The Scooby-Doo Show: A Bum Steer for Scooby (1976)

 

A delightful episode. 

In this episode the gang goes to visit Daphne's uncle's ranch. However, the ranch is being haunted by a ghost bull and a ghostly Indian.  

There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The desert setting is perfect for a Scooby mystery and allows for some wonderful background art. I especially love the purple canyons in the background. Adding to the great sense of atmosphere are the burial ground and the cave scenes. Both of which provide some excellent spooky moments. The moving skeleton in the burial ground is especially a lot of spooky fun as is the scene with the hawk. The bull ghost is also very memorable and fun. The humor is quite good in this episode. The slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy is excellent. 

This episode does have some flaws though. One is that we never spend any time with Daphne's uncle or get to know anything about his personality. Other realities of the gang have been simply more memorable. I also felt that though he is effective the ghostly Indian is too similar to other Scooby villains to be especially memorable. 
 
A bit of trivia, this is the first episode where Daphne's last name Blake was used though it is exclusively used for her uncle. 

While not perfect this episode is a lot of fun. 

The Scooby-Doo Show: A Frightened Hound Meets Demons Underground (1976)

 

Another wonderful Scooby mystery. 

In this episode, the gang investigates when demons are wreaking havoc in Seattle. 

Everything about this episode is fantastic. The demons have a delightfully creepy and memorable design. They also feel like a real threat to our heroes and provide some delightfully spooky moments. The way they appear in puffs of smoke and the creepy noise they make upon appearing make them even more spooky and fun. This episode also benefits from a great sense of atmosphere. This episode has some unique and memorable settings for a Scooby mystery. The underground city is an especially memorable setting. Not only is this setting wonderfully effective in and of itself, but the various abandoned stores underneath is equally fun. My favorite is one that is filled with statues of monsters and ghosts. What makes this scene even more fun is that some of the statues resemble characters from previous Scooby mysteries including Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Werewolf (1970) and Which Witch is Which (1969). This episode also has an especially fun climatic chase which masterfully mixes slapstick and thrills. Speaking of slapstick, the humor in this episode is often quite funny. The gag with Scooby and the shadow cracked me up. 

An excellent episode and a must watch for Scooby fans. 

The Scooby-Doo Show: The No-Faced Zombie Chase Case (1976)

 

A delightful episode. 

In this episode the gang is enjoying a meal (and Scooby and Shaggy a hero sandwich), when Scooby spies a zombie with no face. They find out that this zombie stole a valuable coin. When they find the zombie in a toy factory, before you can say "jinkies" the gang has another mystery on their hands. 

There is a lot to love about this episode. The zombie is a very fun villain. His design is fantastic, and he has a delightfully creepy feel to him. The humor in this episode is quite great as well. This is actually one of the funniest episodes of this season and some of the gags made me laugh out loud. The slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy is wonderful. A gag involving a toy duplicator and the ending gag is truly hilarious. The lieutenant is a very fun character as well. His skepticism towards everything the gang tells him, makes for a real fun chemistry between the two. It is too bad this is the character's only appearance as I could see him becoming a great reoccurring character.

This episode does have its flaws though. A gorilla finds his way into the act and feels completely out of place. A gorilla and a no-faced zombie are an odd pairing of villains and don't feel like they belong in the same episode. I also felt that (except for a few gags), this episode doesn't really fully utilize the toy factory setting. While this should be a perfect setting for a Scooby mystery, it is lacking in the atmosphere it should have. 

Despite a few flaws, this is a fun episode that benefits from some real laugh out loud humor.   



 

The Scooby-Doo Show: The Harum Scarum Sanitarium (1976)

 

A masterpiece of a Scooby mystery. 

In this episode, the gang gets lost on their way to Niagra Falls. The windup spending the night at a mental asylum that is haunted by the ghost of Dr. Coffin.

Everything about this episode is simply wonderful. This is a different type of setting for a Scooby mystery, and that helps give the episode a very unique and effective sense of atmosphere. This sense of atmosphere is helped out by some wonderful background art and some very effective creepy music (I think this episode may have one of the best musical scores for any Scooby mystery ever). There are also some very effective creepy moments here, especially Scooby being hypnotized by the ghost playing the organ and where it looks like dead bodies are being carried out. The ghost of Dr. Coffin is one of the best Scooby ghosts, as he is legitimately creepy in everything from his design to his laugh to how much of a threat, he feels like to our heroes. Adding to the spooky fun is some delightful humor that made me laugh multiple times. Shaggy especially gets some good comedic lines here. The mystery element is especially strong here as the identity of the ghost is not obvious, but it makes perfect sense when it is revealed. 

This may be one of the best Scooby episodes ever.  

The Scooby-Doo Show: Scared a Lot in Camelot (1976)

 

An excellent episode. 

In this episode, Shaggy's wealthy and eccentric uncle inherited the old King Arthur castle and moved it over to his home in new England. Unfortunately, it seems that the castle came with the ghosts of Merlin and the Black Knight. 

There is a lot to love about this episode. Haunted castles are always a perfect setting for a Scooby mystery, and this one is no exception. This setting is very atmospheric, giving a delightful Halloweeny vibe to the proceedings. Much of this is due to great background art and use of daker colors. Also adding to the Halloweeny vibe are the floating spirits, which add just the type of spooky fun that we all love. Merlin may not look particularly ghost-like, but he does have a really fun design and feels like a real threat to our heroes. The Black Knight also feels quite intimidating. Where this episode really stands out is it humor. The humor really is exceptionally good here. Scooby and Shaggy being hypnotized is absolutely hilarious as is much of the slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy. Also getting some good laughs is Shaggy's uncle and his similarities to Shaggy. 

If I had one complaint it is that the mystery is really easy to solve due to a lack of suspects but when an episode is as fun as this, that is hardly a complaint. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: Watt a Shocking Ghost

 

A wonderful episode. 

In this episode, the gang winds up in the small town of Winterhaven, when the Mystery Machine runs out of gas. Here they find the town is being terrifired by an electifying 10,000 volt ghost. Before you can say Jinkies the gang has another mystery on their hands. 

What makes this episode so wonderful is the villain. The 10,000 Volt Ghost is a top-notch Scooby villain in every way. His design is very memorable and even quite unique among Scooby villains. He also feels like a real threat to our heroes, especially since his electric exterior makes it so our heroes can't even touch him. The big reveal of who the ghost's true idenity is also quite clever. There is a reason that he is one of The Scooby-Doo! Show's most memorable villains and even appears in the show's theme song. The episode also greatly benefits from some strong humor, especially the slapstick involving Scooby and Shaggy. The town of Winterhaven also provides a great setting for a Scooby mystery. The snowy abandoned town is quite atmospheric, espically due to some great background art. The scenes in the abandoned engry plant are especially atmospheric and fun. 

This is Scooby-Doo at its best. 

The Scooby-Doo Show: The Gruesome Game of the Gator Ghoul (1976)

 

An excellent episode. 

In this episode the gang goes to visit Scooby-Doo's cousin Scooby-Dum in the deep south. There they find that Scooby-Dum's owners Ma and Pa Skillett, who own a showboat restaurant, are being haunted by a gator ghoul. The gang (and Scooby-Dum) have another mystery on their hands. 

There is a lot to love about this episode. The gator ghoul is a wonderful villain with a great design and delightfully creepy glowing eyes. This is a very creepy villain that feels like a real threat to our heroes. This helps make the gator ghoul one of the most memorable villains of this series. The swap setting as well as the scenes aboard the showboat give this episode a wonderful sense of atmosphere. This setting helps give this whole episode a delightfully spooky feel. As well as being spooky, this episode is also often quite funny. There are plenty of truly funny laughs here. The slapstick with Shaggy. Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Dum is often delightfully funny. At the same time this slapstick actually contributes to the story as it sets up how our heroes will catch the villain. 

This episode marks Scooby-Dum's first appearance, and it is one of the best uses of the character. He is a pure delight here. He provides some of the episode's funniest moments and he has great chemistry with Scooby-Doo. The contrast of his bravery (he is studying to become a police dog) and Scooby-Doo's cowardness is a lot of fun as well. 

This is a top-notch Scooby mystery in every way. 

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The Scooby-Doo Show: The Fiesta Host is an Aztex Ghost (1976)

 

A really fun episode. 

In this episode, the Mystery Inc. Gang goes to Mexico for a fiesta, but the fiesta is cancelled because the town is being haunted by the giant ghost of  Katazuma, an ancient Aztec king.

There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. Mexico proves to be a great setting for a Scooby mystery. There is a great sense of atmosphere throughout. The scenes in the swap are especially effective, due to some incredible background art and the use of lighting and fog. Also delightful are the scenes in the temple, which again benefit from some strong background art. I truly appreciate how the scenes in the temple fully utilize every member of the Mystery Inc. gang. There are also some delightfully spooky moments. The scene with the phantom barge is especially effective in this respect. The episode also benefits from some pretty strong humor, Shaggy gets some funny lines here and Scooby gets some good slapstick moments. 

The only real flaw with this episode is that the villain is rather forgettable and does little to stand out from other Scooby villains.  

A delightful episode. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Beast is Awake in Bottomless Lake (1978)

 

A really fun episode. 

The gang ends up in Canada and decides to visit Bottomless Lake. However there is nobody else around because that were all scared away by the beast of the lake. 

There is quite a bit to enjoy about this episode. The humor with Shaggy and Scooby is especially good as there are some very good comedic moments here. Even Scooby's facial reactions during some of these comedic moments made me smile. Even the wrap of who done it and why had some very good slapstick in it, which was easily enhanced because of some pretty good limited animation that let you see what was going on in Scooby's mind. The closing gag is also excellent.  This is also a very atmospheric episode. The Candana setting really works to this episode's advantage. The background art here is especially fantastic. The trees and mountains against a very dark blue sky gives this episode an effectively creepy and unique feel. The underground area is also wonderfully atmospheric. 

Unfortunately the monster here feels quite generic and doesn't really stand out from many of the other monsters we have met. The mystery is also pretty easy to solve as there are so few suspects. 

All in all this is a really fun episode, even if the monster isn't that memorable. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: A Menace in Venice (1978)

 

An excellent episode. 

In this episode our friends go to Venice to visit their friend Antonio in Italy. However the Ghostly Gondolier is haunting their friend and trying to steal an ancient necklace that he wears. 

This episode is so much fun. There is a great sense of atmosphere throughout. This is especially true of the outdoor scenes which do a wonderful job with the lighting and use of fog. While there have been plenty of Scooby mysteries that took place outdoors and, in the fog, this episode really stands out because it is done so well and because the Italian setting adds a lot. The background art in this episode is once again wonderful and simply a joy to look at. This episode also benefits from a great villain. While he may not be the creepiest Scooby villain, he has a great design and a wonderful voice, both of which make him so much fun to watch. The fact that he kidnaps Daphne adds a great sense of suspense to the story and makes this episode feel like it has larger stakes than the average Scooby-Doo mystery. Though this episode may not be as reliant on the slapstick gags with Scooby and Shaggy as many others, around this time period, the slapstick gags with the two we do get are quite good and a lot of fun. 

This is truly a great episode and one that I think deserves more attention than it gets. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: Scooby's Chinese Fortune Kooky Caper (1978)

 

A fun, if not especially memorable episode. 


In this episode the gang visits China and gets lost in the city of Rampoo. While there the gang runs into a moon monster.

There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The chases with Scooby and Shaggy are as always a lot of fun and there are some good slapstick gags that put a smile on my face. There is also some of the wonderfully atmospheric artwork that I love about this series. I especially love the scene with the moon monster getting away in a boat at night. This scene was simply beautiful to look at and creates a delightfully atmospheric feel. The mystery also is quite good here. There aren't many suspects but each of the suspects there are make perfect sense. When the identity is revealed it makes perfect sense. The design of the monster is pretty cool looking although I wish it didn't look so obviously like a man in a costume. This is animation, so there is no reason it had look so obvious. I do love the aura of light around the monster though. That is a very nice touch. 

The only problem with this episode is that is simply is not that memorable. Most everything is done well, but there is little to make it stand out among the many other Scooby-Doo! episodes that follow this formula. I also think the episode could have taken better advantage of its Chinese setting. 

This episode is definitely fun to watch but it is also not one that will stick in your mind long after watching it. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Diabolical Disc Demon (1978)

 

A fun episode.

In this episode, the gang goes to the Decade Records recording studio to see their friend rock and roll singer, Jimmy Lewis. However when they come the studio is being haunted by the mysterious phantom. Before you can say "Jinkies" the gang has another mystery on their hands.

This episode benefits from quite a strong villain. Not only is his design quite cool, but his voice is fantastic. This is one of the creepiest and most memorable voices for a Scooby-Doo! villain. There is a little bit of a robotic feel to his voice that makes its all the creepier and more effective. This episode also benefits from some delightful comedy. The scene with Shaggy and Scooby with the milkshake machine is a wonderful little comedic skit that definitely put a big smile on my face. Though the setting of a record store may not be the most memorable location for a Scooby mystery, this episode does have the usual great background art and use of lighting that I love about this era of Scooby-Doo! 

The main problem with this episode is that the mystery is incredibly easy to solve. Also with this episode focusing heavily on the Scooby and Shaggy slapstick, as well as the duo discovering the main clues, Fred, Velma and Daphne don't really do that much here and feel more like supporting characters rather than the major characters they normally are.

The desgin of the villain of this episode was clearly inspired by the rock band Kiss. The same year this episode came out, Hanna-Barbera would release a live action made for TV movie starring the famous rock band, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978). Kiss themselves would later meet the Mystery Inc. Gang in the What's New Scooby-Doo! episode, A Scooby-Doo Halloween (2003) and the direct to video movie, Scooby-Doo! & Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015).

This may not be the strongest Scooby mystery, but it is still a lot of fun. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Creepy Creature of Vulture's Claw (1978)

 

A wonderful episode. 

In this episode the gang visits Velma's friend, Professor Greer. When they discover that there is a giant monster that looks like a praying mantis scaring everyone away from the botanical garden that Professor Greer owns. Before you can say Jinkies, the gang has another mystery on their hands. 

The mystery element is surprisingly very strong in this episode. While most of the Scooby mysteries of this time are too easy to solve, that is not the case here. There are quite a few suspects that all seem like they could have done it and the villain reveal here actually took me by surprise. Yet when one looks at all the clues the reveal makes perfect sense. Speaking of the villain, the monster here has a great design. He has quite a cartoony look that somehow manages to feel both creepy and threatening at the same time. This character perfectly captures the charm of this franchise as he combines creepiness and cartoony fun. Speaking of cartoony fun the humor in this episode is quite funny especially the slapstick with Shaggy and Scooby. Like most Scooby mysteries of this time, this episode benefits heavily from a great sense of atmosphere and wonderful background art that gives it a delightfully creepy feeling. The very foggy night scene is especially effective here. 

It has been said that the monster here was based off the monster in the Vincent Price movie, The Fly (1958). Vincent Price would of course later voice a major character in the Scooby-Doo! TV show, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo! This is also the only episode in which Velma and Daphne sit together in the back of the Mystery Machine.

This is an excellent episode. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: Make a Beeline Away From that Feline (1978)

 

A wonderful episode. 

In this episode the gang visits Daphne's aunt, Oliva. She believes that a strange medallion is turning her into a cat creature that is robbing various jewelry stores. 

This is a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric. The Cat Creature itself is quite creepy and intimidating. This is due to a wonderful design that is not only creepy but also quite memorable, especially since it does not resemble the previous monsters the gang has faced. This helps give the whole episode a unique feel to it. Also helping is the wonderful artwork here. The York Towers (where Daphne's aunt lives) is a fantastic and unique environment for a Scooby mystery. It completely has the look of a fancy place to live, while also managing to have a creepy feel to it when it needs to. The scenes in the cemetery at night are also delightfully creepy. Much of this is due to the great background art that is seen throughout many of the Scooby cartoons of this time period. Here that art is especially great and love the amount of detail that went into these backgrounds. This episode also features some above average animation for a Scooby mystery of this era, especially in the climatic scene in the elevator. The humor here is also quite good and I definitely got some good laughs out of this episode. 

The only real complaint I have is that the mystery is too easy to solve, but this is true of many Scooby mysteries of this era. 

This episode is a sheer delight for Scooby fans. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: Jeepers, It's the Jaguaro! (1978)

 

A delightful episode. 

In this episode, the Mystery Inc. Gang is flying to Rio de Janeiro, but crash lands in a Brazilian jungle. There they run into the Jaguaro, a giant animal, that is a hybrid between an ape and a panther. 

This is a very fun episode. While story wise it treads familiar territory, the setting gives this episode a unique feel. The jungle is quite different than the average setting than the average Scooby episode. Though many episodes take place in some dark woods, this jungle is quite different. It is not only more exotic looking, but most of this episode also takes place in broad daylight. This does not take away the suspense from the story. In fact this episode has more suspense than an average Scooby mystery, as through much of it, our heroes are truly in danger as they run into many dangerous animals and even headhunters. The Jaguaro, itself is quite intimidating and while it is not exactly creepy, it does feel like a real threat to our heroes and has a cool design. This is also a very comedy heavy episode, focusing greatly on slapstick involving Scooby and Shaggy and much of it is quite funny. 

Unfortunately the mystery is quite easy to solve due to a lack of suspects. 

The Jaguaro would later appear in the direct to video movie, Scooby-Doo! and the Cyber Chase (2001).

A delightful episode. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Creepy Case of Old Iron Face (1978)

 

An excellent episode. 

In this episode, the gang is water skiing and find themselves being chased by a mysterious figure in an iron mask with a bunch of mechanical sharks. The gang travels to Skull Island (not the same one King Kong lives on), a creepy island with a creepy prison on it to investigate. 

There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The island and the prison within turn out to be perfect settings for a Scooby mystery. They provide a delightfully creepy atmosphere that is simply a lot of fun. The also allow for some wonderful artwork that is simply a joy to look at. Even with how consistently great the Scooby artwork from this time period is, the artwork here still very much stands out because it is excellent. While the villain's design is not one that especially stands out, I love the idea of the mechanical sharks, which are simply a lot of fun. The scenes with this villain chasing our heroes is also wonderfully done. This is a very comedy heavy episode and the comedy here is really good. Many of these gags really made me chuckle and the dogfish gag as well as the shadow puppet gag made me laugh out loud. The wonderful slapstick during the chase scenes are also a pure delight to watch.

My only real complaint about this episode is the lack of suspects we see. The reveal of who the villain is, should have been a great twist, but still one can easily figure it out due to a lack of suspects. 

Old Iron Face would later reappear in the direct to video movies, Scooby-Doo! and the Cyber Chase (2001) and Scooby-Doo!: Frankencreepy (2014). 

This episode is a real delight. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: Highland Fling with a Monstrous Thing (1978)

 

A fun episode. 

Velma's Scottish friend, Aggie McDuff is having ghost trouble. She is letting tourists into her old ancestral home and a ghost is scaring all the tourists away. Naturally she calls her friend Velma and the Mystery Inc. gang is soon on the case. 

This episode benefits from a wonderful sense of atmosphere. Though the gang has been in old castles quite a few times by this point, the Scottish flair gives this episode a bit of a unique feel. It also allows the backround artists to add some nice Scottish touches. As well as these little touches, this episode also has all the great spooky castle atmosphere that was already present in the previous spooky castle episodes. I especially love the use of the Lochness Monster and kilt wearing skeleton. The sense of atmosphere is even seen before the gang enters the castle with the gang driving through the Scotland fog and seeing the lakes of Lochness. Once again the background art is simply wonderful to look at. This episode also has a lot of slapstick gags involving Shaggy in Scooby. While this may not be laugh out loud funny they did make me chuckle and smile quite a few times. 

The problem with this episode is the ghost himself. With the amount of ghosts the gang has met, there is little to make this one stand out. He is neither creepier nor more intimidating than the many other ghosts, the gang has met. Because of this he simply comes off as another ghost, but this time with a kilt, making him rather forgettable.

Despite a weaker villain, this is still a delightful episode with a lot of fun to be found. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Tar Monster (1978)

 

A really fun episode. 

In this episode the gang go to visit their friend Dr. Brixton. Dr. Brixton is an archeologist who has just discovered a city that has been buried for thousands of years. However a fabled tar monster tries to scare everyone away from this spot. 

There is a whole lot to enjoy about this episode. An underground city is a wonderful location for a Scooby mystery and it is used to great effect here. It is a very atmospheric setting and has the right mix of creepiness and fun. Once again this setting allows for some truly wonderful background art that is a joy to look at and with this unique location truly makes this episode stand out. There is also so much detail and work put into these backgrounds that don't need to be there but enhance the episode a lot. While the tar monster may not be the most memorable Scooby-Doo villain, he has a good design that again combines creepy and fun pretty well. The humor in this episode is quite good. There are some really good gags here. Not only do Scooby and Shaggy get some good slapstick, but even a nameless spider gets a pretty good gag. 

The main problem with this episode is that there are too few suspects and because of this the mystery is often much too easy to solve. 

All in all a really good episode. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: To Switch a Witch (1978)

 

One of the best Scooby mysteries. 

On Halloween night the gang travels to Salem to visit an old friend, Arlene Wilcox. When they arrive in Salem they are told to stay away because a witch has possessed Arlene. When they get to Arlene's house, she tells them that one of the townsfolks claims to have seen a witch, who over 200 years ago was burned at the stake, raise from the grave and that the witch looked like Arlene. 

This is a wonderful episode. It benefits from a strong spooky atmosphere. The idea of have a Scooby-Doo! mystery take place in Salem on Halloween night is brilliant. There is already a spookiness to this setting that is in place even before anything even happens. This is only enhanced by the wonderful artwork. Having the episode take place only at night and being in a town that looks quite old-fashioned leads to some very atmospheric background that makes this episode feel like an old monster movie in all the best ways. This is especially true of the scenes that take place in a graveyard. As creepy as it is this artwork is also beautiful to look at (I really would love a book made entirely of Scooby-Doo! background art). This would be a terrifying situation and the use of it here makes this episode have a great amount of suspense and a greater sense of danger than most Scooby mysteries of this time. Adding to the creepy atmosphere is the angry mob hunting after Arlene believing she is a witch. The witch is also a truly wonderful villain, with a creepy design and voice that simply makes her perfect for such an atmospheric episode. The slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy is also great here with the scenes with the two trick or treating and a nice twist on the old mirror gag being definite comedic highlights. The mystery is also really good here and this is one of the few Scooby mysteries of the 1970's where the reveal actually took me by surprise. Yet the clues where there and when they were pointed out they made perfect sense. 

This is as good as classic Scooby-Doo! gets. 

The Scooby-Doo! Show: The Warlock of Wimbledon (1978)

 

A very fun episode. 

In this episode tennis player, Jimmy Pelton, has met a warlock named Anthos, who seems to have put a curse on him. When the gang meets up with Jimmy, they decide to investigate. 

What really makes this episode stand out is the villain's plan. Instead of simply scaring people off, the Warlock seems to be playing mental games with this tennis player. Unlike many other episodes where we simply see a character get scared, here we get to actually get a look into how this affects Jimmy's mind. This especially shows during the tennis match. This episode also benefits from a wonderful sense of atmosphere. The early scenes with the gang at night in the fog are very effective. There is automatically a creepy vibe to these scenes. These scenes also benefit from some of the wonderful background art that makes Scooby mysteries of this era such a joy to look at. Also though this is not one of the funniest Scooby episodes, it did have some really good gags in it, even if those gags made me smile more than laugh. The mystery is also very well thought out and quite clever. 

The only real problem with this episode is that the Warlock's design and voice are kind of bland and forgettable. This keeps him from becoming one of the more memorable Scooby-Doo villains. However his costume did appear in live action in the theatrical feature film, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). 

All in all this is a very fun episode.