Scooby-Doo is arguably the single most popular Saturday-morning cartoon franchise ever created. The world of Scooby and his friends has spanned more than a dozen TV series, dozens of movies, numerous comic book series and games. First created in 1969, it’s also one of the longest-running franchises in TV history, and shows no chance of letting up. Over the decades, it has cultivated a loyal and passionate fanbase.
In all that time, there have been plenty of spin-offs, imitations, homages and, above all else, parodies. Some of these satirical duplicates were created in other films and TV shows, while some were made to be official Scooby projects. Where HBO Max’s Velma has attempted to comedically adapt the Scooby-Doo franchise, it has been done better numerous times.
10 Family Guy Has Roasted Scooby-Doo A Few Times
Family Guy’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, once worked with original Scooby-Doo creative studio Hanna-Barbera. It’s no surprise then that he was sure to include references, homages and parodies to the classic Saturday-morning cartoon studio throughout his project.
In Family Guy, the Scooby-Doo gang have been referenced plenty, from their chase scenes to a cameo from the gang themselves. In one episode, Stewie and Brian crossed paths with the gang, both solving a mystery. Stewie tried to shoo them away by imitating their typical investigation music from the show.
9 The Gang Crossed Over With Johnny Bravo
In an episode of Johnny Bravo, the titular hero met up with Scooby and the gang. “Bravo Dooby Doo” doesn’t take itself at all seriously, and has the gang act in bemusement towards Bravo. It pokes fun at the gang’s obsession with mysteries, with them barely acknowledging Bravo until he mentions a spooky house.
Much of the episode is spent with Johnny flirting with Daphne as Velma herself pursues him, as they search for Bravo’s aunt. The episode also leans into suggestively teasing the more mature aspects of the gang, such as Fred and Daphne’s romance.
8 Jay And Silent Bob Stumbled Across A Weird Version Of The Gang
Jay and Silent Bob are arguably Kevin Smith’s most well known and most successful creations. In 2001, the duo landed their own movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The film followed the stoners on a journey across America to prevent Hollywood from making a movie about them.
While at the beginning of their journey, the two find a more mature, lewd version of the gang in a rundown Mystery Machine. When Jay and Silent Bob pass out in the van, Shaggy suggests to Fred that they cut out their kidneys for the black market. Thankfully for the two friends, it was all a dream.
7 The Venture Bros. Gave Fans A Sleazy Mystery Gang
The Venture Bros. was a series created to be a parody comedy series revolving around a heroic scientist, Rusty Venture. The series showcased a number of parodies, one of its most notable being Scooby-Doo. It reimagined the gang into a sleazy alternate version of themselves.
The Venture Bros.‘s version of the gang included a brooding Velma, a criminal in Fred and an overly aggressive Scooby. The Meddling Kids segment of the series alone justify giving it a watch, and it brings a darker comedic spin that Velma has failed to achieve.
6 Night Of The Living Doo Was Made For True Fans
Night of the Living Doo might be the most obscure and least-viewed Scooby-Doo project in the franchise, despite being made by Cartoon Network itself. The one-off short episode was a direct parody of the original series, and even had some of the original voice actors in their signature roles.
Night of the Living Doo follows a more exaggerated version of the gang as Fred intentionally sabotages their journey, so he can investigate creepy places. With Gary Coleman accompanying them, the gang check out a castle owned by David Cross, with all the hallmarks of the show being poked fun at.
5 DC Comics Reimagined The Gang In The Apocalypse
Scooby Apocalypse was a wild reimagination of the world of Scooby-Doo over at DC Comics. The series changed the origins of the gang, including turning Scooby into a secret government science experiment. When monsters were unleashed on the world, the gang were forced together.
Scooby Apocalypse‘s strength was the way it took classic Scooby tropes, monsters and characters and adapted them to the horror genre. From the hipster Shaggy to the monstrous version of Scrappy, it’s best appreciated by long-time fans of the franchise.
4 Psych Made Some Great Scooby-Doo Homages
Psych is one of the most popular shows in the crime and comedy genres alike, thanks to its characters, humor and references. The series loved to pay homage to classic crime stories, horror movies and cartoons. Scooby-Doo was no exception to the show’s list of inspirations.
Psych’s biggest Scooby-Doo references could be seen in the likes of an episode where Gus was trapped in a museum with a mummy. The series’ tribute to Scooby-Doo was well-deserved, considering how much of the original Hanna-Barbera formula could be seen throughout its eight seasons.
3 Scoobynatural Is The Show Fans Deserve
“Scoobynatural” was an unexpected but instantly iconic moment in the CW’s Supernatural. It begins with Sam and Dean battling a possessed stuff toy in a store, for which the owner rewards them with a flatscreen TV. However, the device is revealed to be haunted.
The TV pulls the Winchesters into its screen, placing them in the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episode “A Night of Fright is No Delight.” They meet the gang, with Dean flirting with Daphne, and accompany them to the haunted house. Things take a turn when the episode turns into an actual murder case.
2 Mike Tyson Mysteries Put The Heavyweight Boxer In Charge Of Solving Mysteries
Mike Tyson Mysteries follows the titular former heavyweight boxer in his new life as a mystery solver. Aided by his daughter, Yung, a ghost named Marcus and a talking pigeon named Pigeon, Tyson solves a range of bizarre mysteries. The mysteries ranged from mundane to just bizarre.
Mike Tyson’s cases included helping a couple pick a new house, discovering Cormack McCarthy was a horseman and fighting a werewolf. The series was incredibly funny, thanks in large part to its talented voice cast and random humor. It was full of odes to Scooby-Doo and even matched its retro animation style.
1 Mystery Incorporated Lightly Deconstructed The Gang
Mystery Incorporated is arguably the best modern Scooby-Doo series, and one of the franchise’s best overall. It follows a more decompressed format, though still maintains the monster-of-the-week formula. It pits the gang against an ongoing narrative and conspiracy involving an older generation of sleuths.
Mystery Incorporated brought more depth not just to the gang but to their hometown of Crystal Cove. It also included some of the franchise’s most memorable foes, such as Pericles, and added great side characters in Sheriff Stone and Angel Dynamite. It was half-satire and half a true callback to the original series.
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