Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
| Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | |
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Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | Mystery Incorporated Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc. |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Characters by Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Developed by |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Matthew Sweet |
| Composer | Robert J. Kral |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 52 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Sam Register |
| Producers | Mitch Watson Victor Cook (season 2) |
| Editor | Bruce King |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Animation |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | April 5, 2010 – April 5, 2013 |
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| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (also known as Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc. or simply Mystery Incorporated) is an American animated horror comedy television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network. It serves as the eleventh incarnation of the Scooby-Doo media franchise created by Hanna-Barbera, and is the first not to traditionally air on Saturday mornings. The series was previewed on April 5, 2010, before officially premiering on July 12 later that year. It concluded on April 5, 2013, exactly three years from its debut, after two seasons and fifty-two episodes.
Mystery Incorporated revisits the early days of Scooby and the gang as they solve mysteries in their hometown, while also referencing previous incarnations of the franchise. The series takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to the classic Scooby-Doo formula, with increasingly outlandish technology, skills, and scenarios behind each villain's story, and a different spin on the famous "meddling kids" quote at the end of every episode. Contrasting this, however, are two elements previously unseen in a Scooby-Doo series: a serial format with an overarching story arc and plot plots treated with full dramatic effect, as well as ongoing romantic and interpersonal drama between the characters. Additionally, it is the first series in the franchise to utilize real ghosts and monsters since The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.
The series homages and satirizes various horror works, ranging from films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw, to television series such as Twin Peaks, as well as the works of H. P. Lovecraft. The story arc evolves in the second season to focus on Babylonian mythology, exploring the Anunnaki, the concept of Nibiru, and the writings of Zecharia Sitchin. Characters from throughout the Scooby-Doo franchise return, such as The Hex Girls and Vincent Van Ghoul from The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, along with guest appearances from Hanna-Barbera characters such as Captain Caveman, Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, The Funky Phantom, and Blue Falcon and Dynomutt.
As with the franchise's previous three installments, Mystery Incorporated introduces redesigns for the main characters, this time in a retro look resembling their original 1969 incarnations. The series marks the animated debut of Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy, after portraying the character in the live-action films Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Shaggy's original voice actor, Casey Kasem, instead voiced Shaggy's father in five episodes without credit; it would be his final performance before his death in 2014. Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the live-action films, voiced the recurring character Hot Dog Water in the series.