Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon series, Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 a.m. EST and ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. 

This cartoon series featured four teenagers - Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers - who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps. Hanna-Barbera took the basic idea and felt it needed something to add humor to the cartoon and make it less frightening. Iwao Takamoto believed it should be a dog - a big dog. And what bigger dog than a Great Dane. So he created Scooby-Doo. After speaking with professional breeder of Great Danes, Iwao went the opposite direction and gave Scooby bow legs and floppy ears.

Origin:

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was the result of CBS and Hanna-Barbera's plans to create a non-violent Saturday morning program which would appease the parent watch groups that had protested the superhero-based programs of the mid-1960s. Originally titled Mysteries Five, and later Who's S-S-Scared?, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! underwent a number of changes from script to screen (the most notable of which was the downplaying of the musical group angle borrowed from The Archie Show). However, the basic concept - four teenagers (Freddie, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy) and a cowardly, clumsy Great Dane dog (Scooby-Doo) solving supernatural-related mysteries was always in place.

Writing:

The main concept was as follows:

1. The Mystery, Inc. gang turn up in the Mystery Machine, en route to or returning from a regular teenage function, when their van develops engine trouble or breaks down for any of a variety of reasons (overheating, flat tire, out of gas, etc.), in the immediate vicinity of a large, mostly vacated property (ski lodge, hotel, factory, mansion, etc.).

2. Their (unintended) destination turns out to be suffering from a monster problem (ghosts, Frankenstein, Yeti, etc.). The kids volunteer to investigate the case.

3.The gang splits up to cover more ground, with Fred and Velma finding clues, Daphne finding danger, and Shaggy and Scooby finding food, fun, and the ghost/monster, who gives chase. Scooby and Shaggy in particular love to eat, including dog treats called Scooby Snacks which are a favorite of both the dog and the teenage boy.

4. Eventually, enough clues are found to convince the gang that the ghost/monster is a fake, and a trap is set to capture it. Or they will occasionally just call the local sheriff and get stopped by the villain half-way.

5. The trap may or may not work (more often than not, Scooby-Doo and/or Shaggy falls into the trap and they accidentally catch the monster another way, usually if the plan is explained in detail before attempted execution fails). Invariably, the ghost/monster is apprehended and unmasked. The person in the ghost or monster suit turns out to be an apparently blameless authority figure or otherwise innocuous local who is using the disguise to cover up something such as a crime or a scam.

6. After giving the parting shot of "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids" (sometimes adding "...and your stupid dog!"), the offender is then taken away to jail, and the gang is allowed to continue on their way to their destination.