DVD Review - Scooby-Doo Where Are You Volume 3: Hey Mummy

“Scooby-Doo where are you?” The call phrase for the world’s most-infamous sleuthing dog is known by generations of children. Although Scooby found his roots in the 60s flower child era, the ravenous detective has continued to find a place throughout five decades of entertainment. From broadcast to cable syndication to live-action feature films Scooby is the dog who captures viewers’ hearts one Scooby Snack at a time.

“Scooby-Doo Where Are You V3: Hey Mummy” comes to DVD with 4 episodes of spooky mysteries waiting to be solved by the cross-country-nomadic Mystery Machine. This may not be the “complete series” or “complete season” box set fans prefer, but it still captures the spirit of Scooby-Doo in nearly two-hours of animated fun - across five episodes. “Volume 3: Hey Mummy” includes 4 episodes from the original 1960s series: “The Rage Backstage,” “Bedlam in the Bigtop,” “A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts,” and “Scooby-Doo and a Mummy.” Plus, the extra features include “High Society Scooby” from the “Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue Series.”

Each of the four episodes in this DVD release will bring you back to the world of 1960s sitcoms, complete with laugh tracks. Surprisingly, and something I never noticed growing up and watching the series, is that Scooby-Doo had such a strong audience component. The original series serves as almost a precursor to Dora the Explorer. In Dora the Explorer, Dora breaks the fourth wall to ask children at home what to do next when she’s on an adventure. In “Scooby-Doo: Where are You,” a member of the team will often openly address the group, with a feel as though they are talking to an audience for participation. For instance, Velma may say, “Hey everybody, let’s search for clues.” Then the camera will pan around the entire room, sit on an object in question, before another member of the team, for example Daphne, would say, “Look a Mummy.” Looking at cartoons today versus yesteryear, it’s great to see how progressive the Scooby series was over 5 decades ago.

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Older fans of the series will get a kick out of the Scooby subtext. Why are Shaggy and Scooby always hungry? What’s Velma’s deal? Why do Daphne and Fred always team up? How come Fred is the supposed group leader, but his suggestions always end up dead wrong? Also, if you ever wondered why people in horror movies tend to “investigate” when they hear a disturbance – you’ll now wonder if they grew up watching Scooby-Doo. Shaggy will dive right in and grab a mysterious object without question. “Oh, look. Somebody just drove by and tossed a violin case out of a mysterious car window. Let’s go investigate.”

“Scooby-Doo Where Are You V3: Hey Mummy” is a great watch for both old and new audiences. Scooby-Doo’s expressions and vocal utterances are great to watch and listen too. Not to mention, you can also play along with the gang in deciphering Scooby-Doo charades. Volume 3 only scores lower than what we’d normally rate the “Scooby-Doo Where Are You,” simply because it is not a full season - which is the preferable buy. Although this may not be the full season or complete series, Warner did select four great episodes on this DVD worth watching.