Summary
I’ve had my concerns aboutScooby-Doo: The Live-Action Series, but the coming Netflix show already has a lot going for it. There have been dozens of movies and TV shows about Scooby-Doo and and his group of teenage pals over the years, some animated and others live-action. While the characters and their various mysteries are beloved, a great many of these have fallen flat. They failed to capture the heart of what the originalScooby-Doocartoon from Hanna-Barberra was really about. However, after hearing from Greg Berlanti, I feel confident he gets it.
Berlanti’s company, Berlanti Productions, will produce the coming live-actionScooby-DooTV show, which will be streamed on Netflix sometime in the coming years. Berlanti is best known for his work producing the Arrowverse series,Riverdale, andThe Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and while this is an impressive resume, it doesn’t necessarily mean he can be trusted with an IP likeScooby-Doo. Time has already revealed thatthere are a great many ways such a series could go wrong, so my hopes haven’t been too high fortheScooby-DooTV show. However, Berlanti has piqued my interest.
Scooby-Doo: The Live Action Series - Confirmation, Story & Everything We Know About Netflix’s Adaptation
The beloved Scooby-Doo franchise is growing once again with an all-new live-action series on Netflix from the producer of Riverdale.
Greg Berlanti’s Respect & Admiration For Scooby-Doo Is Comforting
It Looks Like Netflix’s Live-Action Scooby-Doo Show Is In Good Hands
Aninterview with Berlantiregarding his 2024 movieFly Me to the Moonsaw the producer discuss his hopes and dreams for the upcoming live-actionScooby-DooTV show, and I find myself encouraged.The producer revealed that one of his first jobs in showbusiness was at Hanna-Barbera, working with Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna themselves. Berlanti noted that his favorite part of the job had been chatting with Barbera about howScooby-Doowas created and learning all about what made these characters “special”:
One of my first jobs in this business was as a temp at Hanna-Barbera. I’d sit with Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna while they autographed animation cels. I would go in the morning and I would retrieve with my boss a bunch of these animation cels. I’d go to Bill Hanna’s office first. He was a very stoic guy. His office was very spare. And then came my favorite part of the day, going to see Joe Barbera. He was such a life force. He would sign the cels, but he would stop and regale me with the greatest stories. He was such a raconteur.
He would tell stories of how Scooby was created and what they were thinking, and how it was the late ’60s and kids felt under assault by adults, and they felt overwhelmed and they needed to be empowered. When they pitched it to Bill Paley he was like, you need a dog or something. And that was the birth of Scooby-Doo. Joe was such a special storyteller, and I was so, wow. I’d always loved them as a kid. And again, with any of the properties be they Hanna-Barbera or DC or anything at Warners, you feel lucky to be the historian who helps usher them into a new generation. You just go back to the spirit and the DNA of what makes ’em special. With Scooby-Doo, we went out and heard pitches for a year and a half and finally found one that we really felt really captured it. I just was working on the pitch for it this morning, for the first episode. So we’re really pumped.
I’m particularly drawn to what Berlanti said about the honor of being a “historian"who helps usher beloved IP “into a new generation.” It demonstrates that the producer understands that these aren’t just stories that can be manipulated and capitalized on but pieces of one of the coolest things that humanity has done for centuries—storytelling. Berlanti is astutely aware of the “spirit” and “DNA” ofScooby-Doo, having learned from the creators themselves, and this gives me hope that the coming series will be something special.
It Sounds Like Greg Berlanti Has Taken Every Precaution To Make Netflix’s Scooby-Doo Great
Berlanti Isn’t Rushing Into Things
It’s easy enough to discuss a property likeScooby-Doowith reverence, but Berlanti will have to prove that he is applying this respect to the coming live-action TV show. Thankfully, he is already beginning to do so.The producer noted taking a year and a half before finally settling on a pitch, indicating that he is willing to take time and patience to present something really phenomenal to Netflix. Slow and steady wins the race, and I’m hoping that Berlanti’s comments indicate that this will be the mantra ofScooby-Doo: The Live-Action Series.
Berlanti is preparing to present the pitch for the first episode of hisScooby-Dooseries to Netflix, indicating a premiere is still several years away.
Why Modern Scooby-Doo Reboots Have Fallen Flat (& How Netflix’s Live-Action Can Do Better)
Since the originalScooby-Doocartoon of the late 1960s, the property has gone in many strange directions. There have been animated series and movies, live-action films, and even adult comedy shows. These have had varying success, but it has been a long time since anything resonated with audiences. 2020’s movieScoob!was a major flop for Warner Bros, andthe adult comedyVelmawas controversial at the very least(and just downright horrible at the worst).Netflix’s live-actionScooby-Doohas much to prove, but it’s already well on its way.
The “DNA” must stay the same, even if the look of the characters or the complexities of their storylines are a little different.
As Berlanti mentioned, a goodScooby-DooTV show must capture the heart of the original cartoon. While it’s important for modern projects to bring in elements that make them work with today’s audience, the foundation of the beloved IP must remain. The “DNA” must stay the same, even if the look of the characters or the complexities of their storylines are a little different. The upcoming live-actionScooby-Doocould be darker, grittier, sillier, or more profound than the original, butthe heart of who these characters are and what they mean to one another must be unchanged. So long as this happens, I will be happy.
Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series
Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series is a new adaptation of the classic cartoon, bringing the beloved characters to life in a live-action format. The show follows the iconic Mystery Inc. gang, comprised of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby, as they embark on mysteries and supernatural adventures.
