When it comes to any beloved franchise, there are are always going to be things that don’t necessarily resonate with every fan. Maybe it’s an episode of a long running series that just doesn’t land the way fans expect it to, or its spinoff or adaptation that feels out of line with the original project that leaves fans scratching their heads. Sometimes, it’s a character that gets introduced that people just don’t like and sometimes, that character that gets introduced gets an absolutely wild amount of hate that lasts long after the character’s heyday has come and gone and while there are certainly some characters who deserve the disdain, there’s one character who made his debut 47 years ago that has been unfairly roasted all this time — and fans should be thanking him instead.
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If there is one thing that Scooby-Doo fans agree on, it’s that Scrappy-Doo sucks. The character made his debut on September 22, 1979, with the premiere of Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. Introduced as the little nephew of Scooby-Doo, Scrappy is very different than his uncle. He’s energetic, loud, fearless, and very hyperactive and even aggressive, full of confidence (that sometimes gets him in over his head) and is the first to try to fight things multiple times his size. His enthusiasm is a major tonal shift compared to what fans had come to know and love about Scooby-Doo, both in terms of the older dog character and the animated series overall, and it led to him ending up kind of hated by subset of fans. He continues to be the butt of the joke decades later, but here’s what most people forget: Scrappy-Doo saved the franchise. If it weren’t for this overconfident pup, an iconic animated favorite would have been done for.
Love Him or Hate Him, Scrappy-Doo Saved The Day
To understand the road to Scrappy-Doo’s debut, you have to understand a little about Scooby-Doo’s history. Scooby-Doo got its start in 1969 with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! as part of CBS’s Saturday morning cartoons. The series was a hit and a franchise was born. Then, in 1976, Scooby-Doo moved to ABC when Fred Silverman, formerly an executive for daytime programming at CBS, became president of the other network. He made an arrangement to bring new Scooby-Doo episodes to ABC’s Saturday morning lineup but by 1979 what had once been a serious powerhouse was running out of steam. The franchise had grown to three series and had offered up loads of gimmicky celebrity guests and even introduced a goofy, dimwit cousin named Scrappy-Dum, but nothing was really working. Ratings were tanking and the show was on the block. This is where Scrappy-Doo enters the story and ends up saving the day.
With ABC looking at choosing between Scooby-Doo or the unnamed pilot of another series (it didn’t help that Silverman had moved on to NBC), the energetic younger dog was introduced. His stark difference to Scooby was exactly what made the character attractive and led to the series getting renewed, now as Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. The result was a series that put Fred, Daphne, and Velma a little in the backseat and let the dogs shine a bit more, complete with the boundless energy and chaos that Scrappy brought to the table. It worked. Viewers initially loved Scrappy and the ratings shot up. Scrappy also worked well in the stories being told, frequently working as a plot device to get Scooby and the gang out of difficult situations. That was the charm of Scrappy: he just burst in and did things because he believed he could do it and nothing could stop him.
Confidence Is a Double-Edged Sword, Even for Cartoon Pups
Unfortunately, it’s Scrappy-Doo’s exuberance that ended up turning him from beloved character to butt of the joke and hated figure for fans. Over time, fans started to grow tired of his presentation, particularly the shouting of “Puppy Power!” in his high-pitched voice before trying to fight real monsters instead of realizing he was outclassed. Fans also started to take issue with the fact that while Scrappy was exuberant and enthusiastic, he also got himself into trouble more often than not and needed rescue from Shaggy and Scooby. The biggest issue, however, was the way Scrappy took the spotlight, leading many fans to be mad about the absence of Fred, Velma, and Daphne who were actually removed from the series for a time.
Scooby-Doo would eventually undergo fresh iterations, but the hatred for Scrappy-Doo remained. Scrappy is even revealed to be the villain in the live-action Scooby-Doo in 2002 (written by DC’s James Gunn). The film ends with Scrappy being arrested for his schemes against Mystery, Inc. It’s just a small example of continued roasting, memes, and jokes about the character who is remembered only as being boisterous, full of himself, and overconfident to the point of being a problem. What people fail to remember or even acknowledge is that, over time, Scrappy actually earned that confidence. He became a genuinely solid detective and matured a bit. He’ll always be a very different character than the rest of the crew, but that’s a good thing. It was his energy and difference that took a franchise that had worn itself out and gave it fresh new life, letting it continue in a way that probably contributed to Scooby-Doo remaining so iconic now decades later. So, maybe the next time you share a Scrappy meme remember: Scrappy saved the day. You should totally let him at ‘em.
