Morella's Best of 2025

For this year end’s "Best Of," I’m going with an oldie but goodie: my top ten episodes of Scooby Doo, Where Are You?. This is the first Scooby Doo series ever made, going back to 1969, and its continued presence on TV was a huge part of my childhood.

I loved Scooby Doo as a kid and still do now. Between classic horror and this show, I get my love for gothic architecture, dark and stormy nights, and haunted places that I retain to this day that I even take to other media, such as finding some great horror themed modpacks for Minecraft, and enjoying custom stories in Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

The original show is my favorite of the classic Scooby Doo shows, which includes The New Scooby Doo Movies, and The Scooby Doo Show, although some of these overlap with other shows from the 70s-80s. I’ll be covering my favorite episodes from the first two seasons only, but a fun video that I highly recommend people watch is Brendaniel’s hilarious review of most of the Scooby Doo Monsters ever seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VNC_ZIakec

There are twenty-five episodes of the original two seasons of the show, so this is a large chunk of the total (40%). I enjoy all of them, even the problematic ones, at least to a point, but these are the cream of the crop:

10. Which Witch is Which? Set in a creepy swamp, our young crew are lost in the miasma and have to deal with a scary zombie and the evil witch that supposedly animated it. Love the zombie costume especially here, although the witch is suitably creepy as well. The eerie bog is a great setting, and the monsters are decent, so that alone earns it a spot on this list.

"That wasn't brains I just ate, was it?

9. What the Hex is going on? While visiting their friend Sharon Whetherby, Scooby and friends discover that her uncle Stuart is haunted by the ghost of Elias Kingston, who supposedly dwells in a nearby abandoned manor. They have to investigate both what happens to her uncle and the haunted Kingston mansion itself. Fantastic setting, but the ghost is a bit lackluster, so I had to rank it here.

This scene is so good it's part of the credits!

8. Hassle in the Castle. A boat ride goes poorly, and the gang end up on Haunted Isle and find themselves at the dreaded castle Vasquez. They soon encounter the phantom, a rather stereotypical looking ghost that warns them to leave. While the phantom looks rather basic, the situation of that phantom and the man behind the mask is great and amusing, and the setting is classic horror at its finest.

"I'm scary, darn it!"

7. Scooby Doo and a Mummy too. The gang visits a museum and its Egyptian artifact display while Shaggy accidentally makes off with an ancient coin. The mummy of Ankha and its curse which turns those that anger it into stone is soon after Shaggy and that sample of the exhibit that he made off with unintentionally. I still smile every time I hear the mummy demand ‘coin!’ from our heroes. Mummies are a classic monster and there’s something about ancient Egyptian artifacts that just works in horror, so I really enjoy this one.

"Spare some change for a mummy down on his luck?"

6. Haunted House Hang up. The Mystery Machine breaks down, and not for the first or last time, and while they were warned away from the old Stillwall mansion by a curmudgeonly local farmer, our plucky investigators feel they have little choice in the matter. A headless spectre roams the halls, but there’s a bit of a twist in this one. The excellent setting and that unusual surprise earns this one a solid place in my top ten.

"Thought you could hide from me just because I lack eyes, did you?"

5. A Clue for Scooby Doo. The gang has to deal with the ghost of Captain Cutler, while investigating the disappearance of several yachts and a nearby graveyard of ships. The ghostly glowing diving suit that leaves a trail of luminous footprints really sells the idea here. Adding in the eerie moan and the sound effects that accompany its appearance on the screen and combine all that with an unusual but effective setting, and you get a winner.

This is genuinely iconic.

4. Jeepers, it’s the Creeper! A barn dance is interrupted by the Creeper, one of the show’s most well-known monsters. Banks and armored cars have been robbed by the mysterious Creeper as well, and he/it wants a piece of paper that the gang tries to keep away from him, while they also try to ascertain what the paper and all the robberies are about. Although the setting isn’t my favorite, the Creeper’s voice and look are iconic, so it gets high marks.

Still less creepy than a lot of people on the internet.

3. A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts. It combines several horror icons into one silly and fun episode. It not only includes Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolfman, it also has a creepy fortune teller that warns the gang not to go to the spooky castle, which they promptly ignore. The setting is excellent, and the appearance of the horror stalwarts makes it one of the best. Classic monsters and a spooky castle in the same story? Sign me up!

I love this scene, it's so classic horror!

2. A Night of Fright is no Delight. Scooby is found to be named in the will of the recently deceased Colonel Beauregard Sanders. So, our regular crew and some other heirs have to spend the night in a creepy old mansion (yes!) as a condition of that will. As one can guess, things turn spooky quickly as a pair of green apparitions with clanking chains and creepy giggles appear and chase them all over the place. The look and sound of these two monsters are excellent, and they land here just behind number one with a combination of a great setting and these fantastic spectres.

They're green because they aren't ripe yet!

1. Spooky Space Kook. I’ve loved horror, sci-fi, and fantasy since I was very young, and this episode helped with two of those three things. The Space Kook and its decrepit looking spaceship are terrorizing a small military base and the nearby residents. The ghost’s distinctive laugh and look, along with a highly enjoyable mystery with a great setting, come together to make it a true gem in a series I love to this day! This one fires on all cylinders, with a great monster, creepy atmosphere, intriguing mystery, and some awesome audio, making it my favorite Scooby Doo episode of this series, and one of my favorite cartoons from any show or series ever!

"Space Ghost has got nothing on me!"

Even its spaceship is creepy (and cool).

Just look at this awesome intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUQcYts5KAs

Note too that the sound of the ship landing is originally from the 1953 version of War of the Worlds.

Not the easiest top ten I've ever made, but the top couple weren't difficult. For a show whose first iteration only lasted two seasons, it has sure stood the test of time.

Morella is a Gen Xer who likes strange things a bit too much.