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Post by jcb on Feb 18, 2015 10:40:57 GMT -5
thanks for taking the times to answer questions jacb. i have a couple questions: 1 Will we see any cameos by Scoobys family? Characters like Scooby Dum, Scooby Dee or Dixie Doo? Scooby has a very large family, as longtime fans well know. Will there be any mentions of them? 2 Will there be any traveling from place to place in the Mystery Machine, or will it be like the old shows where Scooby and gang arrive at (insert town here) as the episode's plot requires? Thanks Scoobnick. My pleasure, scoobnick. I don't know if we will be seeing any of Scooby's extended family, honestly. Our starting point was the original 1969-1970 classic series and building from there. Many of those newer characters (however beloved they may be to some) were added to "freshen" the show, to add more comedy, etc. Our approach is to take the main Scooby gang and turn them into a fully rounded, dimensional comedic ensemble. Fred, Velma, and Daphne have been given unique points of view as characters and are driving the comedy as much as Shaggy and Scooby, who will always, of course, remain the the heart of the show. We wanted to make a show where everybody will fall in love with the characters, get to know them and their quirks, watch them evolve. Hopefully, everyone will have a different favorite character, Right now, Daphne is mine. She's the most fun for me to write. At the moment, we don't feel a need to bring in these other characters because we've barely scratched the surface of exploring the main characters. That said, nothing is out of bounds, so who knows what the future will bring? I;m not sure I understand your second question. Isn't the gang showing up at (insert town here) as an episode requires "traveling from place to place in the Mystery Machine"? We're basically going back to the paradigm of the original show: those five characters driving around to different places in the Mystery Machine solving mysteries. The main difference is that the stories will be more character-driven so the our character have more of a personal connection to and stake in the mystery being solved. |
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Post by jcb on Feb 18, 2015 10:47:43 GMT -5
I'll honestly be somewhat happy if they finally re-cast Velma. Mindy has done a decent job in her time, but I'd like someone new in the role. I just wish that if anyone had been recast it would've been DeLisle. ANY actress would be better than her for Daphne. I don't think anyone should worry about Mindy not returning though, she's been in all other recent media so why would she suddenly leave? I hope you will be very pleasantly surprised by Grey in this series. With the changes we've made to Daphne's character, Grey fits her like a glove. She's utterly brilliant bringing this new, eccentric, smart, empathic and funny Daphne to life. In fact, the first time I met her, I was astonished. Zac and I looked at each other and said, "Oh my God, she literally IS our new Daphne!" The casting of all the characters is perfect and we couldn't be happier. |
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Post by Jeepers on Feb 18, 2015 10:52:20 GMT -5
I don't really have any questions, just wanted to stop by and thank you for taking time out to interact with the fans. It's always really nice when someone involved comes in and answers our questions and talks with us, understanding what we want out of what we consider to be our fandom. I also want to say that I really appreciate the more classic take you guys are trying on Be Cool after the likes of Mystery Inc. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the series again; I really miss being able to watch Scooby-media and actually enjoy it. Thanks again.  |
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Post by scoob16 on Feb 18, 2015 11:03:03 GMT -5
Welcome back, jcb!
I know that you're not permitted to say much about the new show, but there are some questions in my mind.
1. Are those LEGO sets to be released in August based on Be Cool episodes?
2. Is it just Elias Kignston from the original show that you're using as a villain?
Thank you in advance and I will understand if you cannot give anything away yet.
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Post by russm on Feb 18, 2015 17:06:40 GMT -5
All sounds good and interesting jcb, your comments are all sounding good. It will be unusual having a different voice for Velma so I await with interest to see what they sound like.
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Post by pegasuscoconut on Feb 18, 2015 17:42:28 GMT -5
I'm actually really excited about this new show. I loved "mystery incorporated" and "what's new scooby doo" and thought they were the best since the originals. One thing that personally captivated me about mystery incorporated is the overarching plot and mystery and the character development. That's why I was so Excited to hear from john colton berry that the characters will be evolving in this fresh take, and that right there makes me very open to the new series. I love it when true scooby doo fans take what was great about the original and tweak it to make something extraordinary, and I have no doubt that is what is being done. It really is encouraging having an inside perspective on the forum from jcb, so I thank you for that, couldn't be happier. What I'm wondering is (and I know this will be a lighter take than mystery inc.) but will there be any sort of overarching mystery? I at first thought there might not be as it will be different from mystery inc. but I have noticed that sillier shows nowadays can have just as much buildup as dark shows and dramas like mystery inc. was more in that direction. I only ask because it was something that kept me guessing in the show and went along well with the character development I loved so much. Shows like gravity falls for instance, that have more of a silly angle to things but still have character development and building while still not heading in a dark "twin peaks" type drama direction (which is what mystery inc. did). This has made me realize that you don't have to go full out dark and dramatic to have a good mythology and overarching plot. So jcb, I'm just wondering if you guys have some sort of mythology cooked up. Even if not, I still cannot wait to see the sorts of things you guys did cook up that will keep me guessing and always excited to see what happens next. Looking forward too it, and thanks again for being so open on this forum, jcb, as it shows the sign of a true scooby doo fan.
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Post by CaptainBuck on Feb 18, 2015 19:17:42 GMT -5
I think the biggest request to include would be Scooby Dumb. Guard Dog at a Library (true irony there) Farm dog, etc. Any excuse for him. thanks for taking the times to answer questions jacb. i have a couple questions: 1 Will we see any cameos by Scoobys family? Characters like Scooby Dum, Scooby Dee or Dixie Doo? Scooby has a very large family, as longtime fans well know. Will there be any mentions of them? 2 Will there be any traveling from place to place in the Mystery Machine, or will it be like the old shows where Scooby and gang arrive at (insert town here) as the episode's plot requires? Thanks Scoobnick. My pleasure, scoobnick. I don't know if we will be seeing any of Scooby's extended family, honestly. Our starting point was the original 1969-1970 classic series and building from there. Many of those newer characters (however beloved they may be to some) were added to "freshen" the show, to add more comedy, etc. Our approach is to take the main Scooby gang and turn them into a fully rounded, dimensional comedic ensemble. Fred, Velma, and Daphne have been given unique points of view as characters and are driving the comedy as much as Shaggy and Scooby, who will always, of course, remain the the heart of the show. We wanted to make a show where everybody will fall in love with the characters, get to know them and their quirks, watch them evolve. Hopefully, everyone will have a different favorite character, Right now, Daphne is mine. She's the most fun for me to write. At the moment, we don't feel a need to bring in these other characters because we've barely scratched the surface of exploring the main characters. That said, nothing is out of bounds, so who knows what the future will bring? I;m not sure I understand your second question. Isn't the gang showing up at (insert town here) as an episode requires "traveling from place to place in the Mystery Machine"? We're basically going back to the paradigm of the original show: those five characters driving around to different places in the Mystery Machine solving mysteries. The main difference is that the stories will be more character-driven so the our character have more of a personal connection to and stake in the mystery being solved. |
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Post by ScoobyAddict on Feb 18, 2015 20:31:14 GMT -5
Jcb...are you on Twitter? If so, what is your handle? I have to say I really appreciate you being here and answering questions. I'm really getting excited about the new show! I have a better perspective on it now than I had when I first saw the images.
Will Be Cool SD be available to watch online for those of us that no longer have cable?
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Post by jcb on Feb 18, 2015 23:00:14 GMT -5
Jcb...are you on Twitter? If so, what is your handle? I have to say I really appreciate you being here and answering questions. I'm really getting excited about the new show! I have a better perspective on it now than I had when I first saw the images. Will Be Cool SD be available to watch online for those of us that no longer have cable? on Twitter I'm glad you're getting excited. We are too! |
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Post by jcb on Feb 19, 2015 13:48:14 GMT -5
I'm actually really excited about this new show. I loved "mystery incorporated" and "what's new scooby doo" and thought they were the best since the originals. One thing that personally captivated me about mystery incorporated is the overarching plot and mystery and the character development. That's why I was so Excited to hear from john colton berry that the characters will be evolving in this fresh take, and that right there makes me very open to the new series. I love it when true scooby doo fans take what was great about the original and tweak it to make something extraordinary, and I have no doubt that is what is being done. It really is encouraging having an inside perspective on the forum from jcb, so I thank you for that, couldn't be happier. What I'm wondering is (and I know this will be a lighter take than mystery inc.) but will there be any sort of overarching mystery? I at first thought there might not be as it will be different from mystery inc. but I have noticed that sillier shows nowadays can have just as much buildup as dark shows and dramas like mystery inc. was more in that direction. I only ask because it was something that kept me guessing in the show and went along well with the character development I loved so much. Shows like gravity falls for instance, that have more of a silly angle to things but still have character development and building while still not heading in a dark "twin peaks" type drama direction (which is what mystery inc. did). This has made me realize that you don't have to go full out dark and dramatic to have a good mythology and overarching plot. So jcb, I'm just wondering if you guys have some sort of mythology cooked up. Even if not, I still cannot wait to see the sorts of things you guys did cook up that will keep me guessing and always excited to see what happens next. Looking forward too it, and thanks again for being so open on this forum, jcb, as it shows the sign of a true scooby doo fan. Thanks, Pesasus, It's really fun and interesting to talk to the real hardcore Scooby fans, like yourself. In terms of overarching mythology, we certainly DO have some thoughts, but keep in mind, we are making a full-on comedy FIRST. Balancing comedy/mystery is difficult and we're still trying to find that balance. I loved Mystery Inc, but they were going for something much different. "Buffy-izing" the Scooby world, which isn't something we want to do. I judge "character development" and character dimension" not by how much backstory is going on or soap opera romance you can play with, but by creating a clearly defined, organic, rich and evolving "point of view" for the character, so, like Fred, in MI, what could you say about HIM, personally, what is he "about" as a personality? Well, he likes traps and Daphne. Daphne is rich and likes Fred. Velma is smart and likes Shaggy, etc. Trying to create stories from these perspectives can be tricky. We're really trying to add subtle shades and human quirks into our characters so when we have stories you read about you would say, "OH MY GOD, I can't believe they're gonna put Velma in THAT situation knowing all the things we know about her!" WE want to surprise you, have the characters develop organically and constantly be in a state of BECOMING - like all real people are, learning and growing. There will be monsters and mysteries and danger and high stakes, but it's much more of a sitcom where the characters are concerned. Think of it more like your favorite ensemble sitcom - but their solving dark mysteries. "Young Frankenstein" was one of our touchstones, that mix of true drama, horror and absurd silliness. That said, yes, I have some VERY strange, cool ideas in terms of "mythology" and what we call "world building," that will begin creeping into the show (hopefully) once we've established our baseline. Unfortunately, we're experimenting and finding the show AS we produce it, so you guys will get the rare opportunity to watch a show being developed as it airs on television - you'll actually be SEEING us "find" the show's voice, discover what works and what doesn't. You will be a part of the creative process and it should be really exciting. Once Warners releases all their information officially, I'll be happy to get into the nitty-gritty and why we did what we did and how we developed the show. It's an interesting story and still ongoing... xo JCB |
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Post by Sophia Peletier on Feb 19, 2015 22:27:09 GMT -5
I'll honestly be somewhat happy if they finally re-cast Velma. Mindy has done a decent job in her time, but I'd like someone new in the role. I just wish that if anyone had been recast it would've been DeLisle. ANY actress would be better than her for Daphne. I don't think anyone should worry about Mindy not returning though, she's been in all other recent media so why would she suddenly leave? I hope you will be very pleasantly surprised by Grey in this series. With the changes we've made to Daphne's character, Grey fits her like a glove. She's utterly brilliant bringing this new, eccentric, smart, empathic and funny Daphne to life. In fact, the first time I met her, I was astonished. Zac and I looked at each other and said, "Oh my God, she literally IS our new Daphne!" The casting of all the characters is perfect and we couldn't be happier. I hope you're right. It might've just been the writing in the more recent shows/films that made me dislike her. Well, that and my love for Heather North's take on the character. I just prefer the more mature voice she had given her, and it's something I feel Grey DeLisle has failed to capture after her first time in Cyber Chase. I know she's a good voice actress, I've loved her in other roles. I just never felt she was right for Daphne considering how great her previous actresses were. Daphne's always been my favorite character though! Your description definitely sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to watching this new show, despite not liking the current voice cast.  |
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Post by jcb on Feb 20, 2015 11:39:53 GMT -5
I hope you will be very pleasantly surprised by Grey in this series. With the changes we've made to Daphne's character, Grey fits her like a glove. She's utterly brilliant bringing this new, eccentric, smart, empathic and funny Daphne to life. In fact, the first time I met her, I was astonished. Zac and I looked at each other and said, "Oh my God, she literally IS our new Daphne!" The casting of all the characters is perfect and we couldn't be happier. I hope you're right. It might've just been the writing in the more recent shows/films that made me dislike her. Well, that and my love for Heather North's take on the character. I just prefer the more mature voice she had given her, and it's something I feel Grey DeLisle has failed to capture after her first time in Cyber Chase. I know she's a good voice actress, I've loved her in other roles. I just never felt she was right for Daphne considering how great her previous actresses were. Daphne's always been my favorite character though! Your description definitely sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to watching this new show, despite not liking the current voice cast. Hey Jeeps, may I ask YOU a question? I'm actually sincerely very interested as a writer, particularly one writing a new Scooby Doo show. WHY is Daphne your favorite character? What about her makes her your favorite? Which version in which series and why? I always liked Daphne, too, and I tried to bring out the qualities I saw in her that I always felt were lurking under the surface, but unexplored. The Daphne in our show is completely unlike any other previous Daphne - in fact, unlike any other previous character in ANYTHING. She seems to be the one everyone loves the most in our show - a totally brave, non-conformist who walks to the beat of her own drummer - an eccentric from a wealthy family, who has rebelled against the stuffiness of her upbringing and flaunts her individuality. The most important part for me is that nothing cool about her character has to do with her gender. She;s not boy (or Fred) crazy or worried about her looks or any other stereotype - shopping, shoes, etc. She's a true original, a little crazy and almost the "minister" of the gang, who through her unique perspective is able to rally the group and get them motivated to win the game. She's just so much fun and positive and strange. Honestly (as you can tell), as her creator/writer (of THIS version of Daphne), I have a little crush on her. She's just SO cool. BUT - I did this, took the original Daphne and looked at her and tried to see what her "point of view" is as a character. What would she do in this or that situation? She had always felt a little one dimensional to me. It was all about liking Fred or being "danger prone" (clumsiness" is not a personality trait). I had the same issues with Fred. Who IS he? In MI, he liked traps and Daphne. That's it. He had a huge backstory and lots of stuff HAPPEN to him, but who is HE? These are the questions we asked ourselves when recreating these characters and trying to turn them into an equal comedic ensemble. Like "Friends" or "Simpsons" or whatever - each character has their own point of view and they start dictating what the stories should be because you and the audience KNOW them so well you can say, "Oh, we should put Fred in THAT situation! That would be so funny how'd he'd react!" It;s about chemistry. Math. Creating characters that are built to bounce off each other and have opposing traits that cause conflict and friction, which creates humor. The richer and more dimensional the characters, the richer and more dimensional the storytelling and humor can be. It's a tall order with Scooby Doo, but I think we got the math right and I really hope you fall in love with these characters the way we have. |
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Post by russm on Feb 20, 2015 15:57:23 GMT -5
Hey Jeeps, may I ask YOU a question? I'm actually sincerely very interested as a writer, particularly one writing a new Scooby Doo show. WHY is Daphne your favorite character? What about her makes her your favorite? Which version in which series and why? I always liked Daphne, too, and I tried to bring out the qualities I saw in her that I always felt were lurking under the surface, but unexplored. The Daphne in our show is completely unlike any other previous Daphne - in fact, unlike any other previous character in ANYTHING. She seems to be the one everyone loves the most in our show - a totally brave, non-conformist who walks to the beat of her own drummer - an eccentric from a wealthy family, who has rebelled against the stuffiness of her upbringing and flaunts her individuality. The most important part for me is that nothing cool about her character has to do with her gender. She;s not boy (or Fred) crazy or worried about her looks or any other stereotype - shopping, shoes, etc. She's a true original, a little crazy and almost the "minister" of the gang, who through her unique perspective is able to rally the group and get them motivated to win the game. She's just so much fun and positive and strange. Honestly (as you can tell), as her creator/writer (of THIS version of Daphne), I have a little crush on her. She's just SO cool. BUT - I did this, took the original Daphne and looked at her and tried to see what her "point of view" is as a character. What would she do in this or that situation? She had always felt a little one dimensional to me. It was all about liking Fred or being "danger prone" (clumsiness" is not a personality trait). I had the same issues with Fred. Who IS he? In MI, he liked traps and Daphne. That's it. He had a huge backstory and lots of stuff HAPPEN to him, but who is HE? These are the questions we asked ourselves when recreating these characters and trying to turn them into an equal comedic ensemble. Like "Friends" or "Simpsons" or whatever - each character has their own point of view and they start dictating what the stories should be because you and the audience KNOW them so well you can say, "Oh, we should put Fred in THAT situation! That would be so funny how'd he'd react!" It;s about chemistry. Math. Creating characters that are built to bounce off each other and have opposing traits that cause conflict and friction, which creates humor. The richer and more dimensional the characters, the richer and more dimensional the storytelling and humor can be. It's a tall order with Scooby Doo, but I think we got the math right and I really hope you fall in love with these characters the way we have. This is all good news for the fans that this level of care is being put into the writing and having the members of the gang as fleshed-out distinct characters. Each character having the chance to shine without eclipsing the other. |
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Post by Jeepers on Feb 20, 2015 16:27:51 GMT -5
I hope you're right. It might've just been the writing in the more recent shows/films that made me dislike her. Well, that and my love for Heather North's take on the character. I just prefer the more mature voice she had given her, and it's something I feel Grey DeLisle has failed to capture after her first time in Cyber Chase. I know she's a good voice actress, I've loved her in other roles. I just never felt she was right for Daphne considering how great her previous actresses were. Daphne's always been my favorite character though! Your description definitely sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to watching this new show, despite not liking the current voice cast. Hey Jeeps, may I ask YOU a question? I'm actually sincerely very interested as a writer, particularly one writing a new Scooby Doo show. WHY is Daphne your favorite character? What about her makes her your favorite? Which version in which series and why? I always liked Daphne, too, and I tried to bring out the qualities I saw in her that I always felt were lurking under the surface, but unexplored. The Daphne in our show is completely unlike any other previous Daphne - in fact, unlike any other previous character in ANYTHING. She seems to be the one everyone loves the most in our show - a totally brave, non-conformist who walks to the beat of her own drummer - an eccentric from a wealthy family, who has rebelled against the stuffiness of her upbringing and flaunts her individuality. The most important part for me is that nothing cool about her character has to do with her gender. She;s not boy (or Fred) crazy or worried about her looks or any other stereotype - shopping, shoes, etc. She's a true original, a little crazy and almost the "minister" of the gang, who through her unique perspective is able to rally the group and get them motivated to win the game. She's just so much fun and positive and strange. Honestly (as you can tell), as her creator/writer (of THIS version of Daphne), I have a little crush on her. She's just SO cool. BUT - I did this, took the original Daphne and looked at her and tried to see what her "point of view" is as a character. What would she do in this or that situation? She had always felt a little one dimensional to me. It was all about liking Fred or being "danger prone" (clumsiness" is not a personality trait). I had the same issues with Fred. Who IS he? In MI, he liked traps and Daphne. That's it. He had a huge backstory and lots of stuff HAPPEN to him, but who is HE? These are the questions we asked ourselves when recreating these characters and trying to turn them into an equal comedic ensemble. Like "Friends" or "Simpsons" or whatever - each character has their own point of view and they start dictating what the stories should be because you and the audience KNOW them so well you can say, "Oh, we should put Fred in THAT situation! That would be so funny how'd he'd react!" It;s about chemistry. Math. Creating characters that are built to bounce off each other and have opposing traits that cause conflict and friction, which creates humor. The richer and more dimensional the characters, the richer and more dimensional the storytelling and humor can be. It's a tall order with Scooby Doo, but I think we got the math right and I really hope you fall in love with these characters the way we have. Well I know I wasn't the one asked but I can tell you why Daphne's one of my favorites: she's different; she's not all one huge stereotype. Velma's the smart one, Fred's the leader, Shaggy and Scooby are the scared ones but Daphne has proven over the years to be all of those things; she can be the smart one, the leader and the scared one. I personally feel like Daphne has more dimensions than some of the others and, up to Mystery Inc, I really enjoy the way she's been handled over the years. Granted she was ignored quite a bit in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? but when we did see her doing something other than standing in the background or getting kidnapped, I feel like she was memorable. Daphne also had a lot of character growth in the 70's with The New Scooby-Doo Movies and later in the 80's with 13 Ghosts. (The former being quite surprising considering how many guest stars there were to contend with in way of screen-time.) Daphne really came into her own as a person during this time and it really highlighted the different, generic qualities of the other members of the gang that I mentioned her having above. She was layered, an onion. She could take charge but she could also sit back and go with the flow Shaggy and Scooby were going with and I think that's what made her the ideal character to stick around when the gang went their separate ways. She could provide comic relief right along with Scooby and Shaggy without it seeming too forced but she could also easily slip into the shoes of Fred and Velma both without it seeming too out of character. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo also continued in this same vein to a point what with Fred being dumbed down quite a bit and Velma practically being mute aside from the occasional jinkies. Daphne drove the gang to their full potential in a lot of ways, the camaraderie with Shaggy and Scooby was still there and, while I've seen it criticized, I like that they made her sort of spoiled. It added yet another layer onto Daphne's personality, making her even more distant from the rest of the gang in terms of character growth. I think this is why the heinous regression of Mystery Inc made me so mad! I felt like Daphne had come such a long way from being the cute redheaded tag-a-long and then WHAM! She's the tag-a-long again without any warning. |
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Post by Sophia Peletier on Feb 20, 2015 21:47:57 GMT -5
I hope you're right. It might've just been the writing in the more recent shows/films that made me dislike her. Well, that and my love for Heather North's take on the character. I just prefer the more mature voice she had given her, and it's something I feel Grey DeLisle has failed to capture after her first time in Cyber Chase. I know she's a good voice actress, I've loved her in other roles. I just never felt she was right for Daphne considering how great her previous actresses were. Daphne's always been my favorite character though! Your description definitely sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to watching this new show, despite not liking the current voice cast. Hey Jeeps, may I ask YOU a question? I'm actually sincerely very interested as a writer, particularly one writing a new Scooby Doo show. WHY is Daphne your favorite character? What about her makes her your favorite? Which version in which series and why? I always liked Daphne, too, and I tried to bring out the qualities I saw in her that I always felt were lurking under the surface, but unexplored. The Daphne in our show is completely unlike any other previous Daphne - in fact, unlike any other previous character in ANYTHING. She seems to be the one everyone loves the most in our show - a totally brave, non-conformist who walks to the beat of her own drummer - an eccentric from a wealthy family, who has rebelled against the stuffiness of her upbringing and flaunts her individuality. The most important part for me is that nothing cool about her character has to do with her gender. She;s not boy (or Fred) crazy or worried about her looks or any other stereotype - shopping, shoes, etc. She's a true original, a little crazy and almost the "minister" of the gang, who through her unique perspective is able to rally the group and get them motivated to win the game. She's just so much fun and positive and strange. Honestly (as you can tell), as her creator/writer (of THIS version of Daphne), I have a little crush on her. She's just SO cool. BUT - I did this, took the original Daphne and looked at her and tried to see what her "point of view" is as a character. What would she do in this or that situation? She had always felt a little one dimensional to me. It was all about liking Fred or being "danger prone" (clumsiness" is not a personality trait). I had the same issues with Fred. Who IS he? In MI, he liked traps and Daphne. That's it. He had a huge backstory and lots of stuff HAPPEN to him, but who is HE? These are the questions we asked ourselves when recreating these characters and trying to turn them into an equal comedic ensemble. Like "Friends" or "Simpsons" or whatever - each character has their own point of view and they start dictating what the stories should be because you and the audience KNOW them so well you can say, "Oh, we should put Fred in THAT situation! That would be so funny how'd he'd react!" It;s about chemistry. Math. Creating characters that are built to bounce off each other and have opposing traits that cause conflict and friction, which creates humor. The richer and more dimensional the characters, the richer and more dimensional the storytelling and humor can be. It's a tall order with Scooby Doo, but I think we got the math right and I really hope you fall in love with these characters the way we have. Oh, well that was certainly interesting to read! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! One of the major reasons I fell in love with the character was thanks to Heather North's perfect portrayal. She had so much range and really poured a lot of emotion into the voice. She could handle the different aspects of Daphne's changing personality across the years, even when she returned in 2002 despite her age. I loved the more mature take on the character she had. It sounded perfect and exactly what I would see Daphne sounding like, in comparison to Indira's softer voice, Mary's more outspoken voice, and DeLisle's girly voice. Her voice sounded consistent throughout. She made Daphne...well, Daphne! Aside from her voice, I loved how her character had evolved throughout the years. Looking at her as a whole, she had so much going for her in comparison to "leader" Fred and "smart" Velma. In her earlier days, I loved how she balanced out the group. We would see her cause accidents, help solve the case, and just have fun as seen in "The Haunted Carnival" where she rides the Dodge 'Em Cars. (One of my favorite Daphne scenes in the entire series, backed by Heather's strong performance.) I could see the potential she had in her to become a more prominent member of the series, aside from being a tag-along to Fred. That came to fruition in the 80s when Fred and Velma were dropped. We now saw Daphne become a very prominent part of the series. She had matured into a successful reporter who hadn't lost her identity along the way. She could now lead the group on her own, find clues, and STILL have fun with Shaggy and Scooby. We could see her joke around with the two, have her show how much she cared for them, and have fun with the two along with Scrappy. She hadn't lost her balance and had a nice progression from being a vain, danger-prone teenager. I loved the dynamic she had with Scooby and Shaggy, again showing that she wasn't as flat as some would believe her to be. She was smart, mature, a leader, and yet she still knew how to have fun and had her flaws. This strong character continued into the first four films by Warner Brothers, although she began being brought down by the whole Fred/Daphne thing. After that, it seemed that she had lost so much of what she gained over the years. It was as if they didn't know what to do with the character. She regressed into being a vain, spoiled, pretty-girl who (in the case of Mystery Incorporated and recent films) became crazy over one guy. It was ridiculous and completely ruined all of what she gained in the 70s-80s. Grey DeLisle's girly, whiny take on the character wasn't helping with any of that. It really made me miss Heather North and Mary Kay Bergman, who was an excellent successor to Heather. There were moments though where her character would shine again and Grey Voice work had been decent enough a few times. She just paled in comparison to the Daphne I had gotten to know in the Hanna-Barbera days of the series. This is just my own personal opinion as a long-time Scooby, Daphne, and Heather North fan. But, I do thank you for asking and taking the time to interact with the fans of the series. It really sounds like I'm going to like "Be Cool". I hope I'm not disappointed by your Daphne. Even if I am, I realize how much work you guys and the voice actors put into these things and that is always appreciated. |
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