The Birth of "Scooby-Doo"
Like most cartoon characters, Scooby-Doo did not spring forth fully formed. The first series, "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!," went through many developmental changes and alterations along the way -- in fact, the first passes at the show did not even star a dog.
The impetus for "Scooby-Doo" came from Fred Silverman, who was then the head of children's programming for CBS. Silverman was looking for a different kind of animated show. He wanted one that, among other things, employed full half-hour episodes instead of the shorter cartoon groupings that were the Saturday morning norm. To achieve his goal, he called on Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, whose namesake company, Hanna-Barbera, was responsible for the majority of all animation on television.
