O Que Há de Novo, Scooby-Doo?

What's New Scooby-Doo is a welcome return of Scooby and the gang back to television with their last show, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo being the last TV incarnation over 10 years prior. The series was able to stay in the popular consciousness thanks to the above average in quality direct-to-video films released from 1998 to 2001 and showed there was still life in the franchise.

Like other incarnations, the show features the adventures/mysteries of perpetually hungry coward Shaggy, the optimistic but not always aware Fred, fashion/image conscious Daphne (who also has the ability to concoct solutions in MacGyver esque style), brains of the group Velma, and their gluttonous, cowardly, and talking dog Scooby-Doo. The gang are all voiced well by their respective voice actors, and despite originally voicing these characters 30 years prior, Frank Welker as Fred and Casey Kasem as Shaggy still fit the characters so well you'd hardly know they aged a day.

The series takes a more self aware approach to the established Scooby-Doo formula calling attention to the various tropes and story beats the series is known for as a way of lovingly sending itself up. The episode always ends with the misquote of "and I would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids" or some variation thereof despite the phrase never actually having been said in the original cartoon (not unlike "Play it again Sam" from Casablanca). For the most part the tone of the series works well in its favor and does provide some humorous sequences.

The capers the gang investigate are a slightly more mixed bag. While the original show's mysteries were never masterpieces of intrigue and suspense, they did at least try to maintain some semblance of credibility (even if it was tenuous at best) by keeping the gang's mysteries in confined and isolated areas with the mysteries being small enough in scale that they could with in the context of the world established be somewhat plausible. What's Ne Scooby-Doo's mysteries go far more over the top with large scale events that are often witnessed by dozens if not hundreds of people and strain credibility during the series trademark wrap up segments where everything is explained.

What's New Scooby-Doo isn't as good as the direct-to-video films that inspired its success, but it's also not a cynical affair like arguably the worst Scooby-Doo property Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue. What's New Scooby-Doo is first and foremost a comedy and as a comedy it gives just enough humor to justify itself. The voice acting is still spot on with Casey Kasem being welcome in his return to voicing Shaggy and the show has just enough self awareness to lovingly poke fun at the well worn formula.

I have read complaints regarding this latest addition to the TV Scooby shows. People can say what they want, but this cast does a real good job!

Casey Kasem as 'Shaggy' - There is no other 'Shaggy'. (Apologies to Scott Innes, Who has done an ok job as 'Shaggy' and a pretty good job as 'Scooby'). Frank Welker as 'Freddy' - Again, there is no other.(Although I do believe someone else could do a better 'Scooby'. Sorry Frank. Don Messick is definitely the only 'Scoobert'.) Mindy Cohn seems to do a pretty good 'Velma' and Grey DeLisle's version of Daphne, as heard in previous 'Scooby' movies, is perfectly acceptable.

For me Nicole Jaffe will always be 'Velma'. Heather North will always be 'Daphne'. Stefanianna Christopherson from the original 1969 series will always be the first 'Daphne', but Heather is the voice I'm most familiar with.

Despite all the dynamic changes, it's a really good show! Keep up the good work!

What's New Scooby Doo isn't a bad show, I just prefer the Hanna Barbara cartoon. What I do like about this show is the music, the theme tune is very good, and the songs featured are not so bad either. The animation is very colourful and bright, but what it lacks is that Hanna Barbara touch I have come to know and love. What's New Scooby Doo? I believe is an improvement over Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue, which was a disgrace to the Scooby Doo name, and this has nothing to do with Casey Kasem being Shaggy(I have seen the movies where he's not Shaggy and most of them are surprisingly good).-it was poorly animated, thinly plotted and the voice cast was not at all good, in my opinion that is. The characters I had little problem with the characters, though I did wish Scooby had a bigger role to play, and no offence to Frank Welker but I do prefer Don Messick, who sadly died in 1997. The other characters are fine, Casey Kasem has still got it as Shaggy. Another problem I had, was that the villains were rather predictable, and the show, while funny at times, does lack the humour and charm that made the original show such a childhood delight. The plots are more of the same, and not always interesting, but it is an improvement over the Scooby and Scrappy show. All in all, not at all bad, but not great either. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Out of most of the Scooby-Doo reboots, I find this one of the best. The animation's good, the mysterious are interesting and there're some decent jokes. It's also great to hear Kasey Casem as Shaggy once more. The theme song's pretty awesome. If you like Scooby-Doo then you'll like it. I'd take this anyway over the more recent adaptations.

It is not bad, the update is more geared towards Fred's shirt, the sound, and the theme song than anything else.

Otherwise the bulk of the series is much like the original runs, straight down to the masks.

The animation is sleeker, less repetitive in the backgrounds, but over all we have the same show that we fell in love with all those decades ago.

It's hard not to like the series when it is Scooby Doo to the core.