Monday, October 21, 2024

Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics: The Sahara Desert and Scotland (1977)

 




Another very fun episode. 

As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges. 

In the Sahara Desert the teams compete in a drag race and try to fill up an empty oasis. In Scotland the teams compete to capture a picture of the Loc Ness Monster and in a three-legged kilt race. 

This episode is full of just the type of corny fun that we have come to expect from this series. There is plenty of delightfully silly slapstick and corny puns throughout. The highlight is the teams looking for the Lockness monster. This bit is filled with all the Hanna-Barbera slapstick one could hope for. This is especially true as because when you involve monsters, you get to see Scooby and Shaggy doing what they do best. Wally Gator and Snooper being underwater also adds to the slapstick fun of the event. The ending of that event is perfect slapstick. The three-legged kilt race is also a highlight. The idea of having the giant Grape Ape and the tiny Yakky Doodle being tied together is a delightful clever idea. The magic that Babu uses to get him and Scooby-Dum to help them in the races also leads to some good slapstick. I also like that this episode does a great job of keeping you guessing who is going to win and actually has some surprises in that department. 

A delightful episode. 


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