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Scooby-Doo, where are you? Well, it’s not going to be too long before he’s at Netflix. The streamer has ordered eight episodes of a live-action “Scooby-Doo” origin series.
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“Mystery, Inc. is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time,” said Peter Friedlander, Vice President of Scripted Series, Netflix. “The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced. Together with creative powerhouses Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio, we’re committed to delighting longtime fans and opening up a world of groovy adventures for a new era of meddling kids.”
The show’s official description reads: “During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”
While this will be the first “Scooby-Doo” live-action television series, it isn’t the first time Scooby and the gang have been in live-action. There was the 2002 movie “Scooby-Doo” and its 2004 follow-up “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.” The films starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini as Velma.
There has consistently been Scooby-Doo series, films, and other media in production since it all began with 1969’s “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” The shows and specials that followed include “Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics,” “The Scooby-Doo Show,” “Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo,” “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo,” “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?,” “Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!,” and “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?”
DC Comics even released a “Scooby Apocalypse” comic which, as the title implies, features Scooby and his gang if they had formed during a post-apocalyptic cataclysm and had to deal with the fallout.
Perhaps the most controversial “Scooby-Doo” spinoff proved to be “Velma,” which featured the titular Mystery Incorporated member before she met Scooby-Doo and was adult-oriented. “Velma” was canceled after two seasons.
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