A Live-Action Scooby Doo Series Sounds Great, But I Don’t Think Netflix is the Right Home

Scooby-Doo has to be the hardest-working canine in Hollywood. That poor pup can’t catch a break, and it looks like the Great Dane is going to Netflix.  

Seriously, though, there have been countless animated Scooby shows and countless movies. However, The Mystery Machine is getting the live-action treatment again.  

Netflix is bringing Scooby-Doo into the real world for more hijinks with grumpy older men disguised as ghosts.

But is the streaming giant really the right home for this iteration of everyone’s favorite crime-busting pooch?  

For one, we don’t know what form this new story will take, but if recent years are any indication, we might be saying “jinkies” before the end of the pilot episode.   

Scooby Doo Has Seen a Lot of Highs and Lows Over the Years, with One of the Lowest Recently Airing on Max  

Scooby-Doo is one of those figures that will live on long after the generation that started with him is gone. He’s like Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse. He’s timeless and needs to be protected.   

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More to the point, though, audiences have a special place in their heart for Scooby and the gang. So, the last thing anyone wants is to have the original formula messed with.   

For readers with a Max membership, you may be familiar with one of the most recent incarnations of the Scooby-Doo story. I’m talking, of course, of the mess that was Velma.   

I’m not knocking Mindy Kaling because the actress is hysterical in almost everything she does — emphasis on almost.  

Velma’s issue is that it tries way too hard to bring the Scooby story into the world of absurd humor like Rick and Morty.  

Crossing the line and pushing the boundaries may work for a psychotic genius scientist and his bumbling grandson, but gross humor has never been Scooby’s thing. Well, not directly.  

The fault lies in Max attempting adult humor through an animated Scooby-Doo format. Everyone knows the gang has to be wholesome when animated.  

Now, live action, on the other hand, is a different beast altogether, and this isn’t our first rodeo.  

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It feels like just yesterday we were watching Linda Cardellini give a perfect performance as Miss Velma Dinkley. She was perfect in the part.  

And who could forget Matthew Lillard as Shaggy? That voice? Holy crap. It was like he actually became the character himself.  

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Suffice it to say, the Scooby-Doo movies were done right. Although, if I’m being honest, Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar would not have been my first choices for Fred and Daphne, but it worked.  

Do you know what else worked in the live-action movies? The gross and adult humor. Granted, it was very subtle, so only adults would pick up on it, but it didn’t hurt the films.  

The movies developed their own brand of humor to make the story work in a new medium and with a new generation.  

There was meta humor that worked as nostalgic callbacks to the original run of the series. And, best of all, it didn’t take itself too seriously.  

Besides, how perfect was having Scrappy, the most hated Hanna-Barbera character, as the villain who truly hated his Uncle Scooby and those meddling kids?  

If Netflix tries to reach an older demographic with risqué humor, it might be able to do so in a live-action format and avoid the pitfalls of the Max version.

However, Netflix doesn’t feel like the right home.  

Netflix Is Hardly Known for Giving Shows a Fighting Chance, And This New Scooby-Doo Show Could Already Be Making Questionable Decisions 

For one, the streaming juggernaut is not exactly known for giving shows longevity. Even shows that develop a loyal fanbase can fall victim to Netflix’s chopping block.  

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I suppose it would help if we knew what direction the show would take, but there hasn’t been much information besides who’s running it.  

Scooby and gang will be developed by Greg Berlanti and his production company, Berlanti Productions. Real ones will recognize that name without hesitation.  

Greg Berlanti is as prolific in the television industry as Ryan Murphy. He just doesn’t usually frequent headline news.  

Basically, if you’ve ever watched any show on The CW or a DC live-action superhero show, you’ve seen a Berlanti production.  

That says a lot about the possibilities. The only thing that hasn’t been done is a Scooby-Doo live-action show that takes itself seriously.  

Maybe Velma works for the CIA, and Fred contacts her after Daphne goes missing, Taken style. However, I don’t know how you would make that work with a Great Dane.  

So, apart from the developer, some producers, and a writer, we know nothing about this new Scooby-Doo show at the moment.  

Can this show work on Netflix? Honestly, who knows? The streamer likes to throw every kind of show at the wall to see which ones stick.  

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Generally speaking, Netflix is where many viewers go to see something new and fresh. Lately, however, the streaming service has been dipping into the reboot pool quite a bit, with few successes.  

Take That ’90s Show, for example. It had two solid seasons, and then it was canceled. I guess it takes more than just nostalgia to get a series off the ground.  

Don’t worry, though, because as soon as any details about the show are revealed, TV Fanatic will deliver the goods!  

What do you think this live-action Scooby-Doo will be about?  

Do you think streamers need to stick to original content?  

Please drop a comment below to let me know what you think, and join me again when I bring you more fun questions and opinions about new and returning shows right here at TV Fanatic!

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