Search - The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show, Vol. One on DVD

GREAT! ANOTHER ONE! KEEP EM COMING HANNA BARBERA!

Hanna-Barberian | 02/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

Another great title from the H-B Library

Hanna-Barberian | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Don't you just LOVE people who feel the need to spew forth their negativity??

Is this series a 5-Star classic? Well, no it's not. But it hardly rates 1 star. Hanna-Barbera at their worst was leaps and bounds above Filmation, DIC and other animation chop shops at their best. If you're a fan of Scooby-Doo, or the Hanna-Barbera library of cartoons, you'll definitely enjoy this selection. I'm only disappointed that Warner Bros.Home Video has opted to go the "Volume 1" route instead of the "Complete Series." I assume that's to keep costs down since this was an hour-long show.

My only concern is that Warner Bros. Home Video is notorious for releasing edited versions of the H-B library and calling them "Complete." I am hoping that's not the case here."

Early 80s Saturday Morning Fun

Bradley Davis | Texas | 05/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Where is the full Richie Rich "Complete Series" DVD?? (SPOIL

Mr Groovy 70s | Hobart, IN | 04/11/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a 1970s child (growing up on 1970s TV, of course) this is one of the *few* 1980s cartoons I have loads of fond memories of (minus the "Scooby trio" here, doing nothing but bungling and bumbling their way thru every ep. The original 1969 S-D had more class, more pizazz). Anyways, I grew up with BOTH the comic book as well as the cartoon, where I watched every ep. (religiously) and, let me say, it really knows how to stay true to the original (where you see Richie rescuing Gloria, or Reggie pulling one of his countless pranks, only to backfire on him, and so on). However, one main difference here also has the storylines of Jonny Quest with the quirky gadgets/inventions of the Jetsons mixed in (two earlier H-B creations). Even Season 3, as I remember it, really had a LOT OF HEART.
One ep. shows Irona, the Riches' maid, wanting to try her hand at sports instead of just keeping house 24/7. Richie coaches her, only she ends up breaking one world record after another. So, by the end, Irona does her "weightlifting" event, where she actually lifts heavy inanimate objects from the mansion (like a piano, a statue) with the Rich family and staff acting as judges, holding up score cards and applauding. Richie then hugs Irona and says "These are the only critics you should listen to, Irona, people who love you the most!" (Awww, how sweet and nothing sugary about it, either.)

Other eps. also have Richie and co. (namely Gloria and Dollar) trying to catch villains and crooks of every type out there, from ruthless bug-like space aliens, to eccentric oddballs, such as the Giggler and Mr. Dirty, and to the baddies straight out of the comic book pages, like the Onion, Dr. Disguise, and the Shocking Lady. Richie manages to catch and nail every one them, with Dollar klutzing up in the end and providing comic relief as well.

I was eight when this came out in 1980, and it still holds true for me today: LOTS OF HEART, PLENTY OF ACTION AND FUN, AND JUST SO PHENOMENAL.
FORGET THE SCOOBY SEGMENTS: HERE, THE GANG HAS BEEN REDUCED DOWN TO A "TRIO" AND GOES SO FAR AS TO SHOW SOME EPS IN WONDERLAND OR THE LAND OZ.

Also, here's something else you all should know: this has its share of veteran cartoon voice actors (like Mr. Slate's John Stephenson in a few eps. from Seasons 2 & 3) as well as a few new up-and-comings (Nancy Cartwright, who you all know does Bart Simpson, also does the voice of Gloria)."