Ranking The Top 10 Best Scooby Doo Movies & Tv Series
With different versions of Scooby Doo existing for nearly sixty years, most of us grew up with some version of Scooby and the gang. The mystery solving group that drove around in a groovy van prompt an insane amount of nostalgia and in general, anything Scooby Doo is pretty awesome. But, with ALL the content out there of Scooby Dooby Doo and his human pals, we have to admit, some stuff is just top tier. Over the 2020 lockdowns, my ex boyfriend and I took the liberty of watching everything within the Scooby Doo world that we could find… which was a lot. So, to save you some precious time, if you’re looking for the best Scooby Doo movies and shows, read along for my top ten rankings of shows and movies within the Scooby Doo world.
10. Be Cool, Scooby Doo (2015)
This show is too cute! This two-season show was produced by Warner Brothers and presents the same classic characters (voiced rather similarly) but instead of the animation style they are typically presented in since the original show, this show kind of adopts the animation style of animated adult comedies. This kind of leads to a sense of comedy in the visuals of this show in itself, which is why I’d include it in my top 10. I also kind of like the more modern world the characters are in. While the characters could easily be placed in 2015 in this show, it doesn’t feel super-modernized or anything. They didn’t get ridiculous and still made it feel a lot like Scooby Doo. As the gang is stuck solving mysteries of aliens, monsters, and robots on the loose, they’re also navigating big emotional struggles like having to say goodbye to one another at the end of the summer. I think this show is definitely worth watching, but not the first thing I’d recommend for someone wanting to dive into Scooby Doo.
9. The Scooby Doo Show (1976)
In my opinion, there’s not too much separating this Scooby Doo show from the original, Scooby-Doo, Where are You! I think the best thing about The Scooby Doo Show is that you get animation a little bit higher quality than the original in a big set of 40 episodes of mystery-solving fun. This rendition of Scooby Doo feels very familiar to me and I think it’s because it’s what I thought was the original Scooby Doo growing up. With how classic it feels, it’s definitely something I’d recommend watching should you be pursuing watching Scooby Doo seriously mainly because of the amount of content this show offers up.
8. Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (2019)
I also think this spinoff of the original Scooby Doo show is great and super cute! This series is very similar to the original series (though I believe it’s also slightly modernized like Be Cool, Scooby Doo). Though, like the times, Scooby Doo has been adapting to the modern world. In this show, though, the normal mystery solving is involved… but with a little something more. A celebrity “guest” every episode! Growing up with “What’s New, Scooby Doo?” on TV, some of my favorite episodes were the ones with celebrities animated and voicing in the episode. I thought it was so fun, which makes me happy to know that kids today get that with this Scooby Doo show. Though, not all the guests on this show are real-life people. Most notably, the gang gets a good amount of help from Sherlock Holmes.
7. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969)
Here it is, the O.G. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Is what started it all! This is the show that introduced us to the Mystery gang we know and love with their personalities pretty similar to how they are now. This show propelled it all, and is the reason we’re still entertained by Scooby, Shaggy, and the rest of the gang today. This show also introduced the predictable yet classic storytelling structure that is SO Scooby Doo, with a group of friends, each character adopting appropriate tropes, and episodes that begin with a scary mystery that the friends are invited to investigate (or forced to investigate) and then they’re mislead or distracted by clues throughout the episode such that the bad guy can be anyone, then at the end, the monster is unmasked and it’s someone we have already been introduced to within the episode… someone disguising their intentions. Even with this repetitive structure, we just keep wanting to come back and watch more and more, so this original series really killed it with setting the stage for the Scooby Doo world.
6. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
This is the second live action movie made of Scooby Doo. With the same absolutely awesome cast as the first live action Scooby Doo movie, this movie shows what happens when lots of monsters are unleashed in the real world and how the mystery gang has to deal with that. I think this movie is so great mainly because of Velma’s character complexities and growth within this movie. She’s a super important character to the gang, obviously. Not only does Velma solve most of the mysteries as the smartest member of the gang, she’s also a big emotional backbone for the gang and when her attentions are pulled every which way, it’s interesting to see what happens. I think this movie is a great one to watch when you want something fun because it really is a fun addition to the Scooby Doo world of entertainment.
5. Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005)
I don’t know if they aired this Scooby Doo movie more in Hawaii or if my parents bought it on DVD when I was a child, but this ENTIRE movie is seared in my brain permanently. Honestly, it’s insane how much of this movie I remember. Like other animated Scooby Doo Movies from the 2000s, Aloha, Scooby-Doo! Felt like a fun extra-long episode of Scooby Doo in which the gang investigates a monster scaring off tourists and competitors in a surf contest. With its kind of unpredictable ending (at least in my opinion), this movie is a great and “very Scooby-Doo” pick.
4. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)
When I first started watching this Scooby Doo show, I hated seeing the gang in this different animation style. Though after watching for a while… Then rewatching the show, I discovered how much I actually LOVE Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated. While it’s different from the original animation style, the art and style of this show is honestly gorgeous and breathtaking at times. I feel like it’s a style that fits the vibe very well. I also love the addition of an adult assisting the mystery gang in their missions, a cool lady who works at the local radio station who has a history of mystery solving herself. In this show, the gang is shown solving mysteries only around their hometown mainly instead of constantly inexplicably traveling around the world to solve mysteries. Instead, this show offers a lot more context and a continual storyline to follow the gang along on. Which is also why I loved this show so much. Perhaps I was craving a bit more depth in the Scooby Doo world, which this show definitely delivered with. For example, we even see Shaggy and Velma date in this show and see the complexities that arise from that kind of relationship in the mystery gang.
3. Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001)
I’ll say it once and I’m about to say it two more times, the absolute peak of Scooby Doo was in 2001 and 2002. During this time period, Scooby Doo was killing the game with the best content that the Great Dane and his teenage friends have seen. Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase is one of my favorite Scooby Doo movies because it epitomizes the classic Scooby Doo story while also keeping it so cool. I mean, a cyber villain? How futuristic and high tech. This was the coolest thing as a kid and it definitely hasn’t lost its appeal. This movie also has one of the greatest monster-chasing/ fighting scenes. We see the monster battle and chase the entire gang as they use teamwork to take the monster down, it’s pretty badass.
2. What’s New Scooby-Doo? (2002)
If it were a good enough reason, I’d make What’s New Scooby-Doo? Number one for its theme song alone. It is such a rocking bop I can’t even describe it so if you haven’t heard it run, don’t walk to your nearest computer (if you aren’t already on it) and play an episode just to hear this theme song. Aside from the absolute banger of a theme song What’s New Scooby-Doo had, this show was absolutely fantastic for so many reasons. I feel like when I and a lot of people from my generation think of Scooby Doo, this is the Scooby Doo they think of. I mean, this is the Hex Girls, Tony Hawk, Smash Mouth era of Scooby Doo… Need I say more. Honestly, I didn’t even need to say more than the Hex Girls era of Scooby Doo. The Hex Girls were the subjects of most of our sexual awakenings as children, after all.
1. Scooby-Doo (2002)
Oh. My. God. If you haven’t watched this movie… What are you doing reading this article? Go watch this movie! This is Scooby Doo at its absolute finest. You have the mysteries, you have the same gang, but you also have so so much more. First off, there’s a storyline that’s different from all the other Scooby Doo media (at least at first), which makes it feel fresh yet also striking as a viewer. Then, this movie also has elements that any adult viewer watching would appreciate… You know, the copious amounts of sex and weed jokes included in this Scooby Doo movie. If you didn’t pick up on them as a kid, it’s about time for a rewatch because they’re, well, potent to say the least. All jokes aside, this is as prime as Scooby Doo content gets, believe me.
What do you think are the best Scooby Doo movies and shows? Let us know in the comments!