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TODAY IN DOG HISTORY — The first episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! aired on CBS, September 13, 1969. But how much do you know about the 50+ year history of this beloved dog and his mystery-solving friends?
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The original plot line for the series followed 5 band mates (“The Mysteries Five”) and their dog, Too Much, who solved spooky mysteries when they weren’t performing.
CBS and Hanna-Barbera sought to create a family-friendly counterpoint to the “edgy” superhero cartoons popular at the time (even though many viewers saw the show as a celebration of stoners).
[original names left to right: Linda, Too Much, W.W., Kelly, and Geoff]
![CBS and Hanna-Barbera sought to create a family-friendly counterpoint to the “edgy” superhero cartoons popular at the time (even though many viewers saw the show as a celebration of stoners). [original names left to right: Linda, Too Much, W.W., Kelly, and Geoff]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EhzSmGUXsAA_EPR.jpg "CBS and Hanna-Barbera sought to create a family-friendly counterpoint to the “edgy” superhero cartoons popular at the time (even though many viewers saw the show as a celebration of stoners). [original names left to right: Linda, Too Much, W.W., Kelly, and Geoff]")
[original names left to right: Linda, Too Much, W.W., Kelly, and Geoff]
The early concept went through several revisions: Scooby was initially envisioned as a Great Dane, then switched to a sheepdog, only to be switched to a Great Dane again. The band idea, and one of the group, was nixed and the gang was modeled on the 4 friends from “Dobie Gillis.”
CBS executive Fred Silverman was inspired by the Frank Sinatra song “Strangers in The Night” (in which he sings, “doo-be-doo-be-doo”) and so Too Much became Scooby-Doo, and the show was renamed Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!.
You might recognize some of the speech patterns of Scooby-Doo from an earlier cartoon dog, Astro from The Jetsons. Both pups were originally voiced by Don Messick.
Scooby-Doo was so influential it prompted rival networks to produce several animated programs that also featured a teen crew solving mysteries with a pet or mascot. Shows like Josie and the Pussycats and Jabberjaw (pictured below) are a couple of examples.
Scooby Doo originally aired on CBS til 1976. Silverman became president of ABC and made a deal with Hanna-Barbera, Scoob’s original production team, to bring new episodes to ABC’s Saturday morning lineup. There were yearly changes to the show, until it was cancelled in 1985.
Following the success of the original series, Hanna-Barbera, and, later, Warner Bros., created numerous follow-ups and spin-off series, television specials and made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video films, two live-action feature films and the 2020 animated feature, “Scoob!”
In the early 2000s, Scooby-Doo spin offs were still being created for Kids’ WB, and today you can still find Scooby-Doo reboots on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
Be Cool, Scooby Doo! aired on Cartoon Network from 2015-2018.
Be Cool, Scooby Doo! aired on Cartoon Network from 2015-2018.
With the shows, along with board games, themed lunch boxes, comic books, breakfast cereal, action figures, and countless references throughout American culture, Scooby-Doo has left a giant paw print in dog history, and earned a permanent place in the hearts of many dog lovers 
