Scooby-Doo

The cult cartoon turned blockbuster film, already a huge hit in the US, opens on our screens today. Here's our guide to the best Scooby sites on the net.

1. Scooby-Doo, the tale of a bunch of pesky kids, an amusement park and a dog, opens today. With a computer-generated dog in the title role, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr in support, it has taken over $130m in the US and looks set to become one of the biggest films of the year on both sides of the Atlantic.

2. Critics, however, have not been enjoyed it as much - one asked the the viewers to bring their pooper scoopers with them, and another barked in her best Scooby voice, "Ruh-roh! Romething's really wrong with this ricture!"

3. Most critics, however, are in agreement that Matthew Lillard is uncannily accurate in playing the key role of Shaggy. Zoinks!

4. Much of the hype surrounding the film comes from Gellar and Prinze Jr, who are engaged to be married and are fast becoming the new It Couple in Hollywood. Don't ask me what that means.

5. In case you have no idea what we're talking about ... the TV cartoon Scooby Doo premiered in 1969. Created by Hanna-Barbera, it follows the escapades of a cowardly Great Dane and his companions - handsome Fred, brainy Velma, beautiful Daphne, and Shaggy, solving mysteries from the back of the Mystery Machine, and eating Scooby Snacks.

6. Nearly every episode ended in the villain being unmasked (usually, several times) and complaining that he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids. A cavalcade of guest stars included the Three Stooges, Batman and Robin and the Harlem Globetrotters.

7. Whatever critics say about the film, nothing could be worse than the addition of Scooby's nephew Scrappy Doo to the cartoon in 1979. Scrappy does have his own fan page, but it's hardly "puppy power". He is not in the movie.

8. Scooby fansites are no less weird than any other. Some are dedicated to proving the X-Files is a rip-off of Scooby Doo and others to highlighting inconsistencies proving there is an evil Scooby Gang. There is even a recipe for Scooby Snacks which includes, amongst other things, an optional ounce of "finely ground herbal medicine".

9. Indeed, there is no little speculation that the seemingly permastoned Shaggy may himself indulge in a little herbal medicine, though the actor, Matthew Lillard, says not. Strangely, argument continues to rage as to whether or not Shaggy is a vegetarian.

10. If you're intrigued, you can catch the trailer here. If you've come over all nostalgic, dip into the episode guide to the TV series. And if you're stoned out of your wits, you could always send a Scooby Kiss to someone special.