I've been a Scooby Doo fan since I was an unborn babe and I've seen every iteration, film, comic; you name it. I'm there. And out of ALL of them, this is most definitely been the best.The characters are finally fleshed out; Everyone makes little mistakes, develops and end up being so much more than just a catchphrase and a cliche.The animation style took a little of getting used to for me but, you can absolutely tell that everyone adored doing this far more adult take on an absolute classic, with references to Galaxy Quest, SAW, Terminator and so many more; and not to mention subtle nods to the Scooby feature films and the original cartoons. For some vague insight into specifics without spoiling anything; they had the nerve to KILL characters off. It has raised the bar of my expectations for Scooby features. The best part is, the whole story is completely original. Even though it nods to all the classics (as previously mentioned), it gives you more an in-depth retelling of why they are who they are, with a stellar voice cast (I mean, as soon as I heard Patrick Warburton's voice, I was sold) and animation team. Even some of your questions that you've always had about the show get answered! I cannot really put into (a small amount of) words just how amazing this turned out to be. But I really would urge you to sit it out and watch the lot, as the show really kicks off in season 2, for it's staggering grand finale. Please for the love of god if you like Scooby even a little. Watch this show.Immediately.

I was a massive Scooby Doo fan as a kid in the 80's and 90's. I followed every Mystery Inc outing, up until the mediocre 'Legend of the Vampire' and the stale 'What's New Scooby-Doo?'series after which I gave up on the shows, tired of the overused Scooby formula. That was until I accidentally stumbled onto the pilot of this show back in 2010. The show takes place in Crystal Cove, a virtual hub of seemingly 'paranormal'activity, which the locals welcome as a boon to the town's revenue (haunted tourism). Sadly for them, a local high school gang of meddling kids are fixated on solving mysteries, one of whom (Fred Jones) is the Mayor's son. Mystery Inc are essentially persona non grata. The episodes are your traditional mystery format, with a running subplot that gains momentum throughout this very well paced, well written and elaborately layered series. I can safely say this is the best Scooby-Doo series since 'Scooby- Doo Where Are You?'. Dare I say it surpasses it? It probably does, but the original show is so sacrosanct that I can't even bring myself to say it. The show draws from the massive Scooby-Doo backlog, often featuring cameos like previous monsters and sidekicks which definitely appeals to the die-hard fan. The show also has many references to pop culture that younger audiences may not be too familiar with (things like Lovecraft, the Velvet Underground, 8 track tapes, to name a few). The show is very retro-modern in both feel and content. The artwork manages to be cartoony yet macabre which really adds to the quality of the show. There is a LOT of character development in the show. All previous instalments focused on Shaggy as the central human character, often neglecting and reducing the other three to one dimensional stereotypes (the nerd, the jock, the popular girl). This series invests so much into all the gang members that it's hard to say who my favourite character is. Moreover, the romantic entanglements within the group are addressed head-on and actually take centre stage. Great screenplay and writing too.I think this show appeals to all regardless of where they lie on the Scooby fan spectrum.

This is my first animated series (from Cartoon Network) that I finished all episodes of. I always loved Scooby Doo: Where are you? as a child but after that none of the spin-offs clicked me (Except that Zombie Island movie). However all changed this series.Not only this series develops round & dynamic personalities of "The gang" but introduces a whole new "series story arc" (Like a continuation of a whole bigger mysteries). Plus the romance and bonding together of the gang too Characters are seen interacting with others and these "others" are recurring characters for both seasons. Along with some other Hanna- Barbera retro cartoon characters cameo as well."Monsters" are actually well done and although sometimes you know who it is (especially for first season), many a times it was surprising.The series also has references to old Scooby Doo: Where are you and characters' one liners (esp. Scooby & Shaggy) are really funnyOverall, this is an animated series done right. Since this is Cartoon Network, I can see why they kept it "not too mysterious & dark" for kids. However in my opinion, only people 13+ will appreciate the production. Nevertheless old Scooby Doo fans should give this a try, I did and I loved every clue of it...

In spite of some serious negativity from other reviews, I can honestly say that I watch through both seasons 1 and 2 without ever having any problem with the way this show was handled or developed. In a word, it's brilliant, and the good parts of this masterpiece of storytelling far outweighs any trifling personal issues I have with some specifics. Still I'll get the bad stuff out of the way beforehand to clear the air of any problems one can expect to run into with the show.My first very slight yet tempered issue is with the bad guys. They are certainly well designed, but there isn't always a really solid mystery to follow. 70% of the time the bad guy is way too obvious, or totally unguessable. However, the times when it is obvious, the choice still makes sense for the storyline. And every time it's totally unguessable the show comes up with highly imaginative explanations for the bad guy's motive. The real kicker is the 30% that it's guessable but not always completely obvious, and these episodes are the real gems.The biggest problem this show ran into in my opinion was the relationship between Velma and Shaggy. Personally, I would have liked to see these two really hit it off and eventually make a compromise between their very different personalities. The relationship is rocky to say the least, and never really pans out to a satisfying conclusion.If these aspects of the show were just slightly better tweaked, I would have no problem giving the show a 10, but it had its hiccups. Rant over, now onto the good stuff.Where was I, oh yes, the characters. Some have mentioned that the show is less Scooby focused. This is true, but to the show's strength not it's detriment. There's only so much you can do with a scaredy-cat dog that likes to eat. The other characters are more fleshed out.Scooby is still his usual comedic ham of a self. Shaggy's slackerish tendencies are more modernized, but he is more or less the same. He does have some interesting ways of sneaking around food. Velma has higher expectations of herself and the gang in this incarnation, and she plays the role of the more grounded skeptic who requires a logical explanation for everything. Daphne is the youngest daughter of a rich family where she lives somewhat in the shadow of her older more successful sisters. Fred is perhaps my favorite. He can be characterized as more of an idiot-savant. He's not too bright and out of touch with his emotions, but is obsessed with and an absolute genius at setting up traps.The group is more dynamic in this show. While they are most certainly friends, they go through some drama. In my opinion, this makes them far more realistic that their previous counterparts. Even though they argue and have their issues, they always manage to show that they truly care for each other when it's most important, and they fix their problems in time to capture the bad guy, or at least are willing to shelve them for a more opportune moment to talk it out when the bad guy shows up out of nowhere.Another high point of the show is the new animation style along with the atmosphere the show puts together. The music definitely fits, and all the synthesizers are high tech and well programmed. It's worth checking out a copy of the soundtrack at some point. The drawing is much darker compared to most of the show's earlier incarnations. Toxic greens and rage-filled reds illuminate the screen at various points in the show. The animators almost certainly took a page from the book of the programmers from World of Warcraft, if you are familiar with that game's color scheme. It makes for a magically charged haunted atmosphere.The show also has a new design as far as the storyboard goes. Episodes have their villain of the week, but the show does a fantastic job of having a much larger overarching story that takes place in the town of crystal cove. Previous mystery enthusiast groups have had their problems here as well, and the classic Scooby gang has to overcome obstacles in order to not repeat the same mistakes as their predecessors. Much can happen between ancient artifacts and other dimensions, and the bigger mystery is one you won't want to miss.Other high points include: Recurring side characters, throwbacks to older scooby shows, downright zany Rube Goldberg style traps, and an ending that ties everything off with an odd yet fulfilling sense of closure. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel series.Overall I'd give this show an 8.7, but for the purposes of rating I'll round that up to 9.