Scooby Doo
...Goes to Hollywood, was created. Also in 1979, Scrappy Doo, Scooby's nephew, was introduced. The eighties showed various combinations of Scooby Doo and his friends that continued to entertain children and adults of all ages. This long-running series has basically 5 central characters, (6 if you count the unpopular Scrappy-Doo, who joined the show later on): Lets Start with the title character Scooby-Doo SCOOBY-DOO (AKA “Scoob,” “Scoobert”) Scooby is a brown Great Dane who can talk, though many consonants are replaced by r's He’s afraid of ghouls, vampires, zombies, mummies... even his own shadow. And when the going gets tough, Scooby gets going.... as far away as possible!. The key to Scooby’s heart – and to whatever courage he can muster – is Scooby Snacks. He’ll do anything for ‘em, even wear disguises and venture into haunted houses. But you always get the feeling that the big, lovable pooch would rather be anyplace than the spooky place where he always happens to be. NORVILLE “SHAGGY” ROGERS (AKA “Shagster”) Part beatnik, part hippie and all cool, Shaggy is Scooby’s groovy, unkempt companion who is happiest when he’s loping alongside his best pal, Scooby-Doo. Like Scooby, Shaggy shies away from clue-hunting and rarely cracks a case.Shaggy was usually the bait to catch the villian(s) and he occasionally stumbled across a clue or trap door by accident. His ability to eat everything is sight and not gain an ounce is uncanny. His wimpish crys, 70's clothes, and silly ways to get away from villians have created a cartoon character that will never be matched and have the same comical effect. VELMA DINKLEY A veritable Sherlock in spectacles, and the undisputed brains of the outfit, Velma Dinkley is always the first to decipher the clues, devise clever phantom-catching traps and deduce who’s hiding under the mask. Velma tends to get separated from the gang almost as often as Scooby, but for opposite reasons: Scooby runs from the clues, while Velma intently follows them. Despite her intelligence, she always seemed to lose her glasses on every show. Without Velma, none of the mysteries would have been solved in that small 30 minute time gap that most networks require. DAPHNE BLAKE Everybody loves beautiful, stylish Daphne Blake. She’s always up for adventure, with hundreds of plunges into perilous predicaments under her fashionable lime green belt. And she’s great for the ego since she always needs to be rescued. Her father's wealth allows Mystery Inc., the privilege of using the Mystery Machine, boats, wireless radios and other devices. Daphne's single drawback lies in her danger-prone nature. She manages to catch and by caught by the villains in almost every episode. It is also speculated that Fred and she share a quiet romance during the course of the show -- of course, this is all from the imaginations of dedicated fans. Although some viewers can't stand the rich valley girl and others love her, Daphne definitely gave the show certain amount of eloquence. FRED JONES (AKA “Freddie”) With blond hair and good looks that would inspire confidence in anyone (except maybe Scooby and Shaggy), Fred Jones is the leader of the Mystery Inc. gang. Though he’s not as clever as Velma at picking up clues, and his arrogance occasionally undermines team unity, Fred is the one who drives The Mystery Machine, gives the gang their assignments, and pairs them up for their missions. In the search for information he is often paired with Daphne while Velma is teamed with Shaggy and Scooby. Mayhem and chaos often ensue, but Fred takes charge and leads the gang from one hilarious adventure to another. Since their premiere in 1969 Scooby and the Mystery Inc. Gang have appeared in 310 episodes that have aired on numerous networks for over three decades since the show’s inception. Currently, in an average week, nearly two million viewers tune in to watch the Scooby Doo series on Cartoon Network. What makes Scooby-Doo so popular and long lasting? According to David Kleeman, executive director of the American Center for Children and Media in Chicago, “The show combines a lot of elements that kids love: humor, adventure and mystery, and it manages to be exciting without a high level of violence. The show revolves around characters in their teens or early twenties who are out on their own solving mysteries with no parental involvement. The only adults on the show are the ones being outsmarted by the gang. And best of all it revolves around Scooby-Doo, a walking talking dog. Long-time fans of the series Charles Rov...