The Chinese Food Factory originally aired on November 8, 1980 and is part 3 of the first episode of the Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show.
In this episode we see Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy becoming night watchmen for a Chinese Food Factory where they encounter a ghost with sticky fingers.
If you know me by now, you know I’m not going to be a huge fan of this episode. But how much will I dislike it? Let’s find out.
The episode begins with the gang walking through Chinatown where a parade is occurring. During the parade, the gang see a job application for Night Watchmen, where you are paid in all you can eat Chinese Food.
The gang land the job and they patrol the restaurant where they discover a fortune cookie assembly line.
Scrappy turns the machine on and accidentally turns Scooby into a giant fortune cookie.
Inside, a man in a mask and kimono watches the gang as they head into the kitchen. Shaggy and Scooby dig into some bowls of soup and noodles and pig out. Before they can nab seconds, the man in the mask and kimono turns off the lights.
Scooby and Shaggy run around in a panic while Scrappy is blinded by his oversized night watchman cap.
The ghost tries to run out ot the factory with a safe on wheels, and his mask falls off revealing that it’s a burglar. We get plenty of hijinx as the burglar scares Shaggy and Scooby. Scrappy finally catches the bad guy by lassoing him with a giant noodle.
With another mystery solved, the gang are rewarded with another feast by the owner.
My Review
I give this episode a 2.5 out of 10.
The episode was a lot of fun with our trio being night watchmen in a Chinese Food Factory. But at the same time, this is just a pale reflection of how great Scooby-Doo once was so I can’t rank it too high.
Overall, I didn’t mind this one. Spooky? No. Stupid? Yes, but it does its job and kept kids’ eyeballs stuck to the television in the 80s so advertisers could sell their toys, fast food and sugary cereals.
Next week I will be covering Scooby’s Desert Dilemma. Until then, Stay Spooky!
Voices:
Don Messick: Scooby, Scrappy
Casey Kasem: Shaggy
John Stephenson: Chinese Food Factory Owner, Chinese Food Factory Burglar
