Here We Go Again: Scooby-Doo Gets Another Origin Story (Because Why Not?)

Another day, another reboot—this time, it’s Scooby-Doo. But before we dive into the latest live-action version of a franchise that has been so thoroughly reincarnated that it’s hard to remember what the original looked like, let’s be real for a second: Scooby-Doo deserves this. The show has been an enduring piece of pop culture for over half a century, and even if it seems like the Mystery Inc. gang has already been reimagined in every conceivable form, this live-action series has a chance to capture the magic that made the show such an indelible part of our childhoods. Or at least, we hope it does.

Netflix has just greenlit an eight-episode series that will take a deep dive into the origin story of the Mystery Inc. crew, from their humble beginnings at summer camp to solving their very first mystery. But wait, didn’t we already know all this? Do we really need to go back to the well and tell the “How they met and solved their first mystery” story all over again? Of course, we do—because Hollywood loves an origin story. It’s practically a law at this point. Every franchise has to go back to the roots, even when the roots are just fine as they are.

In this version, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get entangled in a supernatural murder mystery when a lonely puppy may have witnessed the crime. Joining them are Velma and Freddy, who each have their own secrets and motivations. The show is being developed by Berlanti Productions, the same people who seem to have an endless grip on our streaming queues.

We get it—this is a classic franchise that’s ripe for reimagining in a modern context. And while we’re sure it will be a fun ride with some impressive production values, it’s hard not to feel a little bit tired. Isn’t this the same story we’ve already seen a thousand times? How many times can we watch Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby get tangled up in a mystery before we start thinking, “Maybe there’s a reason no one’s ever solved this mystery before—it’s because it doesn’t need solving”?

But alas, here we are. Scooby-Doo is getting another origin story. If it’s anything like the countless reboots we’ve seen in the past few years, we’ll probably binge-watch it, complain about the premise, and then ask why we didn’t just rewatch Mystery Incorporated again.