Scooby Doo Where Are You: Seasons One & Two [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The episodes are as follows.

Season 1
What a Night for a Knight (1969)
A Clue for Scooby Doo (1969)
Hassle in the Castle (1969)
Mine Your Own Business (1969)
Decoy for a Dognapper (1969)
What the Hex Going On? (1969)
Never Ape an Ape Man (1969)
Foul Play in Funland (1969)
The Backstage Rage (1969)
Bedlam in the Big Top (1969)
A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts (1969)
Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too (1969)
Which Witch Is Which? (1969)
Go Away Ghost Ship (1969)
Spooky Space Kook (1969)

Season 2
A Night of Fright Is No Delight (1970)
That's Snow Ghost (1970)
Nowhere to Hyde (1970)
Mystery Mask Mix-Up (1970)
Scooby's Night with a Frozen Fright (1970)
Jeepers, It's the Creeper (1970)
Haunted House Hang-Up (1970)
A Tiki Scare Is No Fair (1970)
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Werewolf? (1970)
Don't Fool with a Phantom (1970)

Season 2 is slightly better thanks to the inclusion of one really 70's Danny Janssen song per episode. They are actually quite pleasant, easy-listening songs and it gives the Season 2 episodes a higher nostalgic feel.

Of course all 25 episodes adhere to the scrict formula the franchise would soon find it increasingly hard to break away from (and end-up resorting to self-parody instead). Each episode will see the gang going about their ordinary lives before getting involved in a monster mystery. The suspects will all be introduced within 5 minutes. The gang will try to trap the monster but Shaggy and Scooby will screw up and fall into the trap instead. Through sheer luck the monster will be caught and unmasked. The criminal motivations will either be revenge, smugglers dressed up to scare away intruders or townsfolks dressed up to attract tourists. It is very hard to come across a Scooby-Doo episode from any season that doesn't flow this way. But, to be honest, towards the end of the second season the writers did try very hard to put a new spin on things and keep it fresh.

What I like best about the old school Scooby animation is the rustic feel to the backgrounds and settings. The spookyness is painted on in deep purples and blues and makes for surprisingly atmospheric looking environments. While the slick modern nature of the What's New Scooby-Doo TV show is pleasing to the eye there's just something more and better about the old look.

Most of the classic Scooby villains are in here (most of them appearing in Scooby Doo 2) and I strongly suggest that all Scooby-Doo fans buy this box set if they don't have it already. The DVD actually contains some great extras including a cool featurette on Scooby collectors (I must admit I am beaten a zillion times over compared to these guys). Some extras are still fluff tho.

The episodes are presented in 1.33:1 full frame, as originally drawn, with Dolby Mono sound. The quality between them is fairly average with age only marring it occasionally. Still though, you must have!