June 27 will see the first episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? on the Boomerang streaming service and a week later it will air on the Cartoon Network in the U.S. If you're outside the U.S. it is apparently going to air on Boomerang partner networks in other countries later this year.
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? is a modern reimagining of the New Scooby-Doo Movies that aired in the 70's with then huge guest stars like Sonny and Cher, Sandy Duncan and Dick Van Dyke. Fictional characters like Batman and Josie and the Pussycats also guest starred. The "movies" were hour long cartoons that usually wore the week's gag gossamer thin, but they have a nostalgic glow that I enjoyed and the last of the previously uncollected set finally made it to DVD just about two weeks ago. Only the episode guest starring the Addams Family has not been released to home video for one licensing reason or another.
The episode length for the new show has not been announced that I can find, but I'm betting on 30 minute episodes. While some of the Scooby direct to video movies work very well even over 80 or 90 minutes, I generally prefer the quick-fire action/comedy that half hour cartoons necessitate. Given that I have only heard of about half of the announced guest stars, for some of the shows I'm certain shorter is better.
Guests so far announced include awesome gets like Bill Nye, Mark Hamill and Penn & Teller. Also announced are a bunch I either don't know or care about like Chris Paul (a basketball star, apparently), someone or something called Halsey and a "Sia" whatever that may be.
And yes, I'm fully aware that 20 years ago I'd be rolling my eyes at the guy who didn't know the current crop of actors/singer/bands/models. I have the great privilege of middle age: active disinterest. I take great pride in the fact that when I stand at a grocery checkout line, I have no idea who most of the people pictured and named on tabloid covers are. If you're young and famous but don't star in a sci-fi, superhero or fantasy show I watch, I don't give one tiny shit who you are or who you're currently bumping uglies with. I'll never understand the interest folks have in the personal lives of rich people they've never met.
When I was watching my dvd of the New Scooby-Doo movies this week, every "star" was one that kids today would have no clue about. To be honest most of them weren't of much interest to me even when they were "big". What I did enjoy was the hijinx that always surround the Scooby gang, so hopefully my distain for current pop culture will be tempered by great new Scooby gang goings on in the new show.
Yep. That's Weird Al running from a dinosaur. I actually recognized both.
Once I found my glasses.
Once I found my glasses.
Regardless, they also intend to have guests like Batman, Abraham Lincoln and Sherlock Holmes on the show, so it's already shaping up nicely on the plus side of the ledger. Batman will be voiced by legendary Batman actor Kevin Conroy. Lincoln and Holmes will naturally voice themselves.
New Scooby-Doo!
No comments:
Post a Comment