‘Scooby-Doo’ trails Loch Ness Monster
How big is the “Scooby-Doo” franchise? Big enough to get in its own way.
Easily the longest-running Saturday morning cartoon to feature a talking dog and a mystery van, Scooby and friends star in two competing specials on two networks owned by the same megamedia giant. Ruh-roh, Shaggy!
The Cartoon Network offers the U.S. broadcast premiere of “Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster” (8 p.m.). The gang travels to Scotland for the famous Highland Games, hosted by Daphne’s cousin (a leggy teen in a tartan kilt) at the family castle. Apparently the noise and commotion prove too much for the legend of the Loch, and mayhem ensues, accompanied by much splashing and crashing. Eventually the shenanigans take a back seat to deduction, reason and thorough examination of empirical evidence, as Scooby’s posse gets to the bottom of Nessie’s nettlesome behavior.
At the very least, the repeat of the 2003 special “A Scooby-Doo Halloween” (8:30 p.m., WB) spares us the predictable vulgarity of the “Grounded for Life” Halloween episode (pre-empted for “Doo”). In this half-hour cartoon, the kids heads to a creepy town to spend the holidays with Velma’s relatives and celebrate “100 years of Halloween.”
The holiday has been around a lot longer, but who wants to argue with a cartoon that’s been around for nearly 40 years?
Listen for the guest voices of Jenny McCarthy, Julia Sweeney, Diedrich Bader, Rhea Perlman, Stacy Keach, Tom Kenny and Daran Norris. The band Kiss also performs. They haven’t been around for the past century; it only seems that way.
Speaking of entertainment properties that began during the Lyndon Johnson administration, “Star Trek: Enterprise” (8 p.m., UPN) welcomes a guest star from an earlier incarnation.
Brent Spiner (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) appears as the brainy but amoral Dr. Arik Soong, a scientist responsible for creating a race of genetically altered “Augments.” When his mutant critters commandeer a Klingon ship, Archer enlists the wily doctor to help track them down. In the best tradition of “Star Trek,” this crisis inspires some discussion about the pros and cons of genetic engineering, and even a quote or two from Nietzsche. But in the long and mediocre tradition of the many series of “Trek,” the Augments are portrayed as a race of overactors who appear to have escaped from the far-off Soap Opera galaxy.
The vintage series “The Prisoner” (10 p.m., BBC America) wraps up with one of the most baffling and controversial series enders in television history. Patrick McGoohan stars as a former secret agent man, known only as Number 6, who is imprisoned in a picturesque but Kafkaesque resort.
Tonight, his anonymous and ever-changing jailers offer him a chance to become the head of The Village. His reaction has left viewers scratching their heads for the past 36 years.
When “The Prisoner” finale originally aired in the United Kingdom in 1968, fans were so outraged and confused that McGoohan had to go into hiding.
Other highlights
A charity scam provides an unexpected lesson on “Joan of Arcadia” (8 p.m., CBS).
A serial killer (Chris Elliott) may hold answers on “Third Watch” (9 p.m., NBC).
Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr., Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry and Big & Rich perform on “The Outlaws Concert” (9 p.m., CMT).
Anthrax strikes on “Medical Investigation” (10 p.m., NBC).
Cult choice
A disembodied hand makes its point in the 1946 shocker “The Beast with Five Fingers” (6:15 p.m., Turner Classic Movies), starring Robert Alda, Andrea King and Peter Lorre.
Series notes
Humans do the darnedest things on “Totally Outrageous Behavior” (8 p.m., Fox) … Bridget’s plans for a Halloween bash worry Kerry on “8 Simple Rules” (8 p.m., ABC) … Holly de-matriculates on “What I Like About You” (8 p.m., WB).
Caught on tape on “World’s Craziest Videos” (8:30 p.m., Fox) … Dan Castellaneta guest stars on “Complete Savages” (8:30 p.m., ABC).
The hunt for Chegwidden’s replacement triggers rumors on “JAG” (9 p.m., CBS) … A dump of a house needs attention on “Renovate My Family” (9 p.m., Fox) … Carol Kane guest stars on “Hope & Faith” (9 p.m., ABC) … Catwalk dreams on “America’s Next Top Model” (9 p.m., UPN) … Reba inspires Barbara Jean to leave on back to back episodes of “Reba” (9 p.m..
Pumpkins and romance on “Less Than Perfect” (9:30 p.m., ABC) … A visitor leaves chaos in his wake on “Dr. Vegas” (10 p.m., CBS).