The New Scooby-Doo Movies Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy (1972–1973) watch online HD

One of those episodes in 'The New Scooby Doo Movies' that was one of my favourite episodes as a kid and still is now, after a few that haven't held up as well.

While one of the better Scooby Doo incarnations generally, 'The New Scooby Doo Movies' is still, re-watching it through a young adult's eyes, inconsistent and patchy. Even as a child, the animation was not great and a big step down from 'Scooby Doo Where are You' but the quality of episodes and guest stars have wildly varied.

Luckily, along with "The Dynamic Scooby Doo Affair" and "Wednesday is Missing", "Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy" (aka "The Ghost of Bigfoot") is one of the best in the series so far. Sure, the animation is at times less than brilliant with some crude character designs still but there is far worse-looking animation in the show, so far actually "Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy" is one of the better-looking episodes.

This aside, it is this episode so far that most resembled Scooby Doo when at its best, with an ideal balance of mystery and guest star. A few of the episodes in the show has suffered from too much guest star and not enough mystery (or even guest stars having little to do), less than tight pacing and the stories feeling over-stretched, a couple also from forgettable villains. "Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy" has none of those flaws.

"Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy" has a creepy and hugely entertaining mystery that doesn't feel obvious due to lots of great humour, atmosphere and a few twists and turns. The Bigfoot is a contender for the best villain of the first season and one of the best of the show. Another huge plus is the balance of the mystery, the gang and the guest star, which is the best it's been since The Addams Family in "Wednesday is Missing".

Shaggy and Scooby are so much fun and have lost none of their charm, their friendship still delightful. Fred, Velma and Daphne are not bland this time, and timeless comedy duo Laurel and Hardy are the best used, and one of the most memorable, guest star contribution so far with the Addams Family and Batman and Robin close behind. They have a lot to do and all the comedy (especially the scene with the ski lift) works, while not swamping or taking over the mystery too much. The dynamic between all the characters is spot on, as are the music (still haunting and energetic) and the voice acting.

Overall, great stuff and definitely one of the show's best episodes. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972)

"Scooby Doo Meets Laurel and Hardy"

The Mystery Machine gang are on their way to a ski resort when they notice Laurel and Hardy have crashed their car. The comedy legends jump in the van and they head to the resort where they find it to be empty. It turns out that Bigfoot is running loose and has scared everyone off so the gang decides to solve the mystery. It's no secret that I find a lot of these "New Scooby-Doo Movies" to be disappointing so I was a little nervous when I noticed that Laurel, Hardy and Bigfoot were in this one. Two of my favorite comedies and one of my favorite monsters mixing it up with Scooby and the gang? Thankfully this one here is actually very good and in fact it's good enough to where you could mention it with the original series. I think what works so well here is that Laurel and Hardy are both so much fun. I thought the screenplay did a very good job at capturing the best of these two personalities and there are some very good moments including one where Hardy is in bed talking to Laurel but not realizing that he's gone out and now Bigfoot is in his bed. Another great sequence happens as Laurel and Hardy end up on a ski lift where you know something's going to go wrong. Even Scooby and the gang are in fine form. The Bigfoot monster here is actually very effective and certainly the best villain so far in this series.

Episode: B+