SCOOBY-DOO AND SCRAPPY-DOO (1979)

SCOOBY-DOO AND SCRAPPY-DOO

(ABC, September 22, 1979-January 5, 1980)

Hanna-Barbera Productions

MAIN CAST:

Don Messick – Scooby-Doo

Lennie Weinrib – Scrappy-Doo, various

Casey Kasem – Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, various

Frank Welker – Fred Jones, various

Heather North – Daphne Blake

Pat Stevens (episodes 1-11) & Marla Frumkin (episodes 12-15) – Velma Dinkley

For the history of Scooby-Doo, check out this post here.

             By the time the fourth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise rolled around on his tenth anniversary, the formula that made it so popular had begun to wear thin. Not only had there already been three previous Scooby programs, but there was also an endless series of clones and twists on the concept produced by Hanna-Barbera and competitors to try and duplicate the magic. ABC, taking note of the declining ratings, constantly threatened to cancel the show every season, forcing Hanna-Barbera to insert a new element to keep things fresh each time.

Special delivery: Scrappy-Doo!

             Enter Scooby’s plucky new sidekick: his nephew Scrappy-Doo (Lennie Weinrib), created by producer Joseph Barbera and designer Iwao Takamoto. Where Scooby (Don Messick) was cowardly, Scrappy was brave and headstrong, always ready to charge into a situation fists first (often to the point of needing to be saved from an impending threat because he wasn’t willing to recognize when it was too big for him to deal with) while shouting his battle cry “Tata-ta ta ta-ta, Puppy Power!” Scrappy would also attempt to set his own monster traps, usually resulting in his capturing Scooby and Shaggy (Casey Kasem) instead of his intended target. Scrappy would always push Scooby into situations he would rather run from, offering what he considered encouragement.

Scrappy carrying Scooby into danger.

The concept for Scrappy harkened back to Joe Ruby and Ken Spears’ initial ideas for Scooby before he evolved into the more well-known incarnation. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to sell ABC on the idea right away. Writer Mark Evanier was brought on to help refine Scrappy and write the pilot episode that would introduce and set up the character for the series. Rumors floated around about a senior ABC executive being more receptive to ideas that were similar to classic Warner Bros. cartoons, so Evanier patterned Scrappy’s personality after Henry Hawk after a conversation with Barbera pointed him in that direction and wrote a script based off of one he had done for the Gold Key comic book series. In the 11^th hour, ABC wanted Scrappy’s scrappiness to be toned down a bit in the initial presentation. Although they eventually backed off of that desire, Hanna-Barbera went through with it anyway. 

Scrappy always ready for a scrap.

When casting for Scrappy, Hanna-Barbera was inclined to approach Mel Blanc to assume the role, as he had played Henry. However, he wanted more money than they were prepared to pay. Frank Welker was auditioned and even supplied them with the “Puppy Power” catchphrase. The role ultimately went to Messick, who had turned in the best audition. That is, until ABC heard the initial recording of the pilot and decided Messick’s voice just didn’t fit the character. Going back to the auditions, Daws Butler was selected as the new voice and the episode was recorded again. However, ABC still wasn’t happy, and the process repeated. Marilyn Schreffler and Welker both had turns recording Scrappy, and names like Paul Winchell and Dick Beals were being tossed around while the studio was attempting to negotiate with Blanc. Finally, the role went to Weinrib.

The Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco.

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo debuted on ABC on September 22, 1979. The villains of the show were heavily influenced by the culture of the time, with such spooks as the “Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco”. The series was written by Evanier with Glenn Leopold, Diane Duane, Willie Gilbert, Duane Poole, Tom Swale, David Villaire, Mark Jones, Bryce Malek and Bob Ogle. While maintaining the Hanna-Barbera laugh track (the last series to do so), the series did feature an all-new musical score by Hoyt Curtin; finally retiring the score it had used since Where Are You! The theme song was a reworking of The New Scooby-Doo Movies theme. 

"Enjoy that ice cream, guys. May be your last good meal in a long time!"

Although Scrappy wouldn’t be a fan-favorite as the years progressed, the ratings managed to stabilize enough to have Scooby continue to be ABC’s schedule stopgap every season. While all the familiar characters were present on the show, the focus of the series began to shift heavily onto the comic relief of Scooby and Shaggy’s cowardice more than the spooky weekly mystery-solving. Gradually, the rest of Mystery, Inc. faded into the background of the stories to the point of irrelevance. In fact, the final episode featured only mere cameos of Fred (Welker), Daphne (Heather North) and Velma (Pat Stevens originally, but replaced by Marla Frumkin for health reasons). Mystery, Inc. was dropped entirely as series regulars with the next incarnation of the show.            

Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood DVD cover.

            Before Stevens departed, she participated in a prime-time special with the rest of the cast called Scooby Goes Hollywood, produced at the same time as this series but omitting Scrappy. Shown December 13^th, 1979, the plot of the movie poked fun at the increasingly stale format of the Scooby franchise. Shaggy and Scooby desiring something new and better than their typical Saturday morning pratfalls and tried to make it big in Hollywood on prime-time TV. Ultimately, they’re convinced to return to Saturday mornings. 

Shaggy fainting on the job.

Seven episodes had been released as part of five DVD compilations called Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales between 2012-15. In 2015, the complete series was given its own release. The series entered syndicated reruns in the 1980s, before ending up on Cartoon Network with the other Scooby shows in 1994 and sister network Boomerang in 2000. In 2024, it joined the rotation of Scooby programs on retro animation network MeTV Toons.

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Scarab Lives!” (9/22/79) – A cartoonist’s superhero, the Blue Scarab, comes to life as a villain and it’s up to the gang to stop him.

“The Night Ghoul of Wonderland” (9/29/79) – The gang treat Velma to a Sherlock Holmes mystery at an amusement park when the crime ends up being real.

“Strange Encounters of the Scooby Kind” (10/6/79) – Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy are kidnapped by aliens, leaving the rest of the gang to save them.

“The Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco!” (10/13/79) – The gang help the owners of Sparklers Roller Disco by finding out what the Neon Phantom wants.

“Shiver and Shake, That Demon’s A Snake” (10/20/79) – While on vacation in the Florida Keys, Daphne buys an idol cursed by the Snake Demon the gang encounters.

“The Scary Sky Skeleton” (10/27/79) – Daphne’s friend, stunt pilot Wendy, is getting ready for an air show when the Sky Skeleton appears.

“The Demon of the Dugout” (11/3/79) – A demon interrupts the baseball game between the American team and the Japanese team for the Baseball Diamond.

“The Hairy Scare of the Devil Bear” (11/10/79) – The gang stumble upon the legendary Devil Bear in the Grand Canyon.

“Twenty Thousand Screams Under the Sea” (11/17/79) – The sea beast of the Aztecs rises in Acapulco and scares away all the divers.

“I Left My Neck in San Francisco” (11/24/79) – A Vampiress that resembles Daphne stalks San Francisco, leading Shaggy, Scrappy and Scooby to think Daphne is the vampire.

“Where You Wish Upon a Star Creature” (12/1/79) – A Star Creature appears to frighten everyone away when the Green Hills observatory discovers a new star.

“The Ghoul, the Bat, and the Ugly” (12/8/79) – The gang attends the Batty Awards where the Shadow Creature destroys the best horror film of the year.

“Rocky Mountain Yiiiii!” (12/15/79) – The ghost of Jeramiah Pratt interrupts the gang’s ski weekend.

“The Sorcerer’s Menace” (12/22/79) – The ghost of the Great Haldayne is the prime suspect in the disappearance of the Black Pearl of Tonga Lei.

“Lock the Door, It’s Minotaur” (12/29/79) – The gang investigates why a minotaur is scaring everyone off the Greek island of Helos.

“The Ransom of Scooby Chief” (1/5/80) – While visiting Scrappy’s old neighborhood, Scooby and Shaggy end up kidnapped and it’s up to Scrappy and his friends to save them.

Originally posted in 2014. Updated in 2025.