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Scooby-Doo: How to watch the Mystery Inc. gang's adventures in release and chronological order

Want to get started on watching the Scooby-Doo franchise? Here’s how to do it!

Scooby-Doo eating
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera
Joshua Lapin-Bertone
Features by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer
Published on

Jinkies! Since the dawn of pop culture, the mystery genre has been filled with many inquisitive detectives. From Sherlock Holmes to Columbo, these great sleuths have solved many mysteries. However, none of them have had a career quite like Scooby-Doo. The animated Great Dane has been cracking cases (and running from ghosts) since his 1969 debut. Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, and Fred fill out the Mystery Inc. gang, which has become one of the most iconic teams in animation.

The Mystery Inc. gang travels the country in their van, known as the Mystery Machine. Sometimes they find trouble, other times trouble finds them. Over the years they’ve come across many monsters, some of them real, but most of them disgruntled citizens in rubber masks. It’s been quite a journey for Scooby, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

If you’re looking to watch Scooby-Doo media, but aren’t sure where to start, Popverse has you covered. Follow this handy guide, which will answer any questions you have about how to watch Scooby-Doo in order, or how to navigate his cartoon continuity.

How to watch Scooby-Doo’s animated adventures in release order

The Mystery Inc. gang
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera

Since his debut in 1969, Scooby-Doo has been one busy dog. He’s appeared in numerous televisions shows, movies, specials, and more. It’s a pretty big list, and we’ve compiled it here. And so, without further ado, here is every piece of Scooby-Doo animated media in release order.

How to watch Scooby-Doo’s animated adventures in chronological order

Scooby-Doo and the gang about to unmask a ghost
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera

Scooby-Doo’s animated chronology is largely the same as the release order, with a few exceptions. For the chronological list, we’ve placed A Pup Named Scooby-Doo first, for obvious reasons. We’ve also separated appearances that clearly fall in their own continuity, like Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Other projects like Scooby Goes Hollywood and parodies like Scooby-Doo Where Are You Now are listed in their own sections. For more on Scooby-Doo canon, please see the continuity section of our guide.

Main series
  • A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (27-episode television series, 1988-1991)
  • Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map (2013 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (41-episode television series, 1969-1970)
  • The New Scooby-Doo Movies (24-episode television series, 1972-1973)
  • The Scooby-Doo Show (40-episode television series, 1976-1978)
  • Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (16-episode television series, 1979-1980)
  • Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (Yes, we know it’s the same title. 33-episode television series, 1980-1982)
  • The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (26-episode television series, 1983-1984)
  • The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (13-episode television series, 1985)
  • Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987 television movie)
  • Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988 television movie)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988 television movie)
  • Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights (1994 television movie)
  • Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost (1999 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001 direct-to-video film)
  • What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (42-episode television series, 2002-2006)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico (2003 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster (2004 direct-to-video film)
  • Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2004 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! in Where’s My Mummy? (2005 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby Doo! Pirates Ahoy! (2006 direct-to-video film)
  • Shaggy & Scooby-Doo, Get a Clue! (26-episode television series, 2006-2008)
  • Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! (2007 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King (2008 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword (2009 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare (2010 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire (2012 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Spooky Games (2012 direct-to-video special)
  • Big Top Scooby-Doo (2012 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (2012 direct-to-video special)
  • Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon (2013 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Scarecrow (2013 direct-to-video special)
  • Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace (2013 direct-to-video special)
  • Scooby-Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery (2014 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals (2014 direct-to-video special)
  • Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy (2014 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness (2015 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Beach Beastie (2015 direct-to-video special)
  • Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015 direct-to-video film)
  • Lego Scooby-Doo (16-episode stop motion series, 2015)
  • Scooby-Dooby-Doo! (2015 animated short)
  • Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (52-episode television series, 2015-2018)
  • Lego Scooby-Doo! Knight Time Terror (2015 television special)
  • Lego Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood (2016 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (2016 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Shaggy’s Showdown (2017 direct-to-video film)
  • Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash (2017 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Mystery Cases (14-episode stop motion series, 2018)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! Mini-Mysteries (5-episodes of animated shorts, 2019)
  • Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (52-episode television series, 2019-2021)
  • Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019 direct-to-video film)
  • Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! (2020 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob! (2021 direct-to-video film)
  • Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (2021 direct-to-video film)
  • Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022 direct-to-video film)
  • Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! (2023 direct-to-video film)
The Mystery Incorporated Universe
  • Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (52-episode television series, 2010-2013)
The Velma Universe
  • Velma (ongoing television series, 2023 – present)
The Scoob!-verse
  • Scoob! (2020 theatrical film)

(note: A midquel titled Scoob! Holiday Haunt was produced for release on the Max streaming service, but was cancelled)

Parodies and other oddities
  • Scooby Goes Hollywood (1979 television special)
  • Those Meddling Kids (8 animated shorts, 1998)
  • The Scooby-Doo Project (1999 television special)
  • Scooby-Doo/Courage the Cowardly Dog (2000 television special)
  • Night of the Living Doo (2001 television special)
  • An Evening with the Scooby-Doo Gang (2005 animated short)
  • The Hanna-Barbera Kennel Club Roasts Scooby-Doo (2005 animated short)
  • Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now! (2021 television special)

How to watch Scooby-Doo’s live-action adventures in release order

Scooby-Doo (2002) still
Image credit: Warner Brothers Pictures

Scooby-Doo has also starred in a series of live-action films. In fact, his first two films were written by current DC Studios co-president James Gunn. How well do Scooby-Doo’s cartoony antics translate to live-action? Watch these films and find out…

How to watch Scooby-Doo’s live-action adventures in chronological order

Scooby-Doo (2002) still
Image credit: Warner Brothers Pictures

If you want to watch Scooby’s live-action adventures in chronological order, here is how to do it. Please note, Daphne & Velma and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins both serve as prequels to the series, but their events contradict each another. I would recommend watching both films, and choosing which one works best for your own personal canon.

  • Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)/ Daphne & Velma (2018)
  • Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
  • Scooby-Doo (2002)
  • Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

Are all the Scooby-Doo cartoons in the same continuity?

Velma trailer screengrab
Image credit: Warner Brothers animation

That is a very complicated question. Continuity is odd in the Scooby-Doo franchise. We must remember that this isn’t Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, where continuity is strictly observed. Scooby-Doo continuity is whatever it needs to be for a particular episode to work. Aside from Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, much of the franchise isn’t serialized. Plus, the franchise uses a sliding timescale, where the characters never age, despite most stories taking place in the present.

Any serious attempt to track Scooby-Doo continuity will result in a headache. For example, the 1998 direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island presents the gang as adults with careers. However, the 2019 direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island presents the gang as high school students. Yes, the 2019 film still refers to the events of the 1998 film, making it clear that it’s a follow-up. However, the de-aging of the gang isn’t addressed.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated is a curious case. The animated series is one of the few pieces of Scooby-Doo media to tell a serialized story. The series contains many Easter eggs and callbacks to other Scooby-Doo films and television shows. However, the gang’s parents are different than previous incarnations. Mitch Watson, a producer for the series, said he viewed the show as its own entity. The end of the series featured a continuity reboot, thanks to supernatural shenanigans. Some fans have theorized that the world reset could resolve the continuity errors. However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ve listed Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated as a separate continuity.

Other projects like Velma, the live-action features, and oddities like Scooby Goes Hollywood are clearly in their own continuity. Everything else is a tangled mess of canon spaghetti. If you search for Scooby-Doo continuity online, you’ll find multiple conversations with fans trying to untangle it. Our advice is to sit back, and just enjoy the ride. It’s a talking cartoon dog being chased by ghosts. If you can accept that premise, then let’s take a looser attitude with continuity.

How old are the Scooby-Doo gang supposed to be?

Fred and Daphne as adults in Scooby Doo on Zombie Island
Image credit: Warner Brothers Animation

There is no consistent answer to that question. Some animated films present the gang as adults with established careers, while other installments present them as high school students. Their ages vary from release to release. For the most part, the gang are written to be high school students, but don’t hold the writers to that. For more on Scooby-Doo’s convoluted canon, please see the continuity section of this guide.

Scooby-Doo goes to school

Still from Scooby-Doo educational filmstrip
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera

Imagine walking into a classroom only to find that your teacher was none other than Scooby. Believe it or not, this was the reality for many elementary and middle school students in the late 1970s. From 1977-1980, Hanna-Barbera’s educational division produced a series of filmstrips, which were distributed to schools. Each filmstrip featured a different Hanna-Barbera character teaching the viewer math, science, history, geography, or civics.

For example, one filmstrip had Bamm-Bamm demonstrating the proper way to write a term paper, while another had Elroy Jetson talking about basic nutrition. Many of these educational shorts featured Scooby-Doo, such as a 1980 piece where Shaggy learns all about dermatology (yes, we’re serious). It would be a stretch to call these animated, since the filmstrips consisted of still images accompanied by a soundtrack of the characters speaking. It’s worth noting that many of the characters were voiced by the same actors from their Saturday morning cartoons.

Thanks to websites like the Internet Archive, most of these strips have been preserved. I would recommend watching this one where Velma teaches Scooby and Shaggy all about geometry. We’re not placing the educational filmstrips on our official watch order list, but their existence is still a novelty worth noting.

Where else has Scooby-Doo and the gang appeared?

Scooby and Shaggy meet Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Image credit: Viacom Productions

Scooby-Doo is a cultural icon, so naturally everyone wants a piece of him. Due to his popularity, Scooby-Doo has made guest appearances in numerous other movies and television programs. Some of these appearances are meant to be parodies and shouldn’t be interpreted as “official” Scooby-Doo adventures. If you’re looking for more Scooby-Doo, here is a quick breakdown of his guest appearances.

  • Dynomutt, Dog Wonder – A 1976 Hanna-Barbera series focusing on a superhero known as the Blue Falcon, and his robotic dog sidekick Dynomutt. Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang guest-starred in three episodes.
  • Johnny Bravo – A 1997 cartoon about a slow-witted musclehead who fancies himself a ladies man. The episode “Bravo Dooby-Doo” featured a team-up between Johnny and the Scooby gang. The episode is satirical in nature, poking fun at many of the tropes in classic Scooby cartoons.
  • Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law – A 2000 adult cartoon which lampooned classic Hanna-Barbera characters. The 2002 episode “Shaggy Busted” finds Scooby and Shaggy arrested for suspected marijuana use. Yes, the series acknowledged the joke that everybody has been making for years.
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch – A live-action sitcom based on the Archie Comics character. The 2002 episode “Sabrina Unplugged” featured the live-action Sabrina interacting with animated versions of Scooby and Shaggy after she magically enters a computer.
  • Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The 2011 episode “Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases!” parodies classic Hanna-Barbera team-ups between Batman and the Scooby gang.
  • Supernatural – Oh boy, where do we even begin with this? Supernatural was a long-running CW live-action drama about two brothers who hunt for supernatural creatures. The 2018 episode “Scoobynatural” found Sam and Dean Winchester transported to the animated world of Scooby-Doo. I don’t know how they pulled it off, but the episode managed to stay true to both television shows. Highly recommended viewing.
  • OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes – The 2018 episode “Monster Party” features the return of several characters from the 1998 television movie Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School.
  • Teen Titans GO! – The Scooby Doo gang has appeared in several episodes of the DC Comics animated comedy. Due to the show’s irreverent nature, I wouldn’t recommend attempting to fit any of these appearances in any sort of official Scooby-Doo timeline.

Where can I watch Scooby-Doo?

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated finale
Image credit: Warner Brothers Animation

You can travel the country in a Mystery Machine van to try to hunt down all the Scooby-Doo media, but it’s easier to stay home and use a streaming service. Most of Scooby-Doo’s television shows and films can be found on Max. In addition, there is a huge library of Scooby-Doo media on Boomerang, a streaming service that specializes in classic cartoons. At $5.99 per month, or $44.99 annually, Boomerang is one of the cheaper streaming services around.

Scooby-Doo, where are you?

Scooby-Doo intro still
Image credit: Hanna-Barbera

Rover rere!

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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