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Series · Crime, Comedy, Animated · 1969 · TV-G

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: parents' guide

5+our pick

Best for ages 5 and up. Rated TV-G.

A classic, lightly spooky cartoon that works well as a first mystery show for young kids. In the original 1969-70 run and a 1978 season, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their cowardly Great Dane investigate a ghost, mummy or monster that is terrorizing a town, and the creature always turns out to be a person in a mask. Expect chases, trapdoors and slapstick with eerie music and settings, but no injuries, profanity or romance. A few episodes include dated ethnic stereotypes. Age 5 suits most kids; sensitive viewers may be scared until they catch on that the monsters are fake.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Chases, traps, pratfalls and villains lunging at the gang, all cartoonish. Nobody is injured, and any harm is suggested rather than shown.

Language

None

No swearing; the strongest words are exclamations like 'zoinks' and 'jinkies.'

Sex and nudity

None

Nothing romantic beyond small hints that Fred and Daphne are a couple.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

None

No drinking, smoking or drug references; the only cravings are for food and Scooby Snacks.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Every episode has a menacing ghost, mummy or monster chasing the gang through dark mansions, swamps and graveyards to spooky music. Each one is unmasked as a crook, which takes the edge off for most kids.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.