Scooby-Doo is not a living character.
Scooby-Doo is an American animated cartoon franchise , comprising several animated television series produced from 1969 to the present day . This Saturday-morning cartoon series featured four teenagers -- Fred Jones , Daphne Blake , Velma Dinkley , and Norville `` Shaggy '' Rogers -- and their talking brown Great Dane named Scooby-Doo , who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps . Some versions of Scooby-Doo feature different variations on the show 's supernatural theme , and include characters such as Scooby 's cousin Scooby-Dum and nephew Scrappy-Doo in addition to or instead of some of the original characters . ABC aired the show until canceling it in 1986 , and presented a spin-off featuring the characters as children , A Pup Named Scooby-Doo , from 1988 until 1991 . Scoobert `` Scooby '' Doo is the eponymous character and protagonist of the animated television franchise of the same name created in 1969 by the American animation company Hanna-Barbera .