Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show: V1

I suppose I'll write the first review now that the product has actually been released. I consider myself a child of the 80s, although this 1980 series pre-dates my ability to remember the original airing by at least a couple of years. However, having watched the set I recognize several of the episodes from later syndication and remember enjoying these a lot.

We have here two dual-layer (no double-sided) DVDs. The contents are divided into individual Richie Rich and Scooby Doo show segments, ranging from 7 to 12 minutes in length. Extra short Richie Rich "Gem" segments are appended to the end of the previous cartoon and are not listed in the menu. The cartoons from each hour episode are presented in sequential order in the menu. There is the ever-present "Play All" option, but there doesn't appear to be a way to select and play full hour episodes. The first cartoon from each episode has the original opening sequence, including mixed theme music and mixed animation of Richie and Scooby characters. The last cartoon from each hour has two separate closing credits in sequence -- not sure if one or both are original.

The cartoons pertaining to each hour episode are listed on the inside cover of the DVD jacket. The Richie cartoons do not appear to have title cards, just generic "Riches", "Treasure Chest" and "Zillion-Dollar Adventures" segment titles, so the actual cartoon titles are only visible in the menu and the jacket, and where they come from is anyone's guess (syndication titles maybe?).

I find the Richie Rich cartoons to be rather fun. The character designs are improved slightly from the comic book and Richie seems a bit older. I'm not otherwise familiar with the comic books or their stories, but the cartoon features adventures with Richie foiling crooks and solving problems, often with the help of his many wonderful gadgets and technology. There is his robot maid Irona, who can seemingly turn into anything, and the endless assortment of gadgets and gizmos provided by Professor Keenbean. The optimistic and unapologetic inclusion of so much gadgetry and fanciful technology is fun to watch. The animation is as good or better than most any H-B series, although the backgrounds are a little flat and the cartoon often resembles a side-scrolling game. However, Richie's world is bright and colorful and the action is fairly non-stop. Gloria's voice has a few Bart Simpson moments, but otherwise usually sounds like a young girl. I think kids today would still enjoy this cartoon immensely.

Then there are the Scooby Doo segments. Yes they have Scrappy. While far from my favorite character, in this early entry he's not THAT bad. I think some kind of third wheel was necessary to pull off this less (to use the term loosely) cerebral incarnation of Scooby Doo. Scrappy Doo is the catalyst that usually gets Shaggy and Scooby into trouble, followed by lots of fearful whimpering and running scared. The episodes are a short 7 minutes. Villains are often real monsters with real supernatural powers. There are no explanations, no mystery solving, no unmasking some phony in a costume. The stories are action packed and are meant to entertain with the non-stop comic antics of Shaggy and Scooby, running around scared out of their wits and trying to escape while keeping Scrappy from getting them into even more trouble. The short running times keep them watchable. They certainly seem targeted toward a younger audience than earlier Scooby Doo adventures, and would likely still be entertaining to younger children.

I'd say Warner Brothers did a better job on this release than some previous efforts. If this is the quality we can expect with these slimmer 2-disc Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection sets then I'm reasonably satisfied. Here's hoping more volumes come out with all the rest of Richie Rich and many other H-B properties still waiting in the wings.

After releasing Scooby Doo Season 3, Space Ghost, Birdman, & Josie & The Pussycats last year, Hanna Barbera is starting to get back to basics. The February 26th release for the first part of Season 1 of the Smurfs is exciting. And the March 18th release for the complete series for The Pebbles & Bamm Bamm Show is also exciting.

But I am so happy to see another Scooby Doo series coming to DVD! And I like Scrappy! He's absolutely adorable! I am excited for this release on May 20th! But, I am still anticipating the releasing of these titles: Wally Gator, Huckleberry Hound Volume 2, Secret Squirrel, Speed Buggy, The Jetsons Season 2, & Quick Draw McGraw.

Releasing three or four DVDs a year is not enough, when back in 2004 or 2005, they would release six or seven DVDs a year, so all I can say is: KEEP THEM COMING!

Warner Bros needs to finish what it starts and release the complete series. It's frustrating to only get one third of something (i.e. Richie Rich/Scooby Doo Show ran for 2 seasons with 21 total episodes. This Volume 1 DVD only contains 7 of those 21 shows). WB has to consider who their target audience is. Most people who collect sets like these are fans of the show and want more than just part of Season 1.

I'm sure that sales figures and costs are the main driver behind whether they decide to release a second, third, or fourth set of DVD's. With shows like the Flintstones you get all 6 seasons. With the Smurfs you get Season 1, and then 60 percent of season two, and nothing of the 8 seasons after that. I can see that costs exceed profits if you don't have high enough demand for a show that runs 10 seasons - like the Smurfs. However, with the Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo show, they really only need to release one or two more volumes (14 more episodes) to complete the series. They could probably do it cheaper with one volume that has double sided discs. You would think that they would make the extra effort to satisfy their customers, even if it means narrower profit margins. I would think that if complete series were released for all of the H-B shows, that sales would be higher than they are for just Volume 1's of everything. Furthermore, why label something as "Volume 1" if there is nothing to follow? That is kind of misleading to consumers, leading them to believe that if they purchase an item that they can expect to get more of that series in the future. If you are not planning on releasing the rest of the series, then don't call it "Volume 1". I understand the numbers behind your decisions, but consumer satisfaction is something that you are not considering. Please WB, go the extra mile and finish the series !!!

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