday Mornings,and Sunday Mornings during its run (It came to a halt on Sunday Mornings when CBS executives yanked it off the air and replaced it with educational and informative programming) for most of the decade. The show featured a group of teenagers who solve crimes with the help of two bloodhounds(Woofer and Whimper),but here is the catchy part,it had a nice premise to it,but it was a total rip-off of Scooby Doo since in this one had a Velma like character that had a computer center in the family garage. There were a lot like that in the 1970's that copy cat the Scooby formula,and this was one of them. See some of the episodes and you'll know what I mean.

This short-lived cartoon by Hanna-Barbera seem like it was derived from Walt-Disney or some underground comic book. What I enjoyed the most about this cartoon is the bigger dog (Whoofer) always trying to show the little dog (Whimper) how to become a good bloodhound. But at the end it always backfires. This cartoon is another Scooby Doo rip-off but each episode makes you think.

I got up early this morning and saw "Clue Club" as part of Cartoon Network's "Boomerang" program. I remember this show from when I was a kid. I liked it then. I can't see what I ever saw in it.

The program is sloppily edited, it looks like bits were cut out of it, which may contribute to the overall badness. The lead teen, Larry is a personalityless dork, not that any of the other kids have a personality to speak off. The dogs are kinda funny, but not as funny as Scooby, and where did they get a deerstalker hat in dog size anyway?

The episode I saw revolved around a character named "Uncle Salty" being framed for a diamond theft. The sheriff literally runs him in based on the fact that he was...walking around at the time. I won't go into the mystery here, it's the standard crap, I solved it halfway through. There was also something about a sea monster, though, again, with all the cuts, it didn't even impact the plot much.

Don't waste your time. Go with the best, the original, Scooby.