The Mystery Machine has been to a whole lot of places. From haunted mansions and haunted amusement parks, to haunted castles and haunted forests, the Scooby-Doo gang can’t avoid scary places. But now the group is going somewhere truly frightening: it’s own Riverdale-esque live-action series. The fan-made Mystery Incorporated debuted its first episode. And yoinks, this absurd adult-oriented take has us hungry for more.
Back in February of 2020 (a.k.a. The Before Times), Mystery Incorporated turned a concept trailer into a successful Kickstarter. Unfortunately COVID then delayed the group from filming its pilot. But after a long wait it finally debuted on YouTube. And it was worth the wait if you love serious/silly takes on classic kid’s properties.
Created by Dade Elza and Jessica Chancellor, who also play Fred Jones and Daphne Blake, this very different, darker re-imaging of Scooby-Doo also features Dayeanne Hutton as Velma Dinkley, Chris Villain as Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, and Thor Von Schultz as everyone’s favorite Great Dane. You can watch the entire episode for free online right here.
The premiere follows high school senior Fred Jones “as he sets out to investigate the supernatural creature that killed his parents.” Fun! His quest leads him to “resident skeptic Velma Dinkley,” as “the two must form a quick bond to fight back against the evil they have accidentally unleashed.”
The show’s official logline teases how the rest of the group will get in on the sinister search:
When the small town of Coolsville becomes a hot bed for unexplained supernatural activity, a grief-stricken star athlete, a brainiac, a socialite, a rebellious loner, and his Great Dane must form an unlikely team to hunt down and stop the evil that has befallen their town.
Do we want more? Yes, for the same reason we can’t get enough of Riverdale. There have been plenty of Scooby-Doo episodes where Mystery Inc. finds themselves in a haunted locale. Now we want to see just how scary things can get when things get serious.
