Okay, they're kind of cute. I don't know if this was the first attempt by animation studios to "baby-fy" one of their successful animated series, but I do know that kids seem to love that whole concept. They're well aware of the way the original characters look (what little kid hasn't seen Bugs Bunny or Scooby-Doo?), so when they see a familiar cartoon character shrunk down to their own size with diapers on, or a rattle, or an adorable lisp, or some other stupid crap to make them all cute and cuddly, the little tykes go ape for them. And that's fine, I guess, as long as they get to see the original versions, too. I grew up on the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, so watching A Pup Named Scooby-Doo leaves me relatively non-plussed. My very small children like it, so...what's the beef? After all, Hanna-Barbera didn't make the show for the likes of me.

Premiering in September, 1988, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo ran for three seasons on ABC's Saturday morning line-up, and to this day, it still runs regularly on Cartoon Network. Created by Tom Ruegger, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo took the iconic characters of Mystery, Inc., and transformed them into junior high-age sleuths of the newly named Scooby-Doo Detective Agency. Following the format of the original series, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo has the kids involved in one crazy mystery after another. Arriving at a relatively exotic location (an amusement park at night, a space museum), the gang is drawn into a supernaturally-tinged riddle (monsters running around, usually trying to get the gang to leave the premises) that always turns out to be someone in a mask and costume, involved in a money-motivated crime.

Where A Pup Named Scooby-Doo differs is in the treatment of the characters. Scoob and Shaggy are unchanged here. In other words, they're still funny, with Shaggy's barely concealed stoner antics ("Like, I'm starvin' again, Scoob!") on full display, and Scoob's good-natured snickering at Shaggy's jokes popping up every few minutes. Velma, the brains of the outfit, is the same, too, providing the requisite "Jinkies" whenever she finds a clue (which always gets the same response: "Velma said 'Jinkies,' it must be a clue!"). Quite different - and most unwelcome - are the changes to Freddy and Daphne. As I said, I grew up on the original, so naturally, I tend to prefer the original interpretation of the characters (did I really just write that in connection with...Scooby-Doo?). Here, in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Freddy is seen as some sort of blow-hard boob who couldn't solve a mystery if his life depended on it. Constantly scorned by the rest of the group, Freddy often acts as the "second lead villain" of the piece, getting no respect from the audience or his gang until the real criminal is caught - with no help from him. Daphne is portrayed even worse in this updated version. Spoiled, rich, and totally grating, Daphne is made even more of a stereotype than she was accused of being in the first version of the cartoon. Often having nothing better to say than something snotty, this new, improved Daphne refuses to get dirty, wants little to do with solving the mysteries, and whenever anything gets difficult or scary, she calls out her ever-present (but hidden) butler, Jenkins, who gets scared for her.

One of the elements of the original series I enjoyed was the camaraderie of the gang, and the good-natured feelings and chemistry that the group shared during their mystery-solving. It was a team effort. This new take on Freddy and Daphne is distinctly unpleasant (as well as tired and cliched), and makes A Pup Named Scooby-Doo have a harsher, more cynical feel to its little mysteries. Fortunately, the unchanged good humor of Scoob and Shag are still front and center in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, distracting you from the annoying Freddy and Daphne. The mysteries themselves are okay for little kids, with simple stories they can easily follow. The animation is relatively crude, with a generic look to the backgrounds, but the colors are bright enough (I miss the darker, doom and gloomy look of the original, though), with a nice energy to some of the chase scenes. When it comes right down to it, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo does what it sets out to do: entertain the very, very young and undiscerning. Personally, I think any little kid would like the original version, but they'll like this take, too, so: no harm, no foul with A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.

Here are the 5 episodes included in the A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 6:

Terror, Thy Name is Zombo (aka: Roller Ghoster)
Running 23 minutes, this episode finds the gang at a closed amusement park, trying to avoid the evil Zombo the killer clown, while riding the Monster Mountain roller coaster.

Night of the Boogey Biker
Running almost 12 minutes, this episode features the gang trying to find Aunt Hedda Herring's stolen motorcycle. (There are no closing credits included on this episode).

Dawn of the Spooky Shuttle Scare
Running 11 minutes, this episode has the gang trying to solve a mystery at the Coolsville Space Center, while Velma prepares an experiment for the space shuttle.

Wrestle Maniacs
Running 23 minutes, the gang become involved in a mystery featuring professional wrestlers and the Hooded Heifer.

Horror of the Haunted Hair Piece
Running 23 minutes, the gang match wits with Big Wig -- with hair-raising results!

The DVD:

The Video:
It's a fairly soft, fuzzy full-frame video image for A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 6. The first episode is particularly contrasty and rough, but the colors brighten up for the remaining cartoons. But honestly, the kids aren't going to care.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English mono is adequate for the job. My understanding is that these shorts were originally recorded in stereo; however, if true, those mixes are not present in this volume of shorts. There's also a French mono soundtrack available. Close-captioning is also available.

The Extras:
There are no extras for A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 6.

Final Thoughts:
Fans of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? may object to the changes in Freddy and Daphne's characterizations, but little viewers won't care; they'll find A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 6 bright, funny, and fast-paced. I recommend A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 6.