Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo is an American animated television series and the fourth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC. It premiered on September 22, 1979, and ran for one season on ABC as a half-hour program. A total of sixteen episodes were produced. It aired internationally on BBC One in the UK from 1981 to 1984. It was the last Hanna-Barbera cartoon series (excluding prime-time specials) to use the studio's laugh track. Overview By 1979, the staff at Hanna-Barbera realized that the Scooby-Doo formula was getting worn out, which gave them reason to parody it in a 1979 primetime special, Scooby Goes Hollywood, which was produced and finished before the series aired in September 1979. In addition, ABC began threatening cancellation for the show, as the show's ratings were declining and Fred Silverman, one of the show's biggest backers at ABC, had left for NBC in 1978. ABC was going to choose between two shows: Scooby-Doo or an unnamed pilot from Ruby Spears Enterprises. Therefore, for its 1979–1980 season, Scooby-Doo was given a major overhaul, adding the character of Scooby's nephew Scrappy-Doo, voiced by Lennie Weinrib, and changing the name of the show to Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. Although still present in these episodes, the characters of Fred, Daphne, and Velma became less essential to the plot, and it became more of a concentrated effort to try and make them relevant, once the new character's presence shed light on it. However, they ultimately were removed by the next season. Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy were the main focus. Marla Frumkin took over Pat Stevens' role as Velma Dinkley towards the end of the season, beginning with episode 12, "The Ghoul, the Bat, and the Ugly". Velma has only one line (off-screen); "Have A Good Visit" in episode 16, "The Ransom of Scooby Chief" as she, Fred, and Daphne were not in that episode that much. In fact this episode could be seen as a backdoor pilot of what was to come the following season. Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show contained a laugh track created by the studio. Staff Directors: Ray Patterson, Carl Urbano, Oscar Dufau, George Gordon Story editors: Duane Poole and Tom Swale Story: Doug Booth, Diane Duane, Mark Evanier, Willie Gilbert, Glenn Leopold, Duane Poole, Tom Swale, David Villaire