The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo | |
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![]() Title card from The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo | |
Created by |
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Developed by | Tom Ruegger |
Directed by |
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Voices of |
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Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Producer | Mitch Schauer |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production company | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
Original release | |
Network | ABC (American Broadcasting Company) |
Release | September 7 December 7, 1985 | –
Related | |
Scooby-Doo |
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo is the seventh incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo, and the final first-run version of the original 1969–1985 broadcast run of the series. It premiered on September 7, 1985 and ran for one season on ABC as a half-hour program. Thirteen episodes of the show were made in 1985. It replaced Scary Scooby Funnies, a repackaging of earlier shows; another repackaged series, Scooby's Mystery Funhouse, followed. The series also aired in reruns on USA Network in the 1990s, on Cartoon Network, and from time to time on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang until 2014. With 13 episodes, it is the shortest-running series in the Scooby-Doo franchise. A follow-up film, Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost, released in 2019, featured the previously unseen 13th ghost. The entire series is also available on the Boomerang streaming service.
Plot[]
- "This is a warning to all living mortals, that whosoever opens this Chest of Demons will release 13 of the most terrifying ghosts upon of the face of the Earth!"
- ― Vincent Van Ghoul, in the original opening title sequence
In the initial episode, the gang are thrown off course on a trip to Honolulu in Daphne's plane, landing instead in Himalayas. While inside a temple, Scooby and Shaggy are tricked by two bumbling ghosts named Weerd and Bogel into opening the Chest of Demons, a magical artifact which houses the 13 most terrifying and powerful ghosts and demons ever to walk the face of the Earth. As the ghosts can only be returned to the chest by those who originally set them free, Scooby and Shaggy, accompanied by Daphne, Scrappy-Doo, and a young con artist named Flim-Flam, embark on a worldwide quest to recapture them before they wreak irreversible havoc upon the world.
Assisting them is Flim-Flam's friend, a warlock named Vincent Van Ghoul (based upon and voiced by Vincent Price), who contacts the gang using his crystal ball and often employs magic and witchcraft to assist them. The 13 escaped ghosts, meanwhile, each attempt to do away with the gang lest they are returned to the chest, often employing Weerd and Bogel as lackeys.
Production[]
The series was created and produced by Mitch Schauer. Tom Ruegger was associate producer and story editor, the irreverent, fourth wall-breaking humor found in each episode resurfaced in his later works, among them A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Animaniacs.[1] Of The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Ruegger recalls not being fond of the Flim-Flam character[1] or the other added characters in the cast.[1] As with most of the other early-1980s Scooby-Doo entries, original characters Fred Jones and Velma Dinkley do not appear, and the enemies were real (within the context of the series) ghosts and not simply humans in costume. 13 Ghosts ended its run after 13 episodes and was replaced by reruns of Laff-a-Lympics in March 1986, before the end of the season.
It is currently[when?] the latest Scooby series to feature Scrappy-Doo, as it was decided by Ruegger and ABC that they would overhaul the series entirely, developing A Pup Named Scooby-Doo in 1988.[1] At the time of the cancellation, twelve of the thirteen ghosts were recaptured in the chest of demons with the show-stopping production before the last ghost could be found. Originally it was debatable if Captain Ferguson, the antagonist of the episode "Ship of Ghouls", counted as one of the thirteen ghosts. However it was later confirmed by Curse of the 13th Ghost writer Tim Sheridan that Captain Ferguson was one of the thirteen.
Flim-Flam makes a cameo as a wax museum figure in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Daphne asks Fred if he remembers him, but Fred reminds her that he was at trap camp. It is mentioned in passing that Flim-Flam's con-artistry has ended up landing him a long prison sentence. After Daphne and Fred talk about Flim-Flam, they run across a wax statue of Scrappy-Doo, to which Fred says to Daphne, "Remember, we promised never to speak of him again."
A direct-to-video film released in 2019, Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost, looks to resolve the open ending of the original and feature the entire gang helping Vincent Van Ghoul in capturing the last ghost.[2]
Voice cast[]
- Don Messick – Scooby-Doo, Scrappy-Doo
- Casey Kasem – Shaggy Rogers
- Heather North – Daphne Blake
- Susan Blu – Flim-Flam
- Arte Johnson – Weerd
- Howard Morris – Bogel
- Vincent Price – Vincent Van Ghoul
Episodes[]
No. | Title | Directed by | Story by | Original air date | |
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1 | "To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before" | Ray Patterson | Tom Ruegger | September 7, 1985 | |
After crash-landing in a near village at Himalayas where its cursed inhabitants become werewolves at night, Scooby and Shaggy unwittingly release the 13 ghosts from the Chest of Demons. | |||||
2 | "Scoobra Kadoobra" | Ray Patterson | Gordon Bressack & Mark Seidenberg | September 14, 1985 | |
The gang pursues Maldor, a ghost warlock from the Dark Ages, in the depths of a haunted castle. There, they find a powerful artifact that may prove the ghost's undoing.
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3 | "Me and My Shadow Demon" | Ray Patterson | Cynthia Friedlob & John Semper | September 21, 1985 | |
Lured to the enigmatic Befuddle Manor, the gang must contend with a ghoulish convention of ghosts and the mysterious Shadow Demon.
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4 | "Reflections in a Ghoulish Eye" | Ray Patterson | Charles M. Howell, IV & Rich Fogel | September 28, 1985 | |
While at a Ghost Chaser convention in Marrakesh, Morocco, the gang encounter a mirror demon: a frightful apparition who has the power to trap mortals in his eerie mirror dimension. To complicate the situation, the hotel concierge thinks the gang has kidnapped a maid, although she was actually kidnapped by the demon.
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5 | "That's Monstertainment" | Ray Patterson | Tom Ruegger & Mitch Schauer | October 5, 1985 | |
The gang is trapped in the classic horror film "The Son of the Bride of the Ghost of Frankenstein" by Zomba, a ghoul who attempts to nab the Chest of Demons from Scooby's heavily guarded room.
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6 | "Ship of Ghouls" | Ray Patterson | Misty Stewart-Taggart | October 12, 1985 | |
Too much of a nervous wreck to continue, the gang takes a tense Scooby on a vacation cruise, where Bogel and Weerd plan to scare Scooby to death. However, the gang does not suspect that the captain of the cruise is a ghost, and wants to free his fellow spirits from the Chest of Demons.
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7 | "A Spooky Little Ghoul Like You" | Ray Patterson | John Ludin | October 19, 1985 | |
While attending a warlock convention, Vincent Van Ghoul is placed under an amorous enchantment by Nicara, an enchantress with the power to drain warlocks of their powers by kissing them.
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8 | "When You Witch Upon a Star" | Ray Patterson | Jeff Holder & Tom Ruegger | October 26, 1985 | |
Three bumbling witches named Ernestine, Wanda, and Hilda Brewski (similar to The Three Stooges) are tasked by the powerful witch Marcella to perform a spell which will free her from the dimension in which she is trapped. Meanwhile, Vincent goes to the Zone of Eternal Evil where he is subsequently captured by Marcella.
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9 | "It's a Wonderful Scoob" | Ray Patterson | John Ludin & Tom Ruegger | November 2, 1985 | |
After one fright too many, Scooby quits the gang and is replaced by a lazy sheepdog named Bernie Gumsher. Vincent Van Ghoul takes Scooby to the future to show him what the world will be like if he does not return to stop Time Slime from releasing the demons that were previously reimprisoned.
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10 | "Scooby in Kwackyland" | Ray Patterson | Tom Ruegger & Misty Stewart-Taggart | November 9, 1985 | |
The gang and Demondo are trapped in the newspaper comics section and must rely on the help of comic characters—including Scooby's favorite, Platypus Duck—to escape.
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11 | "Coast-to-Ghost" | Ray Patterson | Cynthia Friedlob & John Semper | November 16, 1985 | |
As part of an initiation test, the vampire demon Rankor tricks Vincent Van Ghoul into looking into the Eye of Eternity, which slowly turns him into stone. In order to cure him, the gang—accompanied by two-faced Bogel and Weerd—must travel from California to Massachusetts to acquire the Mask of Moomma, and to complicate matters, they are relentlessly pursued not only by Rankor, but also by the authorities for something Bogel and Weerd did.
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12 | "The Ghouliest Show on Earth" | Ray Patterson | Evelyn Gabai & Glenn Leopold | November 23, 1985 | |
A circus comes to Dooville and enchants the residents, including Scooby's parents and Flim-Flam. Shaggy and Scooby discover that the circus is staffed by demons and monsters and its evil ringmaster Professor Phantasmo who wants the Chest of Demons.
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13 | "Horror-Scope Scoob" | Ray Patterson | Charles M. Howell, IV | December 7, 1985 | |
When the gang appears on the TV show You Won't Believe It...or Else! owned by Boris Kreepoff, the lion demon Zimbulu attempts to steal the Chest of Demons, but it was stolen by someone else unbeknownst to the gang. Accompanied by Vincent Van Ghoul and a medium named Tallulah, the gang attempts to find the chest.
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Home media[]
On June 29, 2010, Warner Home Video (via Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[3]
DVD name | No. of episodes | Release date | Bonus episode |
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The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo: The Complete Series | 13 | June 29, 2010 | Don't Feed the Animals |
Reception[]
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2017) |
The series was heavily profiled in the Christian fundamentalist documentary Deception of a Generation as an example of occult influences on children's entertainment.[4]
See also[]
- Scooby-Doo (character)
- List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera
- List of Hanna-Barbera characters
- List of Scooby-Doo characters
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Tom Ruegger is back!". Platypuscomix.net. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ http://collider.com/scooby-doo-and-the-curse-of-the-13th-ghost-trailer/
- ↑ Lambert, David (March 22, 2010). "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo DVD news: Announcement for The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo – The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Deception of a Generation". Youtube.com. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
{{cite web}}
:
External links[]
- Official Scooby-Doo website
- The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo at the Internet Movie Database
- The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo at TV.com
- The Big Cartoon Database – The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
- The Cartoon Scrapbook – Profile on The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1980s | ||
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First-run animated series |
The World's Greatest Super Friends (1979–80) • The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (Mighty Man and Yukk) • Fangface • Rickety Rocket) (1979–80) • Spider-Woman (1979–80) • Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979–80) • Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (1977–80) • Super Friends (1980-82) • The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (1980–82) • Richie Rich (1980–84) • Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (shorts) (1980–82) • Thundarr the Barbarian (1980–82) • The Heathcliff and Dingbat Show (1980–82) • Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981–82) • Goldie Gold and Action Jack (1981–82) • Pac-Man (1982–84) • The Little Rascals (1982–84) • Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982–83) • The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour (1982–83) • The Puppy's Further Adventures (1982–84) • Monchhichis (1983–84) • Rubik, the Amazing Cube (1983–84) • The Littles (1983–86) • Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984–85) • Mighty Orbots (1984–85) • Turbo Teen (1984–85) • Dragon's Lair (1984–85) • Wolf Rock TV (1984-85) • The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show/The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries (1983–85) • Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985–90) • Ewoks (1985–87) • Droids (1985–86) • The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985–86) • The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985) • Pound Puppies (1986–88) • The Care Bears Family (1986–88) • The Flintstone Kids (1986–88, 1989) • The Real Ghostbusters (1986–91) • My Pet Monster (1987–88) • Little Clowns of Happytown (1987-88) • Little Wizards (1987-88) • The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil (1988) • The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988–1991) • A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988–91) • Beetlejuice (1989–92) | |
First-run live-action series |
ABC Weekend Special (1977–97) • American Bandstand (1957–87) • Animals, Animals, Animals (1976–81) • Kids Are People Too (1978–82) • Menudo on ABC (1983–85) • ABC Funfit (1985) • ABC Fun Facts (1988) | |
Rebroadcasts | The Best of Scooby-Doo (1983–84) • The Bugs Bunny Show (1985–2000) • Scary Scooby Funnies (1984–85) • Scooby's Mystery Funhouse (1985–86) • Pink Panther and Sons (1986) • The Wuzzles (1986–87) | |
Related | Animation in the United States in the television era • Modern animation in the United States |