The Haunted Showboat

The Haunted Showboat is the second episode of the second season of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and the eighteenth overall.

Premise[]

With the help of Josie and the Pussycats, the gang try to fix up a run down showboat, so it can open for business. But their efforts are hindered by the ghosts of Captain Scavenger and Injun Joe.

Synopsis[]

Insert details here.

Characters[]

Main characters:

Mystery Inc.
- Scooby-Doo
- Shaggy Rogers
- Fred Jones
- Daphne Blake
- Velma Dinkley

Supporting characters:

Josie and the Pussycats (only appearance)
- Josie (only appearance)
- Melody (only appearance)
- Valerie (only appearance)
Alexander Cabot III (only appearance)
Alan (only appearance)
Alexandra Cabot (only appearance)
Sebastian (only appearance)

Villains:

Ghost of Captain Scavenger (only appearance)(Jack Canna's disguise)
Captain Cannaby (only appearance)(Jack Canna's disguise)
Jack Canna (only appearance)
Ghost of Injun Joe (only appearance)(Jack Canna's partner's disguise)
Jack Canna's partner (only appearance)(no lines)

Other characters:

Johnny Briggs (only appearance)
Lance Goodwin (only appearance)
Tom Sawyer (mentioned)

Locations[]

Missouri
- Mississippi River
- Dixie Queen
- Tom Sawyer's cavern

Objects[]

Mop
Broom
Bucket
Hamburger

Vehicles[]

The Mystery Machine
Dixie Queen

Suspects[]

Suspect	Motive/Reason
Captain Cannaby	He was in denial that there are ghosts on his ship.
Johnny Briggs	He knew the combination of the robbed safe.
Lance Goodwin	He wanted to buy the Dixie Queen.

Culprits[]

Culprit	Motive/Reason
Jack Canna as Captain Cannaby and the Ghost of Captain Scavenger His partner as the Ghost of Injun Joe	To cover up a counterfeiting operation.

Cast[]

Don Messick	Scooby-Doo Sebastian Captain Cannaby Jack Canna Ghost of Captain Scavenger
Casey Kasem	Shaggy Rogers Alexander Cabot III Jack Canna's partner Ghost of Injun Joe
Frank Welker	Fred Jones Lance Goodwin
Heather North	Daphne Blake
Nicole Jaffe	Velma Dinkley
Jerry Dexter	Alan
Sherry Alberoni	Alexandra Cabot
Janet Waldo	Josie
Jackie Joseph	Melody
Barbara Pariot	Valerie
John Stephenson	Johnny Briggs

Full credits[]

The following credits are how they are seen on-screen (or as close as possible).

Show

Notes/Trivia[]

This episode marks the final animated appearance of Josie and the Pussycats to date. While Josie and the Pussycats' 1970 animated series ended on January 2, 1971, they continued on in Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space in 1972, which lasted in reruns until January 26, 1974. Early production art for Hanna-Barbera's 1977 "all-star" Battle of the Networks spoof, Laff-a-Lympics, featured Alexandra, Sebastian, Alexander, and Melody, among other Hanna-Barbera characters, as members of the Scooby Doobies team, but legal problems with Archie Comics prevented their inclusion in the final program.
Despite being well known for musical numbers on their own series, Josie and the Pussycats do not perform any songs, though they do appear playing their instruments in their cat costumes at the very end of the episode, nor does this episode include chase music.
The group talks as though the events in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer tales actually happened.
This episode shares its title with a Nancy Drew book that has a similar plot.
This episode along with the next episode are the only episodes in Season 2 to have a red title card.
In "The Huanted Showboat" voice actor Don Messick voiced both Sebastian cat and Scooby-Doo at the same time in one scene!

In "The Huanted Showboat" voice actor Casey Kasem voiced both Alexander Cabot III and Shaggy Rogers at the same time in one scene!

Cultural references[]

When Shaggy is having trouble understanding the map at the beginning of the episode, he says it is "Greek to him", paraphrasing a line from the William Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar.
Daphne states that they are in "Mark Twain country." In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the title character lives in the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, which is fictional, but based on Mark Twain's own hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.
Alexander calls himself "Alexander the Great."
When Shaggy and Scooby dive into the brig, Shaggy shouts 'Geronimo' while Scooby shouts 'Sitting Bull.' Sitting Bull was the leader of the Sioux Indians who defeated George Armstrong Custer during the Battle of Little Big Horn.
When the rest of the gang and the Pussycats enter the secret cavern, Melody says, "Hey, he forgot to say...open Sesame Street." Sesame Street was one of the most popular children's shows at the time, by that time entering its fifth season.

Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches[]

Although their shadows are seen, Shaggy and Scooby are missing from the title card. However, the flashlight projects onto Josie and the Pussycats as if they both were there.
After Shaggy says, "I'll take the 'no ghosts,'" Alexandra's voice comes out of Alexander's mouth when he says, "Me three," and when he screams while running down and back up the gangplank.
When the gang are going back to the Dixie Queen on the log, Velma is missing.
When the ghosts fall overboard at the end of the episode, Alexander's voice comes out of Alexandra's mouth.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]

The episode goes between referring to Injun Joe as a real person from in-universe history, to something in a book Mark Twain wrote. Injun Joe would have to be from real history for his ghost to be a credible threat.
How the Josie and the Pussycats cast are inexplicably back on Earth raises questions, but this episode could've been set before the spin-off.

Home media[]

The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection DVD set released by Warner Home Video on June 4, 2019.
The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection Blu-ray set released by Warner Home Video on June 4, 2019.
The Best of The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The Lost Episodes DVD released by Warner Home Video on June 4, 2019.