: The museum curator, Mr. Wickles, explains a legend stating that the Black Knight armor comes to life whenever the moon is full. The Investigation
is the pilot episode of the legendary animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! , marking the first appearance of the Mystery Inc. gang. It originally aired on September 13, 1969. The Mystery
In the climax, the gang captures the knight using a series of traps involving a plane. The villain is unmasked as , the museum curator. He had kidnapped the Professor to force him to evaluate forgeries for his smuggling operation, using the Black Knight legend to scare off intruders. Fun Facts & Production Notes [S1E1] What a Night for a Knight
: Reviewers from IMDb note that this episode established the classic "monster unmasking" formula that would define the series for decades.
: The first-ever line spoken in the franchise comes from Shaggy: "What a nervous night to be walking home from the movies, Scooby-Doo" . : The museum curator, Mr
The episode begins with Shaggy and Scooby-Doo walking home from the movies when they discover a deserted pickup truck containing a suit of black armor. After reuniting with Fred, Daphne, and Velma, they return the armor to the County Museum. They soon learn of two major issues:
: Interestingly, Fred is never mentioned by name throughout this entire pilot episode; some early storyboards even referred to him as "Ronnie". , marking the first appearance of the Mystery Inc
The gang searches the museum for clues, facing the terrifying Black Knight in several chases. Key findings include: