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History of Scooby-Doo Timeline
(1969 - Present)Scooby-Doo is an iconic American animated franchise created by Hanna-Barbera Productions, centering on a talking Great Dane and his teenage detective friends—Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy—as they solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures. Debuting in 1969 with 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!', the franchise has spanned numerous television series, animated and live-action films, comic books, and merchandise, becoming one of the longest-running and most beloved cartoons in television history. More Less
Origins and Creation
Skooby-doo character in unsold pilot Swingin' Together
1963
There was also a character in an unsold TV pilot Swingin' Together, broadcast in 1963 on CBS, named Skooby-doo, predating the famous Great Dane by several years.
The Archies release Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)
1968
Though a similar name was featured in the title of the single "Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)" released just a few months earlier in 1968 by The Archies, a fictional band from the CBS series The Archie Show that was also overseen by Silverman.
Image source: Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)
Too Much evolves into a cowardly Great Dane
Jan 1, 1969 - Mar 31, 1969
By the time the series was pitched to CBS as Who's S-S-Scared? in early 1969, the character initially known as Too Much had been solidified as a cowardly Great Dane, defining the personality that would make Scooby-Doo a beloved icon.
Image source: Scooby-Doo (character)
Franchise spans decades since 1969 creation
1969 - 2026
Since its creation in 1969 by Hanna-Barbera, the Scooby-Doo franchise has grown from a Saturday morning cartoon into a sprawling media empire spanning television series, films, video games, and video game crossovers across more than five decades.
Image source: List of Scooby-Doo media
Character created by Hanna-Barbera
1969
Scoobert Doo, more commonly known as Scooby-Doo, is an American cartoon character and the titular main protagonist of the eponymous animated television franchise created in 1969 by the American animation company Hanna-Barbera.
Pitched as Who's S-S-Scared?
Jan 1, 1969 - Mar 31, 1969
By the time the series was pitched to the network as Who's S-S-Scared? in early 1969, Too Much was solidified as a cowardly Great Dane who would become Scooby-Doo.
Ruby and Spears create the original series
1969
Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original Scooby-Doo series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, for Hanna-Barbera as a part of CBS's 1969–1970 Saturday morning cartoon schedule.
Image source: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Scooby is seven years old per official magazine
2002
According to the official magazine that accompanied the 2002 film, Scooby is canonically seven years old, offering fans an official detail about the character's age.
Voice Acting
Frank Welker begins voicing Fred Jones
1969
Frank Welker began voicing Fred Jones in 1969, a role he has continued throughout the franchise; he would later also take over as the voice of Scooby-Doo himself.
Don Messick becomes Scooby-Doo's original voice
1969
Don Messick originated the character's speech patterns and provided Scooby-Doo's voice in every Scooby-Doo production from 1969 until his retirement in 1996.
Key Facts
- Scooby-Doo first premiered on September 13, 1969, on CBS with the series 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!', created by Hanna-Barbera Productions.
- The characters were inspired by the 1959-1963 sitcom 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' and the radio drama 'I Love a Mystery', blending teen comedy with mystery-solving adventures.
- Scooby-Doo's name comes from Frank Sinatra's scat singing ('doo-be-doo') in the song 'Strangers in the Night'.
- In 2002, Scooby-Doo made the leap to live-action cinema with the Warner Bros. film 'Scooby-Doo', followed by sequels and numerous direct-to-video animated movies.
- The franchise remains ongoing, with new series such as 'Velma' (2023) on Max reimagining the characters for modern audiences, making Scooby-Doo one of the longest-running cartoon franchises ever.
Source
This History of Scooby-Doo timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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