Sarah Michelle Gellar

The story of "Scooby-Doo", based on the longest continually running cartoon series in television history, picks up as the clumsy crime-fighting mutt Scooby Doo and his human counterparts, Fred (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini) and Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) are reunited to investigate a series of paranormal incidents at the Spooky Island, a hot resort for college students on spring break, owned by Emile Mondavarious (Rowan Atkinson). Scooby and his gang are forced to put aside their differences, work as a team, and crack the case.

It seems like only yesterday when Scooby-Doo bounded into television, but this actually happened 32 years ago on September 13, 1969. This lumbering Great Dane has ruled the hearts of millions of animation lovers across the world since then. Though afraid of monsters, ghouls, witches, even his own shadow, Scooby-Doo bumbles his way through mysteries often solving them by fluke. In fact his talents as a detective are second only to his acting capabilities!

“Scooby-Doo" soundly captured first place at the box office on its opening weekend. Scooby’s $54.2 million is now the second biggest opening for a June release in box office history. Who would have thought that an animated dog and his four crime-fighting buddies would totally captivate audiences and haul in a load of box office bucks?

It seems that when the legendary William Hannah and Joseph Barbera developed “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” more than thirty years ago, they were taking a risk - it was the first time that an animation series would incorporate an action-adventure format with an animal in a lead role and “humans” in supporting roles.

Fred Silverman, then head of CBS children’s programming, inspired by the Frank Sinatra’s song Strangers in the Night where Sinatra improvises the refrain “Scooby-dooby-doo” advised William Hannah and Joseph Barbera to call the dog “Scooby-Doo”. He also asked the duo to make him more fun and turn him into the show’s star. Thus Scooby-Doo was born!

Scrappy Doo’s middle name is Cornelius. Scooby-Doo has starred in a range of animation series in his 30-year career as a full time cartoon character, since his debut in 1969. Scooby Snacks are made at the Scooby Snack Factory and they taste like a large butterscotch-coloured morsel.