On September 13, 1969, a cowardly Great Dane and four meddling teenagers debuted on CBS , forever changing the landscape of Saturday morning cartoons. Created by and Ken Spears for Hanna-Barbera Productions , Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was born from a need for non-violent children's programming following parent group protests against superhero-themed shows. Originally titled The Mysteries Five and later Who's S-S-Scared? , the series eventually dropped a musical band angle to focus on the ghost-hunting formula we know today. The Core Premise and Characters
The first season established the "Mystery Inc." formula that has endured for over 50 years: four high school students—, Daphne Blake , Velma Dinkley , and Shaggy Rogers —and their dog, Scooby-Doo , travel in a psychedelic van called the Mystery Machine . They typically find themselves stranded near a spooky location where they investigate "supernatural" occurrences, only to unmask a human villain using a legend to hide a crime or scam. Scooby Doo Where Are You - Season 1
Unmasking a Classic: A Look Back at "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" Season 1 On September 13, 1969, a cowardly Great Dane