Scooby-Doo, where are you?
At Netflix.
The streamer has given a series order for a live-action Scooby-Doo series, based on the beloved and very long-lived cartoon Great Dane and his human, mystery-solving friends. The series, from Warner Bros. TV, creators Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg and executive producer Greg Berlanti, has been in the works for nearly a year.
Appelbaum and Rosenberg (Citadel, MGM+’s From) will serve as showrunners and executive produce via their Midnight Radio banner. Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman of Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio’s Andre Nemec and Jeff Pinkner also executive produce. Berlanti and his company have an overall deal at WBTV.
“Mystery, Inc. is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time,” Peter Friedlander, vp scripted series at Netflix, said in a statement. “The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced. Together with creative powerhouses Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio, we’re committed to delighting longtime fans and opening up a world of groovy adventures for a new era of meddling kids.”
Scooby-Doo dates back to 1969, when Hanna-Barbera debuted first episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? as part of CBS’ Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred have featured in more than a dozen series iterations and a host of one-off animated movies, as well as a pair of live-action feature films in the early 2000s that starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy.
Much of the Scooby-Doo animated catalog is housed at Max, whose parent company Warner Bros. Discovery owns WBTV and Hanna-Barbera.
The Netflix series will be a “modern reimagining” of the premise, the streamer says. The show’s description reads as follows: “During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”
“One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cels,” said Berlanti. “Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation. We are grateful to them and everyone at Warners and Netflix for the partnership in helping bring this iteration of Scooby-Doo to life.”
Added Clancy Collins White, president creative affairs at Warner Bros. TV, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with our longstanding partners at Berlanti Productions and with Midnight Radio to bring the legendary Scooby-Doo franchise to a live-action series for the first time. It’s no mystery why audiences continue to love these iconic characters after more than a half century. We’re excited for a new generation to discover Mystery Inc. And we’re grateful to our partners at Netflix for the opportunity.”
Appelbaum and Rosenberg are repped by WME and Sloane Offer. Midnight Radio is with WME, Sloane Offer and Ziffren Brittenham. Pinkner is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham. Berlanti is with CAA and Felker Toczek.
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