A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988–1991) User Reviews

Cute and interesting

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 14 March 2011]

First things first, A Pup Named Scooby Doo isn't the best Scooby Doo incarnation, the original series Scooby Doo Where Are You? in my opinion is unmatched. But it is not the worst, not like the abysmal Shaggy and Scooby Doo:Get a Clue. This was a cute and interesting series. Albeit it is flawed, the stories are fun if predictable, some episodes feel a little rushed and Fred and his personality annoyed me this time around. However, the animation is colourful, solid and a big step-up from the somewhat dreary style in the incarnations with Scrappy put in the equation and the music and songs by John Debney are great fun. The writing is funny, and Mystery Inc. have an easy-going chemistry still. Shaggy and Scooby never fail to bring a smile to my face, Scooby is so cute here, and I personally didn't mind Velma and Daphne here. The voice acting is solid too from Don Messick to Casey Kasem. Overall, a cute and interesting series without being definitive, but it never tried to be. I agree about the DVDs, they don't do this show any justice. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Fun series

[Pythe · 7/10 · 4 April 2008]

I know I'm going to make a lot of enemies here, but I have to say it: the original Scooby Doo series wasn't that great.

There. It's done.

I know I'm stepping on a lot of great memories here, but if you go back and watch Scooby Doo, Where Are You? you'll find it's hardly the sophisticated entertainment you remember from childhood. The animation looks cheap, the jokes are lame, and the characters are cardboard cutouts.

A Pup Named Scooby Doo, though a lot of fans seem to revile it, is more successful than the original, in my opinion. Because of the liberal changes made to the formula, this functions more as an affectionate spoof of Scooby Doo than a continuation of it. Freddy's character shifts from humorless leader to incompetent moron; Daphne is a spoiled rich girl whose butler will appear out of nowhere to catch her in mid-faint; and, in spite of the fact that this takes place years before the original series, Velma has state-of-the-art (as of 1988) computer technology to aid her in catching the villain. I'm not sure why people get so worked up over these changes; in their original characterizations, everyone but Shaggy and Scooby were pretty dull, anyway. What's wrong with giving them an overhaul?

The show itself was pretty formulaic (again, in the same vein as the original), but it was a fun formula. I particularly love the sequences where the kids run from (and occasionally dance with) the monster, set to groovy 1950s-style rock and roll music. Everything here is bigger than big; no-holds-barred wackiness generally ensues. And it's fun.

Seriously? These "reviewers" are super picky

[Naerok · 8/10 · 4 February 2022]

"This isn't anything like scooby doo I know and love" uh yeah that's a good thing, I don't want scooby doo 1, 2, and 3. The concept for younger versions of the scooby doo gang is genius. Each episode is fun to watch, I wish there were more episodes. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s, I'd get up even earlier to catch this show. I gotta say my favorite part, the gang being chased by the monster and in the process, they're all doing their signature dance sometimes the monster even cuts in. This cartoon was way ahead of its time. I keep hoping they'll resurrect it somehow but at this point in time, it's doubtful. Each character has their own funny personality and just adds to the terrific show. These so called reviewers just watch it with a closed mind out of the gate.

One of my fave Scooby incarnations

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 4 October 2005]

The 80s were a goldmine decade of great animated shows. Stuff we got in those ten years we just don't see any more. Quite literally. I don't think we'll ever see Denver the Last Dinosaur or Centurions on DVD. One of the forgotten shows among dozens of others was A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. The Scooby-Doo franchise suffered a heavy blow in the 80s when some silly man wearing a suit thought it would be a good idea to introduce Scrappy-Doo, a highly irritating doggy who never kept his mouth shut for more than two seconds. Freddy and Velma also disappeared for a while and Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy would go off solving mysteries with just Daphne.

Desperate for a new way to re-invent the franchise, Warner gave us A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, an interesting, if failed attempt.

The show features the Mystery Inc. gang as kids and Scoob as a little puppy. The humor and animation is more offbeat and Looney-Tunes orientated but the mysteries are still substantial and the locations still occasionally Gothic and atmospheric.

Shaggy and Scooby are still voiced by Casey Kasem and Don Messick. Since they are the backbone of the show it's good to have this consistency. The childhood angle also gives us new insight into their background.

Many have criticised this show, claiming it to be aimed at under-tens and that it an embarrassment to the Scooby-Doo franchise. Well, I never found it to be that way. As a Scooby-Doo fan I thought this show was very amusing and I loved the score and songs by John Debney. There should be a soundtrack CD released. It really is a shame it never lasted for longer.

Since there were only 26 episodes made I can't help but be angry at Warner's awful DVD presentation of the show. Since they are releasing loads of their back-catalogue animation in beautifully packaged box sets (Premier Collections/Spotlight Collections/Golden Collections) I find it baffling that A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (a show that would have suited this format well) gets a horrid DVD release with 4 episodes per disc, a crappy snap-case box (we're STILL getting these in 2005!) and no extra features. The 1.33:1 full frame picture and Mono sound are perfectly adequate but, even though the show failed, it still deserves a much better DVD release than the one it got.

Shame on you Warner for neglecting this one instalment of a cash-cow that has generated you billions of dollars.

Fun seeing the Mystery, Inc. gang as kids!

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 8 January 2017]

Scooby-Doo and the gang have been friends for a very long time as evident by this series. Yet another installment of the Scooby-Doo cartoon series, this show features Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma when they were kids. Even at that age, they were already engaged in fun clue-finding and mystery solving adventures.

The series was quite entertaining with its laughs, jokes and daring rescues - and you get to see the characters' lives elaborated a little more upon. For example, fashionable Daphne comes from a very wealthy family and Fred is sort of the fast-talking jock of the bunch, who has antagonists of his own from school. Velma is still the classic bookworm and the brain of the group, while Scooby and Shaggy are still the best friends who love food and are the main comic relief of the bunch.

You get to see all the ghoulish entertainment as in earlier Scooby-Doo shows - great fun.

Grade A-

Seriously SMH.

[blankslayerytofficial · 10/10 · 26 June 2021]

I am seriously disappointed in humanity. This show only has a 6.8 on here when, it obviously deserves a 9.6/10. This show is obviously the best Scooby-Doo adaptation. So seriously SMH.

Definitely For Kids and Preschoolers Only

[voicemaster71 · 3/10 · 6 January 2007]

I had stopped watching Saturday morning cartoons in 1986, but in 1988, I did sneak a peak at this new Scooby Doo series, which I believe Hanna Barbera wanted to do with the Scooby characters what they already did with the Flintstone Kids in 1986.

The only thing consistent that never changed was that the late Don Messick and Casey Kasem voiced over the child versions of Scooby Doo and Shaggy who never changed, even as kids.

Now for the good news /bad news. The good news is the original gang is all back together. The bad news is, Velma, Daphne, and Freddy have drastically changed in personality. Velma, now with the IQ of 2000, barely speaks and when she says Jinkees,everybody makes a big deal out of it. Daphne is a spoiled rotten rich snob, who doesn't believe in ghosts and always calls on her butler Jenkins. And last but certainly not least, my favorite character Freddy underwent the most drastic change of all. Freddy has been drastically dumbed down and now has the IQ of -10 and he's a tabloid freak who loves to read the National Exaggerator and he blames everything on the neighborhood bully, Red Herring, plus Freddy has become an idiot conspiracy theorist whose theories are so stupid, some news anchor will interrupt the show now and then just to comment on them. Sadly, Freddy's change of personality seems to have influenced the writers of the current animated versions of Scooby Doo out there with the direct to video movies and even the live action movies where Freddy has been slightly dumbed down.

I've watched the show only a few times, but I remember plenty. A Pup Named Scooby Doo is to me a show for kids who are either in preschool and kindergarten or maybe even younger. A stupid show, but a whole lot better than that 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo series back in 1985.

One of the Greatest cartoons that i watched growing up

[Fmobley2746 · 8/10 · 1 July 2010]

"A Pup Named Scooby Doo" was a wonderful television show. I grew up watching it and from a child's view it is extremely entertaining. If you have kids I recommend you go out and buy this series on DVD for them. My niece is 5 years old and she loves it.

Now "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" MAY not appeal to older people, especially to those who grew up watching the original "Scooby Doo Where Are You" but for kids they don't care. In all honesty this show appeals to kids more than the classic Scooby Doo because it is so silly and childish. The cool thing about the show was the parts where the monster chased the Mystery Inc. The music always set the mood and the silly things that happened during the chases were always funny.

Going back and watching this show now is epic Nostalgia. Please if you are looking for something new for your kids (kids up to about the age of 8 or 9) I recommend "A Pup Named Scooby Doo".

You can't call this a "Scooby Doo" title

[Phille_fille0 · 3/10 · 4 April 2009]

This show is like a non-existent show, everyone acting like morons, complete idiots. We can start with Fred, he's one of the most incompetent persons on the EARTH! Instead of just be a leader of the gang, he is the gangs weakest point. Daphne is the total BRAT of the show, like she has all the money. She's just a big ego. Velma is the most geeky characters I've ever seen on a long time. Instead of just searching for the actual mystery, she's picking up the computer and just searching like the computer knows who the monster(s) is/are. Scooby and Shaggy is pretty normal like the original, but they are stupider, and more annoying than ever before.

Then you come to the most "annoying" parts of the show is the ghost hunting, while some of the kids begin to "dance", that has nothing to do with Scooby Doo, just to dig the bad music beat?

Well it's very, very and very hard to recommend this to any Scooby fan, and if you not are a fan you can just throw it in the garbage.

Great parody of the old series.

[Hastor-2 · 20 January 2002]

This show is a great parody of the original Scooby Doo series. You can tell that the writers really loved the original show and it made a lot of inside jokes. If you don't know a lot about the original series, you probably wont find it as funny. For example no episode goes by without fred saying "lets split up, gang", even if its the last line in the episode. Those who think this show is a rip off just don't get it.

Underrated Scooby!!! Should be #2 on anyone's Scooby Doo list

[roueljones · 10/10 · 27 January 2020]

Not only was this a great cartoon it was a great mystery with easy to follow clues if you paid attention.

The "BEST" Version of Scooby Do Out There!!!

[katrinawoods-66763 · 10/10 · 17 May 2021]

Way ahead of its time in recreating a old fan favorite, and turning it into a perfect adaptation. Solving crimes and then they dance (don't think I didn't notice the ode to the Charlie Brown series in their dance sequences). Even the monsters take time out to stop and dance (mid chase scenes).

This is no Scooby-Doo

[Angels_Review · 1/10 · 13 April 2014]

Oh my god! I seriously love Scooby-Doo because it's rather nostalgic for me. But this is another story. This is rather bad and when I say bad, I mean a botched rendition of a old favorite. Supposedly this is when the kids were young and did the same thing as they do when older, solving mysteries. Unfortunately, each character is so freaken shallow and they never learn anything. Daphne is a stuck up rich girl, Fred is the stupid blond, Velma is the really quiet child, and Scooby and Shaggy are well… a very over active Scooby and Shaggy. Each and every episode is practically the same; something happens, the team gets together, they get to a point that Scooby eats a snack and they split up, then they do a chase and finally catch him. Throughout the whole thing, characters show up randomly with no reason at all.

There is another annoying thing that happens through out a whole series. Fred's really wild accusations. He goes way overboard accusing aliens, government agents, even the bully Red Herring for the crazy things that are happening without even looking at the facts. Now let's break down that name for a moment, Red Herring. Can I say that that is the stupidest name for a character, not to mention Ironic as Fred always points to him first! The artwork is really overboard and seriously overboard in comical exaggerated forms and jokes. At least the whole thing is consistent but still, I feel it falls from the original. Characters go far from the design. I understand what they were trying to do… actually no I don't! They made the whole thing look like a joke! From what I have read, the producer and director wanted something around the same idea as 'The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo and as I had not been able to see that yet, I wouldn't know. What I do know is that if its anything like this, then we have a problem with me liking it.

Voices are slightly close for Shaggy and Scooby but everyone else is really bad. Characters sound whinny and exaggerated just like the animation, full of crazy sounds and whines. Every show seems to start out with Shaggy saying something he is doing 'with a pup named Scooby Doo.' The jingles are really annoying and just get stuck in your head the more you watch them. All the music is supposed to be like 60s and 70s music along the lines of jazz, Disco, and so on.

In the end, I consider this a forgettable show that should just be put on the side.

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 5/10 · 1 April 2017]

I blame Muppet babies for this. It came out when it was all the rage to turn the characters into children and...well, it worked for Muppet Babies.

It didn't work so well for Scooby Doo and, honestly Fred was the only real source of humor.

Fred jokes are great, one of the best parts of the latter days of Scooby Doo and I believe a lot of them started with this series...but you can't have Fred carry the entire cartoon on his own.

Failure.

It's Scooby Doo"way back when"!

[OWUbear · 17 February 2001]

This show is funny, I see characters that act like dummies. Fred is into tabloids, Daphne is a spoiled rich girl, Velma carries a supercomputer. Shaggy and Scooby were always afraid, but here they're also Commander Cool and Mellow Mutt. Each episode is predictable, Freddie mentioning Red Herring or aliens as culprits, Velma entering clues into her computer, ("Jinkies!") Daphne complaining about the decor or summoning Jenkins to aid the group, and Scooby and Shaggy eating or being scared. It's so dumb it's funny!

OK show, bad rep

[timothy_olson · 5/10 · 4 April 2007]

OK, my family enjoys this show, is that too wrong? I think some of the plots are good, but others aren't so good. But what is up with Velma, she is tiny in this show and the others appear older, yet in the other shows she is the same age. Did she skip a grade or few with out the directors telling us? There might not be a way, but still-she could have been a little bigger. I think they could have given them a different personality, but over all their personalities are good, but Daphne could have an attitude check, can she be even meaner in this? I say this is not true to the original show, but at least it has Casey Kasem as the voice of Shaggy. It seems a little weird at first but it can be a good show.

Interesting version of Scooby-Doo

[kenny_c_hueholt · 1 February 2002]

I always liked this show. Sure, it doesn't compare to the original series, but there are a lot of good parts: (Ex: Daphne's butler Jenkins; Fred blaming Red Herry for everything.) I also liked that they made the mysteries so that the audience could play along and find who the culprit was. This is still run on the Cartoon Network. Highly recomended.

A Pup Named Scooby Doo is a great series!

[ppamjo2 · 17 May 2005]

I loved this show as I was working my way through the last years of high school. The Characters has a bit of a change. Fred was kind of a dummy and he kept on blaming all the crimes on Red Herring. The neighborhood Bully. Daphny was kind of snooty and lazy. She would have her Butler Jenkens bring her a change of clothes or rid a spooky house of dust. Shaggy and Scooby were the same duo as in the original series but younger. Velma was the cute smart one.

I find it to be one of the last great shows on the 1980s. I like the skateboard that the gang would get around on. Who could forget Commander Cool and Mellow mutt. This was also one of the last series Don Messick voiced before his death in 2001 or so.

The Animation was great most of the time, but on some episodes.. the PTB could have done a better job in terms of quality... Still, A Pup named Scooby Doo is far better then. "The new Scooby Doo Mysteries" and "13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo."

Cute

[JBoze313 · 6 October 2000]

I love this show. It's the whole Scooby Doo gang as kids, and boy are the cute. I especially love Scooby and Shaggy, but who doesn't. The kids go around solving mysteries just like they do in the regular version of the show, but it's even more entertaining. I think it's an awesome show for kids and adults alike. You just have to be young at heart like myself, I guess. I'm not sure, but I think it might come on every so often on Cartoon Network. I watched it all the time, and if it were to come on again, I'd watch it still.

It is the best Scooby Doo I have watched.

[kimmullins2004 · 4 January 2005]

A Pup Named Scooby Doo is great. I loved watching that cartoon when I was little and I have been trying to find a collection of all 30 episodes on DVD but it is practically impossible. This show was great for kids to watch it could make kids want to explore the world so to speak. I know it made me want to. I really loved that cartoon it was humorous and I loved it. I wish that was still making it. Then they were kids and a pup and it was more of a kids cartoon now the Original Scooby Doo it is great but I would prefer the A Pup Named Scooby Doo over the original any day. It really upsets me that i never get to watch it. It only comes on at 5:30 a.m. on Cartoon Network and I don't have that channel. So hopefully there will be a collection of all episodes that will come out.

It's good, but not as good as the classic series!

[afonsobritofalves · 17 May 2019]

Although not as good as the original series, it is undoubtedly one of the best incarnations of Scooby-Doo. With very good jokes, fabulous entertainment and a good incarnation of the characters. Highly recommend.

***:3 stars, a good series of scooby doo.

[PJS-5 · 5 November 1999]

The good:Its still a lot of fun here in this series plus we have the original voices of shag & scoob. (Casey Kasem as shag & the late Don Messick as Scoob.)

It did the old series very well altough there are some exceptions.

The Beautiful:I dunno what to place here

The Bad:Purist fans will be displeased about how velma was made in this show but to folks like me its really no big deal.

They really lowered freddy's IQ in this one & daphne was rather annoying in this one.

The ugly:Read about Freddy & Daphne in "The Bad" section.

An abomination of Scooby Doo!

[JohnnyJohnHildegaard · 4 September 1999]

This show stinks! It had nothing to do with Scooby-Doo, the characters aren't Scooby Doo! And They aren't pretty good, Scooby and Shaggy being the exception. Fred is now an dumb-founded Tabloid leader does idiotic things like aliens. Daphne doesn't believe in ghosts though in the eye popping part she screams and she acts like she's tacky (Not like Adult Daphne). And Velma turned into a Demi-Genius who knew EVERYTHING (Adult Velma never knew until the end). This show is stupid and rips apart Scooby Doo's reputation!

Cute

[Greta Beth · 13 June 2002]

This show is cute. it is not as good as "Scooby doo where are you" but it's just cute and puppy Scooby is cute Just cute

What were they thinking?

[griffin84 · 30 March 2004]

The creators of A Pup named Scooby-Doo seem to be drawing on the fame of the original Scooby-Doo cartoons to do all the work. The show is lacking in every way, shape, and form. For starters, while the animation is not completely terrible, the color is over-done and terribly over-saturated. The creators also seem to be a little "wild take-happy" and never miss the chance to have the characters (kids and adults alike) freak out into weird shapes, have their eyes bulge out, tongues going everywhere, you get the general idea. While many of the takes are creative and interesting, it gets really old really fast. The writing lacks a few points, namely in the villain design and the solving of the mystery. Among the villains include a Totem Pole Monster, the hairy Big Wig, artist Paula P. Casso, comic book creation Dr. Croaker, the Cheese Monster in the Scooby-Snack factory (which, by the way, is played up way like crazy), and a three-headed movie monster called Boogedy Bones. I'll take a hundred Snow Ghosts and Zombies before I watch these bad guys take their turns scaring our favorite sleuths.

I also blame this show for ruining the characters of Scooby-Doo that we all love. Shaggy & Scooby both remain true to their original characteristics, but that's it, and it's probably just because they have the original Don Messick and Casey Kasem doing the voices. Freddy, Daphne, and Velma are pulled way out of context: Fred was never the "paranoid conspiracy-theorist", Daphne was not that much of a rich snob, and even though Velma was the brains of the group, she is downplayed as a child-genius with a giant super-computer in her back pocket. They are drier than cardboard and painful to watch.

Overall, I really don't recommend this cartoon to anyone, even die-hard Scooby-Doo fans. This show was not created as a separate entity, but purely to live off of the original Scooby fame. Do yourself a favor and watch some original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" episodes before you even think about watch this.