Velma

There is not much to say on context with this series in regards to its fit into the Scooby Doo universe.  Written to be geared more toward adult viewership the change of the theme in this cartoon has been met with controversy from new and old audiences of the franchise.  This series has been dubbed, "the worst reviewed of the franchise, garnering a score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rock-low 10% audience score".  The change of character dynamics sets the focus of the show only on Velma, while Fred, Daphne, and Shaggy serve as supporting characters in the storyline.  The worst part is the complete removal of Scooby Doo from the entire show.  

The idea behind this new perspective was with good intentions, but in retrospect poor execution.  Creator Charlie Grandy wanted this series to serve as an origin story for Velma Dinkley prior to her joining the mystery gang.  His aim was to push boundaries to draw in an older and more complex audience.  However, he did not stop at fresh perspective with an old twist, he took the iconic idea of Scooby Doo and added new world ideals and social politics to the mix, which is what very well may have the shows down fall.  The idea of Scooby Doo has always been that no matter what was happening in the world the political side of life would never touch the gang and their mystery solving lives.  With the production of Velma, not only did the political views of the public and diverse concepts of today intrude on that idea, they left a steaming pile of wreckage in their wake.  

This series is not the first to introduce the gender views of the LGBTQ+ movement.  This concepts of diversified thinking was first put into the show during the "Mystery Incorporated" series of 2010, showing Velma as being in a relationship with Marcie Fleach (aka Hotdog Water).  However, this adaptation of Velma's sexual orientation was introduced with consideration to audience reaction and approval.  This change in a direction of sexual diversification was a subtle step into the future for the Scooby universe.  So even though the new Velma series, released in 2023, was keeping up with the pop culture references of the times, the application in which its introduced was not well written or considered in the light of 5 decades of Scooby Doo fanship. 

Written by Charlie Grandy

Voice of Velma portrayed by Mindy Kaling.  She received a lot backlash for her portrayal of the character.  This is not common for voice actors, however, Mindy is also an executive producer of the show, making her a key component in the creation and development of Velma's character.

Released by Charlie Grandy Productions.  This the is first independent production in the Scooby Doo Franchise.  Grandy had to get the go ahead from Warner Brothers Studios to use the original characters of the Scooby Doo show.  "Grandy recalls the higher-ups at Warner Bros. Animation telling him, "no matter what you do, there's gonna be a lot of people who hate this, so just do what you're gonna do and we'll tell you if you're going too far."  After two seasons, the Velma series was canceled due to lack of viewership and controversial response from audiences.

Barshad, Amos. “Why ‘Velma’ Is the Internet’s New Punching Bag.” Wired, January 28, 2023. https://www.wired.com/story/velma-hbo-max-internet-backlash/#:~:text=Velma%20began%20three%20or%20four,determine%20if%20he%20actually%20did. 

Bentz, Adam. “Max’s Controversial Scooby-Doo Series Seemingly Cancelled after Two Seasons.” ScreenRant, October 8, 2024. https://screenrant.com/velma-season-3-cancelled-max/#:~:text=The%20Controversial%20Scooby%2DDoo%20Series%20Has%20Seemingly%20Been%20Canceled&text=While%20not%20an%20official%20confirmation,renew%20it%20for%20another%20season.