A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is an American animated mystery comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is the eighth incarnation of the studio's Scooby-Doo franchise and depicts younger versions of the title character and his companions as they solve mysteries, similar to the original television series. The series was developed by Tom Ruegger and premiered on September 10, 1988, airing for three seasons on ABC and during the syndicated block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera until August 17, 1991. Along with most of Hanna-Barbera's production staff, Ruegger departed from the studio after the first season to create Tiny Toon Adventures for Warner Bros. Animation, and Don Lusk, a longtime animator for the Disney and Bill Melendez animation studios, took over as director. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is the final television series in the franchise in which Don Messick portrayed Scooby-Doo before his death in 1997 and the first in which Fred Jones is voiced by someone other than Frank Welker, as the character was voiced by Carl Steven, though he voiced other characters in the show. Messick and Casey Kasem, who voiced Shaggy Rogers, were the only two voice actors from other Scooby-Doo series to reprise their roles, and both received starring credits for their work.

Episodes

Characters

Main

Supporting

Production

The series' format follows the trend of the "babyfication" of older cartoon characters, as its depictions of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! cast are elementary-aged kids. The series reintroduces Fred Jones and Velma Dinkley to the show, both of whom had not appeared as regular characters since the 1970s, and Scrappy-Doo was removed from the cast. The series uses the same basic formula as the original 1969 show: the Scooby-Doo Detective Agency, a forerunner of Mystery Inc., solves supernatural mysteries in the town of Coolsville, where the monsters of the week are always revealed to be bad guys in masks and costumes. However, the series has a much different tone, as producer Tom Ruegger expanded on the humor he established with producer Mitch Schauer in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. This results in the series being a more comedic version of Scooby-Doo that satirizes the conventions of the show's previous incarnations. The characters often do wild Tex Avery/Bob Clampett-esque takes when they encounter ghosts and monsters, which animation director and overseas supervisor Glen Kennedy often animated. The monsters themselves are also more comedic, such as a creature made out of molten cheese, a monster in the form of a giant hamburger, and the ghost of a dogcatcher. In 2013, Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map, a direct-to-video puppet film, was released exclusively to US Walmart stores and digital download, using character designs from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.

Comparisons between character incarnations

The What's New, Scooby-Doo? episode "A Terrifying Round with a Menacing Metallic Clown" features a flashback to Velma's fifth birthday, using the character designs from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, albeit with some modifications, such as Daphne wearing purple rather than pink. Fred and Velma are the only returning characters to speak in the flashback, being voiced by Welker and Mindy Cohn. The continuity of the live-action film Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins establishes the team meeting in their teens.

Music

The series features songs in the style of rock and roll during the chase scene in each episode, similar to the second-season episodes of Scooby-Doo, Where are You!. However, unlike previous versions of the show, the characters are often aware of the music being played and will dance along with the ghosts and monsters before continuing the chase; Glen Kennedy often animated these dance cycles. The show's theme song features lyrics by series creator Tom Ruegger and music by composer John Debney.

Home media

Warner Home Video (via Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) initially released all 27 episodes of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo on DVD in Region 1 in seven volume sets. They subsequently re-released the entire series in different DVD sets. The first two seasons are available for download from the iTunes Store. "Wrestle Maniacs" can be found on the Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery DVD.