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azure-wolf-227 · 10 days ago

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How I'd Do Scooby-Doo

Since the introduction of HBO's Velma, I've been thinking about how I'd go about an adult Scooby-Doo show.

For one, Scooby is a must. He's the face of the entire franchise & there is no Scooby-Doo show without him.

Next, I'd keep the gang mostly the same as they've always been. Maybe update their wardrobes. Possibly give Velma a cute bob cut.

Something like this would be cute & would keep to her general style.

Maybe give her a red vest jacket & a beret? She'd look cute in a beret. Knit orange top with a loose pile collar, long loose, slightly puffy sleeves with buttoned cuffs that go about halfway up the forearms. Modest, but not frumpy. Keep the red skirt, possibly make it plaid; high-waisted, double button. With a pair of black bike shorts or tights underneath. Maybe give her boots with tall orange socks when she's wearing the shorts. No heels. It's impractical when your job involves a lot of walking or running around.

In fact, give them all shoes or boots built for running or hiking. Yes, even Daphne. Just because they're functional doesn't mean they have to look ugly.

Keep the same overall rounded design of Velma's face with freckles.

Other than that, make the whole gang like a mix between What's New Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated, & the episode ScoobyNatural.

Except, make Fred a little less oblivious & maybe less obsessive over traps. Instead, add to his fascination with it by making him also very interested in Rube Goldberg machines, mechanics, & even a little bit of engineering. Not necessarily in a scientific way, more so a 'he can see how it all fits together' way. And the strategizer of the group.

He must also be a himbo, dadfriend, & a gearhead! I will have no arguments!!

Keep Daphne as resourceful with a mind for guerilla science & combat. And the karate muscle. Now, that doesn't mean that she won't get kidnapped every once in a while, because even masters of combat can be caught off guard sometimes.

Fred & Daphne are in a steady relationship, while Shaggy & Velma had tried it for a bit, but instead of it ending in a fight like in Mystery Incorperated where, let's be honest, Velma was being a control freak; here she's a mature adult, so they just broke it off amiably after realizing that they just didn't mesh in a romantic way. They joke about it & rib each other every once in a while.

They also poke fun at Fred & Daphne too when they get shmoopy doopy. Meanwhile, Scoob snickers in the back. There's no shortage of good-natured ribbing in this group. Maybe even have a few episodes where Fred & Daphne just go on a date in the beginning & don't really come back until later. Like, when shit's serious, of course the rest of the Gang calls them & informs them what's happening & Fred & Daphne make a b-line to their location, but if the case doesn't seem to be too dangerous, they'll try to handle it themselves.

Keep Velma the levelheaded momfriend & a lover of mysteries, puzzles, riddles, & all that. Keep her loving mystery novels while maybe Daphne's more a fan of true crime novels.

I like to think that before the Gang got together in high school, they were in their own separate groups. Velma with the academics, Shaggy with the hippie-vegetarian crowd, then Fred & Velma with the popular crew. Fred having been the star quarterback, but it was mostly due to his father's expectations of him. He'd never really been interested in sports to that degree. Meanwhile, Daphe was varsity captain.

Regardless, I think Velma & Daphne's friendship would've really started via them discovering a shared interest in mystery & crime novels. And it sort of evolved into a near sisterhood.

Also, I think the person that Fred dislikes the most would end up being Rufford "Rudy" Herrington. (If you get that reference, then bless you.)

Velma likes broad-shouldered men & let her like them, but absolutely don't make her a simp like in that one movie where she was so dumb over that super villain. *shudders* No.

Maybe she wants to become a detective or private investigator? I'm not sure. I could see her taking classes in the day.

No! A forensics detective! She carries around a waist bag or fanny pack full of investigative supplies such as liminol spray with glasses, a blacklight, finger print powder, a magnifying glass, things like that. Maybe she has a microscope tucked away in the van?

Also, a hacker/programmer. She's the software girl, while Fred & Daphne are the hardware guys. They work together to do some pretty amazing stuff.

And the rest of the group get pretty good at this stuff too just through osmosis. Same with figuring out the mysteries. I don't want it to just be Velma. They've been doing this stuff for years, let them all get good at it. Sure, Velma's the best, but have the others pick up things that she misses just due to their minds working differently.

Shaggy & Scooby are damn near perfect. Shaggy being a skill monkey like in the old show with lots of little talents like ventriloquism & throwing his voice. Also, he & Scooby actually very much enjoy thrills, or what Shaggy in A Scooby-Doo Halloween refers to as "Halloween Scary."

Also, someone had the idea of Shaggy being a war vet & I'm just like??? That's awesome???

Now I'm like, what if Scooby was a K9 Unit? Shaggy could've been his K9 Handler. Like, Scoob has been with Shaggy since he was a puppy, but he enlisted at the same time as Shag.

They're actually both super deadly in a fight, but they've both chosen to avoid it whenever they can. And are super protective.

Dude... what if they're not actually cowards & instead they react the way they do due to PTSD? Hell, maybe Shag has a cannabis prescription to help with his nerves & he's trying to get to a point where he doesn't need it anymore?

That could be a very interesting arc to focus on.

And, yes, I think that Fred, Daphne, & Shag would all have varying types of engineering knowledge. Fred's more the traditionally knowledgeable one while Daphne & Shag are more the ones who can make shit outta anything. Though, Daphne is more so due to just having the head for it. Meanwhile, Shag knows so much because of a combination of redneck engineering & Marines just being absolutely batshit, ya'll. One of their mottos is "If it looks stupid, but works, then it's not really stupid."

I'm serious, man. A redneck marine would likely be borderline mad scientist & I don't know why this absolute reality hack hasn't been exploited the shit out of yet. I've watched redneck engineering vids & it's like, "Why does this work?? Just... HOW?! What kind of technoturgical voodoo is this?!?!"

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Moving on, as the show would go on, bring in the Gang's relatives like in the old shows every once in a while.

But more than that, in season 2, bring in Scrappy-Doo as part of the gang.

He needs to be scrappy & brave, if naive. Remember that he's a puppy. He's going to make dumb decisions & be annoying sometimes. He loves & idolizes his Uncle Scooby, but he quickly has to learn that his uncle isn't exactly how he thought he'd be.

If we go with Scooby & Shaggy having been in the military, we could say that part of the reason that Scrappy looks up to his uncle so much is due to the stories he heard about him. Both as part of the Scooby-Doo Gang & as a K9 Unit/war hero.

But the thing is, both Scooby & Shaggy are traumatized from the experience. (I actually kinda wonder how many confirmed kills they have.) Maybe they're both working through it, but it's just really tough. If something legitimately dangerous happens, then they act instinctively to protect those around them, but if it's just them alone even together, then it triggers their flight response. Like, they do this because they implicitly know they can trust the other to not only be able to handle themselves, but also to protect them should the other need it.

Like, they aren't just best friends. They're brothers-in-arms. Soldiers from the same unit. This is a relationship that's been forged in fire. Thier trust in each other is absolute. And their teamwork is outstanding even when they're running on pure instinct.

Maybe the reason why they rejoined the Gang is a desire to face their issues through exposure? I see the rest of the Gang as being hyperaware of this & are always there for them, frequently giving the pair outs if they don't think they can deal with it & maybe Shag & Scoob actually take it a couple of times, but always come back due to a desire to keep trying?

Anyway, highlight how the creators tried to make Scrappy more like Daphne, Velma, & Fred when they were gone from the group, but make it clear that it's because he's a kid & really admires them & wants to be more like them. He messes some things up acting this way, but the Gang are supportive & start teaching him how to do better.

That way, he can learn how to figure out who he is & what makes him special.

I'd also like to see Scrappy get grounded by Scooby or one of the others for being too reckless & running into things without thinking.

Maybe if he does something really stupid, they threaten to send him back home if he doesn't straighten up? Same when things get really risky.

Like... I just don't want to see anything like what happened in the 1st live action Scooby Doo movie.

The Gang were complete sacks of shit in that for what they did. They didn't even take the kid back home to his mom! They just... left him on the side of the road in the middle of the freaking desert! For getting too excited & peeing on someone!

That pissed me off! Like, dude! He's a puppy!! What's wrong with you!?

Worst part is, I'd never minded Scrappy & never even knew that he was so hated, so when I saw it, it was just... It was very bad, ya'll...

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Now, onto the actual show. I'd mostly keep with the old formulae, but do it more like Mystery Inc in that there's an overarching plot. Still some episodic episodes, but also plot.

However, it wouldn't just be guys in masks & thefts & business fraud. It'd also be actual murders where there is no ghost or ghoul to take the blame & also instances where it really is the supernatural causing problems. I mean, it wouldn't all be murders either, but ya know. Just a bit of variety is all I'm asking for. Hell, maybe have a cereal killer or 2?

Don't shy away from the dark stuff or the blood, but don't be overly gruesome either. It feels too much like you're going for shock value if you do that.

This way, it'd have more of a ScoobyNatural & murder mystery feel to it. Initially, the first instance of the gang learning that spooks & spectres are real, they react like they did in ScoobyNatural. (Maybe they speculate a bit at some point about how maybe that's the reason that so many criminals use ghost stories to get away with their crimes? Because there's actually a grain of truth to some of them?)

Anyway, nervous breakdowns, denial, but eventually they realize that people are relying on them & all crying & whining about it does is put more people in danger. Maybe make the episode a direct reference to ScoobyNatural & have hunters there teach them how to fight the baddy?

Like, 1st season, just regular Scooby-Doo shenanigans but with more adult themes, 2nd season, introduce real supernatural activity & monsters.

Make it a REAL making of a hero moment! One of those moments where their decision, right then in that very second, makes them or breaks them! Showing all around exactly what they're made of! Forged in fire! In fact... wouldn't it be the most interesting if, despite everything, it was the most "cowardly" of the bunch that ends up stepping forward first to be the bravest?

After all, courage is not necessarily the absence of fear but the ability to forge ahead to do what's right in spite of it.

Make it sort of a metaphor for growing up & becoming adults. Things aren't always gonna end so well as they're used to. Maybe have some of the perps escape sometimes to come back later? Just to change things up a bit. Maybe... some of them even succeed in their plans...

From then on, they slowly settle into being both freelance private investigators & paranormal investigators. Slowly, over time, they get better at both.

And, yes, I do think that it should be an actual job that they get paid for. Like, most of their cases should be a result of being hired. However, some should also be a result of them walking in & being, like, "We've got a mystery on our hands!" Because they're good people.

But in the cases where they just sort of walk in without being hired, their policy is to do it pro bono. Because it's not fair to charge someone for a service that they didn't ask for. On the other, other hand, there would still be people who'd insist on paying their service fee, if for no other reason than because they are very grateful for their help.

Moving on, it turns out that Shaggy has a mind for languages & research, especially old languages. This helps them with researching whatever they need to. And I wanna go deep into culture & mythology & folklore & legends.

Just different, but the same.

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I also kinda want there to be an arc where Shaggy is turned into a werewolf a la Scooby-Doo & the Reluctant Werewolf. So, the Gang spends, like, a season trying to find a way to turn him back & it's about Shaggy's character growth. He goes through some things, trying to get used to all these new instincts, especially the predator ones & the not being able to be a vegetarian anymore without dying slowly thing.

Because wolves are carnivores with werewolves being obligate omnivores in human form. They also absolutely require meat. Especially, red meat. Red meat once a day to keep healthy. In the end, Shag settles on mostly pescatarianism, only indulging in other meats on occasion beyond daily red meat.

At the same time, maybe the Gang meets another werewolf who's going through an even tougher time than Shaggy & they join the gang for a while in hopes of finding a cure, but when they do, there's only enough for one of them & Shaggy, realizing that being a werewolf isn't so bad for him, he gives the cure to the other character & accepts that this is just part of his life now. Maybe it's Shaggy's girlfriend, Googie, from the movie & she ends up joining the gang!?

And maybe it turns out that he had a dormant werewolf gene & then something happened to activate it. Maybe something like a full reboot of Scooby Doo & the Reluctant Werewolf? Like, 1st generation werewolves always slowly go crazy over time & can't control themselves, eventually becoming feral, but Legacy werewolves are born with the gene & so their bodies & minds are better built to handle it. So, technically, Shaggy is a Legacy werewolf with a dormant werewolf gene, while Googie was a new 1st generation werewolf who only recently got bitten & that's why she's having so much worse of a time of it than Shaggy.

Shaggy actually thinks it's pretty cool because he finds that he has an even closer connection to nature than he ever had before & understands it in a way that he'd been unwilling to beforehand. Like, he'd been unwilling to accept that nature needed predators & death & that it could be as cruel as it was beautiful. He now totally gets the whole hunter vs poacher argument that his southern cousins used to have with him.

He also understands Scoob on a fraternal level now & that's super cool, man.

He still has issues with his PTSD, but not as much as before as being a werewolf makes him feel more protected & secure. More prepared to handle things. Not to mention his instincts.

So, the next season's sideplot would be about Shaggy learning about what it really means for him to be a werewolf. All the history & culture, & all the baggage that comes with being a werewolf. Like, do not sugarcoat, but also do not demonize. Perhaps being a werewolf opens up the world a bit for them? Giving them a new perspective? Like, supernatural society.

It isn't until, like, mid season that he realizes that he considers the Gang his pack & Fred as alpha, which is just wild for him to consider, but he quickly acclimates to the new line of thinking & becomes comfortable with it.

Yes, he's more aggressive than before & he's learning how to handle that & he tends to wolf out a little bit when he gets angry, but overall, he's still the same chill, laid back dude he always was, just seen through a new lens.

Also, going full wolf on the full moon, he turns into the wolfed out form from Wednesday. I really like how they did it in that show.

At the same time, any other time besides the full moon, he just grows claws & canines to show his wolfish side.

Which, BTW, it'd be super cool to have crossovers like with Guess Who Scooby Doo. Including a Wednesday crossover where they meet Wednesday & possibly the other Addamses after several years.

Or Ghostbusters (original recipe) or Batman or, to mix things up a bit, Danny Phantom!

Which, btw, I feel obligated to remind people that Scooby-Doo & Batman canonically exist within the same universe...

Let that sink in. (Also, it means a possible Constantine crossover.)

Cool would also be an introduction to monster/supernatural society like I mentioned before, where there is a monster underground. That not all monsters are evil beasts. That the ones they fight are generally rogues or special cases or criminals or radicals or have other extenuating circumstances.

There's still a lot of these rogues, mind, but that's just the way of it sometimes.

Also, reboots of Ghoul School, 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, & stuff like that.

These, of course, would only take place after the ScoobyNatural reference episode.

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#scooby doo #scooby gang #scoobynatural #what's new scooby doo #scrappy doo #murder mystery #supernatural #werewolf shaggy

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