‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?’ hit TV screens in 1968 and was an immediate smash, with ‘Scooby-Doo’ remaining a steady presence on Saturday mornings for decades to come. Of course, Hanna-Barbera would update the format periodically. In 1985, the series adopted the name ‘The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo’ adding two new characters, a young thief named Flim-Flam and Vincent Van Ghoul, a warlock based on and voiced by Vincent Price. There were also recurring ghosts Weerd and Bogel. Perhaps because of the new characters, Fred and Velma didn’t appear, leaving Scooby, Scrappy, Shaggy and Daphne to travel the globe in an effort to capture the 13 most horrible spectres of all time, which Weerd and Bogel tricked Shaggy and Scooby into freeing. At the end of the series, the gang had captured 11 ghosts, leaving two unaccounted for.
Now, over thirty years later, Hanna-Barbera is revisiting this chapter with an all-new movie, ‘Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost’.
There were a few things notable about the ’13th Ghost’ season. For one thing, Daphne was redesigned, ditching her ’60s-inspired minidress and headband. It also marked the first time that Scooby and the gang encountered real ghosts. Both elements are included in the trailer for the new movie, along with Vincent Van Ghoul (now voiced by Maurice LaMarche) and Flim-Flam, who is now grown up.
“After the Mystery Inc. gang goofed up a case and nabbed an innocent man, they’re forced into early retirement from crime solving. It’s not long however, before their old friend Vincent Van Ghoul needs help and pulls the team right back into action. The gang has unfinished business they must tend to, which involves catching a ghost that previously got away. It all happened one summer while Velma and Freddy where away at camp. Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and Daphne secretly hunted down 12 of the world’s spookiest ghosts but failed to catch the most evil one of them all…the 13th ghost.
Now the elusive spook is wreaking havoc. Vincent needs help having him captured and confined to the chest of demons, a box that contains the other 12 captured ghosts. With the 13th ghost still on the loose, the gang will have to come out of retirement and finish the job once and for all. The chest however, is now located somewhere in a remote village in the Himalayas. Determined to help Vincent, the gang sets out on one of their most thrilling adventures yet! Bundle up and get ready for the icy slopes of the Himalayan mountains, chilling car chases, crystal balls and spine-tingling spells in this terrifyingly fun original movie!”
While only 11 ghosts were confirmed to have been captured on ‘The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo’, there were two episodes in which it may have been possible that more than one ghost was captured at a time, so that appears to be the case, as the film will only feature the 13th.
In an episode of ‘Scooby-Doo, Mystery Inc.’, Fred mentions having been away at “trap camp” the summer in which ‘The 13 Ghosts’ took place. There was also a mention of the very unpopular character Flim-Flam being locked up in prison. ‘The 13 Ghosts’ was also the final series to include another unpopular character Scrappy-Doo, although it doesn’t appear that he is being brought back for the film.
One odd thing about the trailer is that Fred seems incredulous that there are real ghosts when the gang has encountered real ghosts and other creatures in previous made-for-DVD movies.
‘Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost’ will be released on DVD and digital on February 5, 2019.
