Best HB Scooby clone show

[zoombie]

Back in the 70's, Hanna Barbara wanted to take advantage of the success of Scooby Doo Where Are You!! and it is its spinoff, that they produced shows that follow the similar formula. And there enough of them, than Boomerang has a programming block called The Meddling Kids, which returns this fall.

Which show was your favorite or considered the best of the so called Scooby clones?

I think by far, the best one and my favorite is Josie and the Pussycats. They were the first one, and I just like the show, it is entertaining in its own way that differs it from Scooby Doo. And the characters predate Scooby Doo, most of them by quite a few years, so maybe that is why it is able to stand out on its own. Let's face it, they had some characters that way different from the Scooby Doo character, mainly Melody and Alexandra. No one from the Mystery Inc. were like them. Plus their mascot Sabastein was more like Muttley than Scooby.

Not saying other shows like Jabber Jaw and Speed Buggy are bad, just Josie was better as far as I am concerned.

Also a mention to Clue Club, I haven't seen enough of the show, but it had some originality in being more serious than Scooby Doo.

[hobbyfan]

There are flaws in the formula, because you can break it down to determine what shows were actual clones.

Group 1: Rock bands.

Josie & the Pussycats and Jabberjaw fit. Butch Cassidy doesn't. Butch is actually a secret agent using his rock star status as a cover. Butch actually fits in line with the Impossibles.

Group 2: Whodunits.

This group includes Butch, plus the Amazing Chan & the Chan Clan, Clue Club, Inch High, Speed Buggy, and Capt. Caveman.

Group 3: True clones.

Funky Phantom and Goober & the Ghost Chasers fit here.

Not a clone: Harlem Globetrotters. The famous basketball team was plugged into the Scooby Formula because that's what CBS wanted.

[stargirl]

Let's not forget that Alexander was a clone of Shaggy, and Alan was a clone of Fred! ;)

[hobbyfan]

Let's not forget that Alexander was a clone of Shaggy, and Alan was a clone of Fred! ;)

Wrong. Josie and her supporting cast were already established in the comic books long before H-B got their hands on them.

[Jeff Harris]

Clue Club.

Aside from the name that sounds remarkably close to that of a group of robed racists, I thought Clue Club was a pretty good Scooby clone from Hanna-Barbera. It was one of the few NOT made by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and it was pretty realistic (well, aside from the fact that dogs don't really talk to each other) and kind of ahead of its time. Seriously, Dottie, the kid sister of the Clue Club's leader Larry, was a tweenaged one-girl CSI with a computer and gadgets at her house, not to mention two-way audio/video communications before the words "webcam" and "cell phone" was even part of our vernacular. Plus, you can't really complain that Pepper (one of the first female characters in animation to wear jeans) and D.D. were always paired together in every episode. It fit the Scooby mold perfectly without being a direct clone. If anything, there are some things about Clue Club that were much better than Scooby-Doo. In the right hands, it could easily be revived and modernized for a new audience.

Especially one tired of Scooby-Doo.

[Jayd]

Wrong. Josie and her supporting cast were already established in the comic books long before H-B got their hands on them.

Before the Josie cartoons, the characters as seen in Archie Comics were a lot different looking. To make the series more like Scooby, they turned dark haired Alan into a blonde with an ascot to look like Fred, and made Alex more like Shaggy. But it wasn't a true clone as there was no dog in the series. After the cartoon went on the air, the characters as seen in the Archie comics began to resemble their animated counterparts. Gone was homely girl Pepper, in came Valerie to add some racial diversity. The thing I didn't get was that in the comics Alexandra was a witch at one time, and I guess they dropped the idea when Sabrina became more popular.

[zoombie]

Before the Josie cartoons, the characters as seen in Archie Comics were a lot different looking. To make the series more like Scooby, they turned dark haired Alan into a blonde with an ascot to look like Fred, and made Alex more like Shaggy. But it wasn't a true clone as there was no dog in the series. After the cartoon went on the air, the characters as seen in the Archie comics began to resemble their animated counterparts. Gone was homely girl Pepper, in came Valerie to add some racial diversity. The thing I didn't get was that in the comics Alexandra was a witch at one time, and I guess they dropped the idea when Sabrina became more popular.



I think you got one fact wrong. I believe the dark haired Alan you were referring to, was a different character named Albert. He suffered the same fate as Pepper when they decided to create the Josie and the Pussycats band, and was written out of the series.

But it is easy to confuse them, because not only do they name start with the same letter, but they are essential the same character, with similar relationship with Josie and the Cabot twins. Just like Alan, Albert was Josie's boyfriend, the object of Alexandra's affections, and Alexander's rival. The only difference besides the hair color is Albert was a folk singer, and Alan was a roadie.

BTW I had an idea for a Scooby Doo / Josie and the Pussycats crossover in which someone was sabotosing Pussycats preformances and haunting them, with the help of Mystery Inc, Josie and the gang catches the culprit. Throughout the story Josie accuses Alexandra as being the one responsible for all of the trouble and she is the red hairing of the story, but the evidence all points to Alexander, it turns out the villain was Albert, who was jealous of the Pussycats success, and bitter a Josie for dumping him for Alan, and wanted to frame his old rival Alexander for it. I never wrote the story though.

As far as Alexandra being a witch, they never really dropped it in the comic book, it just was sometimes she was a witch, other times they ignore her powers, in the last issue of Josie and the Pussycats in 1982 she was still a witch, she used her powers to save Josie and Valerie from a bunch of bullies, saying to Sabastein something like "No one messes with them except for me", showing a rare soft side. Actully believe or not, I thought in the comic book she was the lesser of two evils compared to her brother. I thought Alexander was more of antagonist and trouble maker than Alexandra in the comic book.

[Steve Carras]

Before the Josie cartoons, the characters as seen in Archie Comics were a lot different looking. To make the series more like Scooby, they turned dark haired Alan into a blonde with an ascot to look like Fred, and made Alex more like Shaggy.

Jose = Daphne. But Josie came first, and her HAIR aside, her personality and even the DO was different..and she read FRENCH [Josie's named for her late creator Dan DeCarlo's wife now widow Josie, who was a French lass named Josette! Usually, it's short for Josephine, though.]


the last issue of Josie and the Pussycats in 1982
which resurfaced some years later! I had one with a on the moon poster, and NO NOT to tie in with decade plus old reruns of that silly moon revamp of the 70s.One gag was Man wanting to be a MEMBER of thbe band [I'm NOT making THIS UP!] and offerign to help,. The girls seem impressed.
[Man]: You have tio let me join if [ready, for this] you want to aid you. THAT's a HARD AND FAST RULE!!
[Valerie handing a spare PUSSYCAT outfit] Ya wanna join the girls, ya gotta wear this pussycat suit. THAT's a hard and fast rule
[Man] Uh, no thanks.
[Josie] You sure showed him
[Melody just laughs as she usually does.]
Really,, they're right that the comics were far better! That goes even more for the Archie when you compare with the show. BTW I read this morning that Archie WILL propose to VERNICE [L.A.Times.] But that is for another topic.

[Steve Carras]

Back in the 70's, Hanna Barbara wanted to take advantage of the success of Scooby Doo Where Are You!! and it is its spinoff, that they produced shows that follow the similar formula. And there enough of them, than Boomerang has a programming block called The Meddling Kids, which returns this fall.

Which show was your favorite or considered the best of the so called Scooby clones?

I think by far, the best one and my favorite is Josie and the Pussycats. They were the first one, and I just like the show, it is entertaining in its own way that differs it from Scooby Doo. And the characters predate Scooby Doo, most of them by quite a few years, so maybe that is why it is able to stand out on its own. Let's face it, they had some characters that way different from the Scooby Doo character, mainly Melody and Alexandra. No one from the Mystery Inc. were like them. Plus their mascot Sabastein was more like Muttley than Scooby.

Not saying other shows like Jabber Jaw and Speed Buggy are bad, just Josie was better as far as I am concerned.

Also a mention to Clue Club, I haven't seen enough of the show, but it had some originality in being more serious than Scooby Doo.

Josie also was day-based, Scooby at night time. [And I am one who did NOT conciously try to watch these durign their heydey!!]. Clue Club was kind of an odd duck, very as you'd said ahead of its time, and more serious..but there are fans and then there are those of us who offer recollections, some good, some bad.:cool:

[zoombie]

Jose = Daphne. But Josie came first, and her HAIR aside, her personality and even the DO was different..and she read FRENCH [Josie's named for her late creator Dan DeCarlo's wife now widow Josie, who was a French lass named Josette! Usually, it's short for Josephine, though.]


Really,, they're right that the comics were far better! That goes even more for the Archie when you compare with the show. BTW I read this morning that Archie WILL propose to VERNICE [L.A.Times.] But that is for another topic.

I agree Josie = Daphine, however except for the episode of the New Scooby Doo Movies with Dick Van Dyke, in which Daphine acted unusual ditzy, and was more like Melody. But that is was one time only. She never acted that ditzy or like an air head ever again.

I agree the Josie and the Pussycats comics were better than the cartoon show, though I am a big fan of the original cartoon series (not so much the Josie in space one), plus the cartoon series had music. Anyway I wish they would do a Josie cartoon that is an accuarate adaption of the comic book, I want to see the scheming snobbish Alexander Cabot III brought to animated life.

I thought of some good characters for a Josie cartoon that is like the comic book (in place of the other Archie characters absences) a nerd boy that has a crush on Alexandra, and the Cabots often used in their schemes to break up Josie and Alan. As well as even more snobby more evil twin cousins (one being a boy and the other a girl), who had an evil little dog who would be Sabastein enemy.

[Zen Man]

I think you got one fact wrong. I believe the dark haired Alan you were referring to, was a different character named Albert. He suffered the same fate as Pepper when they decided to create the Josie and the Pussycats band, and was written out of the series.

But it is easy to confuse them, because not only do they name start with the same letter, but they are essential the same character, with similar relationship with Josie and the Cabot twins. Just like Alan, Albert was Josie's boyfriend, the object of Alexandra's affections, and Alexander's rival. The only difference besides the hair color is Albert was a folk singer, and Alan was a roadie.

BTW I had an idea for a Scooby Doo / Josie and the Pussycats crossover in which someone was sabotosing Pussycats preformances and haunting them, with the help of Mystery Inc, Josie and the gang catches the culprit. Throughout the story Josie accuses Alexandra as being the one responsible for all of the trouble and she is the red hairing of the story, but the evidence all points to Alexander, it turns out the villain was Albert, who was jealous of the Pussycats success, and bitter a Josie for dumping him for Alan, and wanted to frame his old rival Alexander for it. I never wrote the story though.

As far as Alexandra being a witch, they never really dropped it in the comic book, it just was sometimes she was a witch, other times they ignore her powers, in the last issue of Josie and the Pussycats in 1982 she was still a witch, she used her powers to save Josie and Valerie from a bunch of bullies, saying to Sabastein something like "No one messes with them except for me", showing a rare soft side. Actully believe or not, I thought in the comic book she was the lesser of two evils compared to her brother. I thought Alexander was more of antagonist and trouble maker than Alexandra in the comic book.

Ironically there was actually a Scooby/Josie crossover episode of The New Scooby Doo Movies.

[zoombie]

Ironically there was actually a Scooby/Josie crossover episode of The New Scooby Doo Movies.

Yeah I know that.

[Cartoon-Buffoon]

Love clue club. By far the best scooby doo clone. I have the bootleg DVDs of clue club the complete series. Great show.

[Dr.Pepper]

Jabberjaw wasn't half-bad IMO.

[Steve Carras]

There are flaws in the formula, because you can break it down to determine what shows were actual clones.

Group 1: Rock bands.

Josie & the Pussycats and Jabberjaw fit. Butch Cassidy doesn't. Butch is actually a secret agent using his rock star status as a cover. Butch actually fits in line with the Impossibles.

Group 2: Whodunits.

This group includes Butch, plus the Amazing Chan & the Chan Clan, Clue Club, Inch High, Speed Buggy, and Capt. Caveman.

Group 3: True clones.

Funky Phantom and Goober & the Ghost Chasers fit here.

Not a clone: Harlem Globetrotters. The famous basketball team was plugged into the Scooby Formula because that's what CBS wanted.

It can get even more confusing when one discusses the 1971 "Pebbles and Bamm Bamm" show, since they had a number of kids and a mascot, that dang mammoth, Wooly.

[stephane dumas]

The only Scobby clones who was aired in Quebec, Canada was Captain Caveman (known in French as "Capitaine Caverne") and Goopher and the Ghost Chasers (known in French as "Gaspard et les fantômes"), Jabberjaw (known as "Mantalo" in French) and Clue Club. Clue Club and Jabberjaw wasn't very popular eclipsed by the other series. They finded some good dub voices to fit the characters who was. Roger Carel (well known for its voice of Asterix and dubbed some earlier H-B toons) was the French voice of Captain Caveman. Benoit Marleau, who unfortunately passed away last Spring, provided the French voice of Goopher.

Btw, does Hong Kong Phooey aka Hong Kong Fou Fou in French could be classifield de facto as a Scobby clone?

[Silverstar]

Does Hong Kong Phooey aka Hong Kong Fou Fou in French could be classifield de facto as a Scobby clone?

No. Hong Kong Phooey is in the tradition of the comedic superhero genre rather than the mystery solving genre. Plus Penry/Hong Kong is an antro dog who lives and operates independently of humans, as opposed to Scooby and his clones, who fall into the more traditional pet/mascot role for a gang of kids.