Scooby-Doo And The Old Graveyard

It is the afternoon of 31 October. Mystery Inc are putting up decorations and planning for the inevitable Trick or Treaters that will be visiting later this evening. But their plans suddenly change, as a mysterious envelope is discovered on the floor beside the front door, addressed to them all.

A strange note is left for the attention of Mystery Inc.

Fred is quick to call Sheriff Stone about the letter. The Sheriff is sympathetic, but Hallowe'en is a very busy time and the Crystal Cove Police Department have a lot to do tonight. Nobody is available to help. However, he is grateful for Mystery Inc's assistance and tasks them to find out what's going on and report back, so that action can be taken if required and any nefarious villains don't get away with it because of those meddling kids.

Obviously, Mystery Inc. have little choice but to go to the Old Cemetery to investigate...

This is the narrative of a game of 7TV making use of the revised 2nd Edition rules and the Mystery Inc Programme Guide. The scenario was originally designed as a multi-player game to introduce new people to 7TV but owing to spooky goings on around halloween time (or, more accurately, inclement weather) there were only two of us in the end and Will had to do all the investigation on his own. 

The scenario was set up so that only Mystery Inc could claim objectives, each of which corresponded to clues to assist Mystery Inc in working out what was going on. More information was available in a lot of places but much of this was missed as Scooby and company trusted to their own instincts and tried to work things out regardless. 

Mystery Inc arrive at the Old Cemetery

It is early evening when Mystery Inc arrive at the games of the Old Cemetery at the edge of the town of Crystal Cove. The photos show more colour than the final cartoon, which is more misty and grey for overall effect, probably with a spooky full moon. You get the idea.

When they arrive they come across a local reporter from the Crystal Cove Herald, who joins them. Mystery Inc accept this situation without further question. The reporter, who finds himself slightly ahead of them, leads the way into the cemetery, beckoning the others to follow.

Fred and Daphne advance enthusiastically. The Mystery Machine follows, protesting, as Shaggy drives it across the rough ground of the Old Cemetery, which is generally poorly tended, with heavy weed growth that conceals any gravel paths there might once have been. Scooby follows behind, keeping close, frequently looking behind in this spooky place. 

"I've found a clue," Velma calls, spotting a poster pasted on a fence post beside the cemetery gate. "It's a poster for a missing person -  Samuel Shivers, head of the SOC volunteers - now I wonder what that could mean..." But the others are too far ahead for any discussion, so she runs to keep up as best she can.

"There's something over there by that monument..."

Ahead, concealed by the mist, there is movement. Red-robed cultists exit from a small mausoleum at the far end of the cemetery. A large and mysterious ghostly figure wielding a massive scythe somehow emerges from beside an ancient tomb that might even be a sacrificial altar. Who knows, it's certainly the right shape.

"...Mwahaha! And now, my nefarious plan begins!"

The leader of the cultists raises his arms and begins a sinister ritual. Mystery Inc hear spooky chanting, and looking in that direction, notice three corpses gradually lift themselves out of some nearby graves and lumber towards them. 

"Zoinks!" cries Shaggy, "Zombies!"

"Urgggh! Brains... must have brains..."

Shaggy has barely reacted to this when more danger is suddenly upon them. The ghostly figure vanishes and reappears right in front of the Mystery Machine! The momentary relief Shaggy feels when he realises the ghost is not after him is momentarily replaced by guilt when he realises the ghost is after the reporter, who seems unaware of any danger. Scooby, whose knees are knocking together uncontrollably, hides behind the vehicle.

Velma, who has been left behind again, investigates the object at the memorial. It's another clue! "Hmmm," she thinks. "A shopping list for groceries. Unusual. Perhaps it's just litter, though, and not a clue at all?"  

The ghost with the large scythe does its best to approach without raising suspicion

Unaware of Shaggy's concerns, Fred and Daphne have gone to investigate an unusual object at the beside a grave on the other side of the cemetery. As they approach, they are susprised by a second ghostly figure, which appears as if from nothing in the mist right beside them. Daphne stands still with fright, but Fred, who is made from sterner stuff, punches the spectre full in the face, only to find his hand pass cleanly through it. Keeping his cool, Fred prods the air around the creature, disrupting the ghostly figure which abruptly disappears. Realising he can make shadow animals with his hands, it is not long before he discovers the portable projector lying beside the gravestone. The ghost was a cheap deception. Beside the projector is a second clue, an opened, empty catering-sized can of tomato ketchup. What can this mean?   

"You're not an apparition, you're a projection"

Shaggy steps on the gas, attempting to run the ghostly figure over with the Mystery Machine. But Shaggy wasn't wholly familiar with the game rules. The creature is simply displaced, and while it is shifted away from the reporter, it finds itself right next to Scooby-Doo. Velma, who was occupied with what she thought might have been another clue, but turned out just to be some small plastic bags with some traces of white powder in, races to help Scooby deal with the monster. But the creature surprises her and, losing her glasses, she runs into the back of the Mystery Machine and is badly bruised.     

"Rooby - - oo-er!"

Fred, who is beginning to understand what's going on, runs back to assist, followed by a considerably less enthusiastic Daphne.

"We're coming, don't worry!"

The ghostly shape has moved away from the Mystery Machine and is able to attack the reporter, who is weakened by the creature's fearful gaze.

"Soon, mortal, you will be in my power", the ghost silently thinks

Meanwhile, at the Mystery Machine, the zombies are approaching. 

The zombies slowly approach

Fred and Velma are quick to respond to the reporter's plight, and both attack ineffectively. The reporter, however, has a brilliant idea, and gets his notepad out. 

"So," he confidently asks the ghost. "Do you enjoy running around old graveyards dressed in an old sack like an idiot trying to scare people, or are you just mentally deficient and incapable of normal social interaction?"

The ghost, who wasn't expecting to be interviewed, is immobilised as it tries to work out how to best answer a leading question.

As it hesitates, Scooby runs in and pulls on its scythe, knocking it over.

It's an undignified combat for a respectable monster

Shaggy is starting to get worried as the zombies start knocking and drooling on the windows of the Mystery Machine. He turns the windscreen wash on them, but to no effect. Looking to the side, he sees yet more zombies rising from their graves and bearing down on him slowly. 

Now is not the time for the battery on the Mystery Machine to fail, but the headlights are unexpectedly dimming in the darkness of the graveyard...

"Urrrgh... fair enough, we'll eat you whether you have a brain or not, then..."

Meanwhile, as Act 2 raws to a close (yes, already!) two of the cultists are instructed to get something from the Mausoleum. And the spectre reappears - someone obviously brought along a second projector.

"Mwahaha! All is (just about) going to plan!"

The ghost, who realises that it can't answer the interviewer's question anyway because it can't speak, uses its evil gaze to give everyone nearby horrific visions, and all are weakened. With this advantage, it attacks Velma, who is already badly bruised, and she collapses, helpless.  

One down, many more to go

It is the finale! The cultists emerge from the Mausoleum carrying a sack, which moves as if it contains something like a bound sacrificial victim. 

"Bring forth the sacrificial offering, er... sack"

Shaggy spots the struggling sack, and senses that something needs to be done. "Zoinks!" he cries, driving the ailing Mystery Machine as fast as possible towards the cultists, attrracting the attention of the individual carrying the sack, who is for some reason compelled to advance towards him. The other cultists look on in some confusion but for the moment are unable to do anything. 

"Er... what am I doing?"

As the lone cultist approaches the vehicle, Scooby, who has disguised himself as a ghost using an old sheet, runs up and jumps on the cultist. There is a brief fight that ends with the cultist wrapped in the sheet (which, in rules terms, looks not dissimilar to a capture bubble) and Scooby ends up disguised (and dressed) as the cultist. Accept it - these sorts of things happen in cartoons, especially Scooby-Doo. 

And there's another clue here - within the cultist robes Scooby discovers a receipt from the Crystal Cove fancy dress shop for a very large amount of makeup. Very suspicious indeed.

A disguised Scooby dispatches the cultist 

Opening up the sack, Scooby finds the drugged and barely conscious body of Scrappy-Doo, and bundles him swiftly into the Mystery Machine.

Meanwhile, the ghost has hypnotised the reporter, who continues his line of probing questions, this time with Fred as the target. Fred does not like this at all and is immobilised. The ghost chooses this moment to strike, and Fred, who cannot cope under the pressure, decides it is time to make a run for it and scarpers.

The reporter questions Fred instead

The reporter's irritating questions turn on Daphne, who shortly follows Fred off the table. 

Things appear to be going the ghost's way

"One last thing to do!" cries Shaggy, driving off towards what can only be another clue. He jumps out of the Mystery Machine and is just about to investigate...

One final clue...

...when a whole load of angry cultists pounce on him and start beating him to a pulp. 

"Zoinks!"

Somehow (which, being a dog, he can never fully explain later) Scooby gets Shaggy back into the Mystery Machine and, pursued by angry zombies, heads for home.  

"Rye-bye, rombies!"

Back at Mystery Inc headquarters, as the team recover from their bruises, Fred is on the telephone to Sheriff Stone.

"That's right, Sheriff," he explains, "Everything's fine, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. We've found evidence of dressing-up make-up, tomato ketchup (which everyone knows is a perfect substitute for zombie blood), cinematic special effects projections, and planned catering sufficient for a large group of people running a fun social event. All the evidence suggests it's a group of harmless cosplay enthusiasts dressing up for Hallowe'en, and nothing sinister at all. No, thank you, sir, it's always good to be able to help."

Fred puts the phone down, and everyone smiles. Well, everyone except Srappy-Doo, who is still recovering at the vets.

Daphne didn't want to appear stupid. She knew she was only in Mystery Inc because of her looks, and the others were much cleverer than her. All the same, she wondered about the missing Mr Shivers, whether the Class A drugs they had found really did belong to Scrappy-Doo, and what had happened to the reporter from the Herald, who nobody had seen since. 

But there was nothing to worry about, everything was fine - after all, hadn't Fred had said so? 

Dr Who: The Apetopus Experiment, Episode 2

The long-awaited opening credits roll... 

Blame the BBC for overwriting old tapes, if you like. But after what seems an age, the long-lost footage of the second episode of the Doctor Who adventure "The Apetopus Experiment" has at last come to light - yes, we finally got round to playing another episode - in January 2022. Yes, it's taken that long to remaster the footage for this blog. If you missed it, the first episode, which aired back in January 1999, is available here.

THE APETOPUS EXPERIMENT

Episode 2

A burst of flame appears through the front window of the Jeep, as the mouth of the Apetopus opens with an ear-piercing, alien shriek. Inside the Jeep, the Doctor and the Brigadier hold their hands over their ears in pain. The camera zooms in until Jo's screaming face is all that can be seen. 

The Jeep has crashed, and the Land Rover pulls up beside it. As the Apetopus somehow squeezes into the back, the Corporal is seen briefly checking over the bodies in the crashed Jeep, as if looking for something, and then he and the possessed bystander pull Jo Grant's unconscious body into the Jeep, and they all drive off.

-----------

The Doctor opens one eye, then the other, finding himself in a bed inside a white room. A nurse leans towards him, raising a stethoscope, about to check his heartbeat. Aware of her likely reaction should she discover his second heartbeat, he abruptly rises, apparently fully recovered.

"No need for that, nurse", the Doctor announces, "Time is of the essence. Where is the Brigadier?"

-----------

The corporal, driving the Land Rover, emerges from a wooded track onto a country road. Jo Grant, unconscious, sits next to him in the passenger seat. He turns suddenly, knocking a policeman off his bicycle into a ditch in a comedy moment. "Bless my soul" The policeman remarks. The Land Rover hurriedly drives on, the policeman following as fast as possible on his bicycle, and the camera pans to a roadsign pointing along the road: LITTLE SODDINGHAM 2 MILES.

On the outskirst of the village, the Land Rover has stopped beside the pub, where some locals sup their pints, pointing and laughing as the corporal examines a punctured front tyre. Their amusement changes as they see the alien, and they are immeditately possessed, and handed weapons from the back of the Land Rover. The sounds of a bicycle bell and "Ere I want a word with you!" become gradually louder as the possessed bumpkins advance, and open fire.

A breathless and dishevelled policeman drops his bicycle and rushes into a phone box. "Get the Chief Inspector on the line now, this is an emergency!"

UNIT troops approach the village

As his men disembark the Jeep, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and the Doctor, squeezed into the back of the police car, continue listening to DI MacGuffin.

"That's correct", the Tough Detective states with some alarm. "The local Constable followed the stolen Land Rover, only to be attacked by some raving mad villagers with army weapons who seemed to be possessed!"

"No need to panic, Detective Inspector," the Brigadier continues calmly. "We deal with this sort of thing all the time. You can rely on UNIT to take out that alien creature before it causes any more damage."

"I accept that it wanted the Apetopus", the Doctor muses, "But why take Jo? I fear there's a lot more to this whole business than we understand."

All seems safe, though strangely silent

Ahead, the village appears quiet. An abandoned Land Rover, its front tyre obviously punctured, is parked at the roadside ahead.

Alien forces lurk in ambush

But all is not as it seems. Possessed villagers, armed with military weapons, take cover behind buildings and stone walls ready to ambush any who approach. Behind them, their alien commander watches while the Apetopus lurks menacingly amongst the vegetables in someone's back garden. 

"Right then lads, let's arrest these troublemakers"

The police car passes the Jeep and pulls in at the road verge. Spotting some movement in a patch of scrub in a field nearby, the Brigadier orders two of his men to investigate while the others check out the field opposite. 

"All clear. Advance!"

"Don't worry, Detective Inspector," the Doctor reassures, as UNIT soldiers cross the fence and scour ahead for enemies. "The Brigadier really does deal with this sort of thing all the time."

But before MacGuffin can reply, the sound of gunfire intrudes from somewhere behind.

What can possibly go wrong?

The shot, which has come from the scrubby area, misses, and UNIT troops close in on the possessed villager, their intent to subdue rather than kill. Two trained soldiers against one possessed bysyander? What can possibly go wrong?

A cautious advance

Assuring everyone that his men have the situation behind them completely under control, the Brigadier encourages the others to advance across the fields into the village. MacGuffin and this men lead the way, the Doctor following behind.

What (more) could possibly go wrong?

Somehow, the possessed bystander escapes the soldiers, and shoots one of them. Obviously just a minor setback, no need to worry. The fight continues.

This looks like the perfect place for an ambush

The main party approaches the village, which is eerily silent. Keeping their heads down, they expect the inevitable ambush.

What possibly could have gone wrong did

The possessed villager breaks off a second time, and again shoots, this time killing the wounded UNIT trooper, who didn't even get a chance to stand up. With signs of other armed villagers approaching from the distance, the remaining soldier makes the sensible decision to run back toward the vehicles to comparative safety.

"Keep your eyes open, they're here somewhere!"

Our heroes warily advance, knowing the enemy is nearby.

Safe... at last!

The trooper returns fire from the cover of the Jeep. Someone has left the keys in the ignition.

"Mmmmf! Mmmmf!!"

Tied and held by two possessed villagers, Jo Grant spots the Doctor and his companions and knows they are walking into an ambush. As she struggles to shout a warning, muffled by the gag across her mouth, she is ushered further away by her captors.

The soldier leading the way ignores the abnormal shape of his weapon

Cautiously, our heroes cross the last fence and cautiously enter the village. The Doctor and the Brigadier exchange concerned glances. 

"Grrrrr..."

As they scout around the far side of the village, the men of UNIT come under fire. The Apetopus snarls, waiting for the right moment to attack.

"You're saying you brought a truncheon to a gun fight?"

The ambush triggered, DI MacGuffin and his men come under attack. As MacGuffin returns fire, he orders the two unarmed constables to take cover against the building and close the distance to the troublemakers down.

"What did you expect?"

But this is not a safe place for unarmed constables, and one of them falls in the incoming hail of gunfire. Ignoring a wound, MacGuffin returns fire as best he can, as the soldier who was left behind approaches in the Jeep.

The Doctor, still puzzled as to what is really going on in this episode, sagely watches on. 

"Apetopus approaching, nine o'clock!"

A glance to his right alerts him to the danger. 

"Watch out!" The Doctor overdramatically shouts at MacGuffin, pointing towards the approaching Apetopus.

Where did all the others go?

But as the Apetopus emerges into the High Street, UNIT troopers fire on its flank, distracting its attention from the Doctor.  Shrugging off a wound, the creature slowly turns, as possessed villagers take cover nearby.

The devious plan begins to come to fruition

The alien commander, who appears to be in charge, senses a need for protection as the enemy approach. Psychically commanding those around, it sends its minions in while retreating, mysteriously disappearing behind a nearby building, as if it has some sort of devious plan.

"I wondered where you were. Have you seen the Brigadier?"

Possessed villagers form a line, exchanging fire with the UNIT troopers ahead, as the Apetopus appears undecided as to what to do next.

"Ere, I want a word with you!"

Undeterred, MacGuffin and the remaining constable round the corner of the building and confront some of the villagers.

"Put your guns down, lads," MacGuffin shouts. "You're under arrest!"

The policeman beats one of the villagers to the ground with his truncheon.

The Apetopus slinks away

The Apetopus, under the villagers' covering fire, surprises everyone by moving toward safety as fast as it can instead of attacking. The Doctor reacts fast.

"Stop that Cephaloprimate!" he shouts. But the only man who can hear him is the trooper driving the Jeep.

"Ere, I want a word with you too"

With one villager in handcuffs, the constable beats another one down with his truncheon and arrests him too. 

MacGuffin attempts to stop the third before he makes a run for it.

"Come quietly, son," he reassures, "Or we might be forced to give you a kicking!"

CRASH! SQUELCH!

The trooper stamps on the accelerator and the Jeep careers around the corner into the High Street, crashing into a squishy halt against the Apetopus...

Maybe that wasn't such a great idea

...which smoothly turns, smothering the jeep with its tentacles.

"Ere, I want a... urgh!"

The villagers behind arrested, Macguffin spots Jo Grant and her kidnappers in the distance, and races to rescue her. Suddenly, everyone hears a strange, alien sound (which anyone who has heard the TARDIS before will be familiar with). MacGuffin and the constable stop, astonished. What on earth? Unfortunately at this precise moment the constable accompanying him is cut down by an ambushing villager's gunfire as he appears from his hiding place.

"The TARDIS?" says the Doctor, as a disconcerting thought crosses his mind.

"So, we meet again, Doctor!"

"Mwhahaha!" announces the smiling Master as he briefly waves from behind the corner of a building, from which he has mysteriously appeared. "You might think you have won, but you are much mistaken! Goodbye!"

He steps back behind the edge of the building and disappears from view as the TARDIS sound dissipates.

But the Doctor, though annoyed and confused by the Master's surprise appearance, has more important immediate priorities to attend to.

The Doctor saves Jo just before the episode ends... or does he? 

Somehow the Doctor has managed to close with Jo's captors faster than anyone else, and in a flurry of masterful fencing he downs one of the villagers, dispatching the second with an unconventional but imaginative application of his sonic screwdriver.

"Jo, it's alright, you're safe now," the Doctor says, untying the gag across her mouth. And then, backing off. "Oh no!"

Jo's body twitches artificially, and as she sits up it is clear that her skin is some sort of plastic. She stares at the camera, but her expression is wrong, a blank mask, and then, abruptly, her face falls away to reveal robotic, inhuman eyes amongst a tangle of android electronics, as the Dr Who theme suddenly bursts in and the end credits roll.

Until next time (which hopefully won't be in another three years)...

THE CASTS

UNIT

The Doctor (Unearthly Traveller, Star, 9)

DI Jock MacGuffin (Tough Detective, Star, 10)

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Dependable Deputy, Co-Star, 6)

4 x UNIT Privates (Army Private, Extra, 2 each = 8)

2 x Police Constables (Extras, 2 each = 4)

1 x Jeep (Vehicle, 4)

1 x Police Car (Vehicle, 4)

TOTAL 45 points

The Aliens

Alien Commander (Otherworldly Invader, Star, 10)

The Apetopus (Marauding Monster, Co-Star, 5)

The Possessed Corporal (Cultist Leader, Extra, 3)

Possessed country bumpkins (12 Cultists, 2 each = 24)

A Land Rover, abandoned at the side of the road (4)

(The Master is not included in the points count as he only appears right at the end)

TOTAL 46 points