10 Things You Didn't Know About Scooby Doo

10. The Show Was Originally Called Mysteries Five

Owing a debt to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books, Mysteries Five was about 4 teenagers named Geoff, Kelly, Linda and WW, who roamed the country with their sheepdog, Too Much. CBS executive Fred Silverman disliked the idea, and wanted to revitalize his Saturday morning line-up with a series that would repeat the ratings success of The Archie Show as well as placate parent-led pressure groups that considered kids’ television too violent.

Between them, Silverman, writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, plus animator Iwao Takamoto came up with Who’s S-S-Scared, which was basically Scooby Doo by another name. CBS President Frank Stanton rejected Who’s S-S-Scared? for being too scary for its intended audience, so Silverman changed the title and toned down the material, which was apparently enough to obtain the necessary green light.

In other words, Scooby Doo! Where Are You? came into existence because it was safe, formulaic and unlikely to tax an 8-year-old overmuch.