Velma

Velma tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Mindy Kaling), the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang.

Joining Kaling in the Mystery Machine is Constance Wu as Daphne, Glenn Howerton as Fred and Sam Richardson as Shaggy. The ten-episode series is an original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colourful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers. Velma tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Mindy Kaling), the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc.

Mindy Kaling & creator Charlie Grandy open up about the sexuality and relationships between their characters in the HBO Max series Velma.

Fred (voiced by Glenn Howerton) seems to be involved in the murders of two girls and the disappearance of Velma’s mother, and Norville (voiced by Sam Richardson) is a band nerd who is expected to become "stoner-coded Shaggy," however, out of all the changes from the diverse cast to Velma’s sexuality, the most obvious change is the absence of Scooby-Doo. Kaling noted that there have been speculations about Velma’s sexuality for years and the idea of exploring her character felt like a gift. Mindy Kaling, who voices Velma in the upcoming HBO Max’s adult animated series, Velma, has shared some details about how she and the show’s creator, Charlie Grandy, came up with the origin story and love lives of the Mystery Inc gang.

HBO Max has released the first two episodes of “Velma,” its adult animated prequel comedy reimagining of “Scooby-Doo” and the reaction from both critics and ...

It’s not much better on [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/velma/season-1) where it snagged a 57/100 from critics and a 1.0/10 audience score. [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/velma/s01) and a woeful 9% audience score. What falls flat is the frustrating meta approach it takes.” – The comedy lands when it veers into absurdism with visual gags and everything Howerton’s Fred says. More than that, these characters are just really unpleasant to spend time with.” – The series focuses on Velma Dinkley and the rest of Mystery Inc.

Mindy Kaling, star of The Office and creator of Never Have I Ever, takes on a more adult version of Scooby-Doo in the HBO Max animated series Velma.

For now, the biggest thing in common (beyond the characters and their iconic, subtly updated outfits) is the presence of a mystery, which is surprisingly gruesome: Someone is murdering the hottest girls in Crystal Cove High School and stealing their brains. So yes, it’s adult in the sense that there is swearing and sexual content, and it’s also adult in the sense that it’s interested in jokes that will fly over your head unless you’ve been around long enough to watch a lot of TV. Doesn’t Daphne seem like kind of a Mean Girl? It’s not as violent or off-kilter — these aren’t Gotham City super-criminals, after all — but in its silly murder mystery, Velma is similarly interested in using its characters to make a sincere, yet funny, exploration of queerness and what it looks like when radically different characters come together. [HBO Max](https://www.polygon.com/what-to-watch/23435110/best-movies-on-hbo-max)’s latest adult animated comedy premieres today, and it’s a bit of a swerve: Velma, starring and executive produced by [Never Have I Ever](https://www.polygon.com/23296868/never-have-i-ever-season-3-review) creator Mindy Kaling. The premiere describes itself as an origin story for Velma, a whip-smart, frustrated high schooler whose interest in (and fear of) mysteries stems from the disappearance of her mystery-writer mother.

Let the kids have their 'Bluey.' Old 'Scooby-Doo' fans can bask in the nostalgia of Mindy Kaling's adult take on a classic with animated 'Velma.'

](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/10/05/new-scooby-doo-halloween-movie-velma-lesbian-queer/8186893001/) that first depicted Velma as queer – have made a huge cultural dent. Joe,” "Snorks" and “Jem.”) The 1970s TV episodes teaming the gang with famous guest stars introduced little ones to the likes of the Harlem Globetrotters, Sandy Duncan, Cass Elliot, Don Knotts and Batman and Robin. [Mindy Kaling](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/07/23/mindy-kaling-reacts-critics-over-velma-role-scooby-doo-spinoff/8075720002/), the new cartoon (streaming two episodes weekly beginning Thursday) is the latest attempt to reboot Velma Dinkley and the rest of Mystery Inc., that gang of meddling kids and their scaredy dog famous for revealing criminals in fog-congested conditions since the late 1960s. The older folks – aka the people who can watch “Velma” without getting in trouble with their parents – grew up with Scooby and pals during their heyday. Formerly known as Shaggy in previous series and movies, Norville (Sam Richardson) is a Black band geek and Velma’s loyal go-to pal. “Velma,” however, smartly chooses to go the way of Disney+’s [“Chip ’N Dale Rescue Rangers”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/05/20/downton-abbey-chip-n-dale-new-films-streaming-theaters/9797424002/) and Netflix’s recent [“Masters of the Universe” reimagining](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/07/21/dolph-lundgren-william-shatner-he-man-comic-con/10118353002/) with an adults-first strategy. “Velma” gives its iconic cast a multicultural makeover and a high school origin story. Hardcore fans might be going “ruh roh” to all that. [“Bluey”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/08/09/bluey-season-3-disney-show-parents-love-more-than-kids/10246744002/) and “Paw Patrol.” Naked teen girls tussling in a gym shower is a fairly good hint. [“Velma”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/05/18/mindy-kaling-defends-south-asian-velma-scooby-doo-spinoff/9828706002/) makes it abundantly clear we’re not playing by the old [“Scooby-Doo”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/01/04/what-kind-dog-scooby-doo/10476967002/) rules anymore.

Scooby-Doo” fans were gifted “Velma” – Mindy Kaling's own “adult animated series” on HBO Max. Since its trailer release, much has been spoken about the ...

Here’s the HBO Max synopsis: “Velma is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and under-appreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. There’s a lot of other reasons why it would be challenging for the two of them to be together, and them maturing and realizing what their priorities are is what’s fun about the show.” So, there was controversy when the advertisement for HBO Max’s adult animated series “Velma” failed to hint that the title character might be gay and even indicated that she had a crush on Fred.

'Vema' star Mindy Kaling and creator Charlie Grandy discuss how they innovated the classic 'Scooby-Doo' characters, including via Velma's love life.

There’s a lot of other reasons why it would be challenging for the two of them to be together, and them maturing and realizing what their priorities are is what’s fun about the show.” “It just felt like, if we can have the characters be anything, why not do something new?” “It really started with the idea of it being an origin story,” Grandy says. Going from that, why not just expand the diversity of the cast?” It was one of the reasons why it really felt worthy to do an origin story of her.” The loss is so visceral that Velma begins to have life-threatening hallucinations any time she works too hard on solving a mystery, and in an attempt to snap Velma out of out of one such spell, Daphne wraps her into a kiss.

It appears HBO Max's 'Velma', a spinoff of the Scooby-Doo franchise and a reimagining of the nerdy, bespectacled titular character as an American-Indian, ...

HBO Max's 'Velma' has not pleased critics. The official synopsis of 'Velma' reads, "VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and under appreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. [HBO Max's 'Velma',](https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-velma-trailer-mindy-kaling-becomes-indian-american-version-of-the-popular-scooby-doo-character-551886) a spinoff of the Scooby-Doo franchise and a reimagining of the nerdy, bespectacled titular character as an American-Indian, has failed.

Velma always seemed like a bit of an odd experiment, a re-imagining of Scooby Doo in adult animation format where the danger is real and the jokes are more ...

Right now, Velma has really nothing else to compare itself to in terms of how badly it’s scoring, and it cannot blame a politically driven review bombing campaign given that both sides of the aisle dislike it for different reasons. Scooby Doo has found great success over the years as both a kids cartoon and with live action movies, and while it’s possible some adult animation version of the concept could have worked, this iteration seems to have rubbed all potential audiences the wrong way. It’s led what you might have assumed would be a more left-leaning fanbase for the show to accuse creator Mindy Kaling of making it actually a somewhat conservative project, as people cite past comments she’s made and things like her liking recent JK Rowling tweets as evidence of her personal views. Though even that climbed to a 13% audience score eventually. It's a shame, because this really is a stellar cast here. Before you hop in and say “well this is people review bombing the show because it’s made the cast more diverse” that’s…kind of one of the weirdest things here.

Scooby Doo fans are in luck, as Mystery Inc have just got a brand-new makeover in Velma, the new series starring Mindy Kaling on HBO. Advertisement.

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article). "I work on a couple other shows about young women, and it just felt like this gift to explore that, knowing that there’s all these expectations for the character. The new series catches up with Velma years after the disappearance of her mother. [Fantasy](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/) coverage or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) and [Streaming Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/streaming-guide/)to find out what's on this week. [Velma](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/mindy-kaling-scooby-doo-prequel/), the new series starring Mindy Kaling on HBO. [learn more](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/commercial-links-on-radiotimes-com/))

Mindy Kaling says her new Velma Dinkley origin story, "Velma," updates and honors a cherished character to whom she and millions of others related when they ...

"Her figuring it all out is a big part of the show and why it's really fun to do." What really drew them together and what sort of kicked it off?'" "What did they go through in high school that was so bad that pushed them to want to do that," Grandy asked rhetorically. "Her self-discovery is a really big part of this series. At the time we were like, 'Why wouldn't they be in this day and age?'" "This is a scary show with murders. "It's such an amazing series, the 1960s show, and we love it. "As a kid watching the reruns of the original Scooby-Doo, I felt like I really identified with this character. She has a lot of these amazing qualities," the 43-year-old actress said. She just helps the gang out because she is so smart." We love Scooby-Doo so much and we're going to honor it.'" One of the things we liked about it was these high school kids being really brave and having to deal with something very scary," she said.

While it tries to bring something new to Scooby Doo, critics don't seem all that impressed with Velma.

"The joy of 'Velma' is undoubtedly in its humor, dense and irreverent and often referencing the wider Scooby-Doo canon and other pop culture (the cold open is a meta-commentary on why TV pilots include gratuitous nudity--featuring gratuitous nudity). "In Kaling's immensely enjoyable and zippy reimagining, Velma is crudely drawn proof that life is too short to pledge loyalty to overarching themes or storylines. It's so extra it's minus." While some critics enjoyed the new take on a classic, others couldn't get past the tonal issues and simply not liking the characters. Focusing on Velma, it follows her trying to solve her first mystery, one which involves her being framed for murdering a fellow student. Velma was set to be an origin story of sorts for those meddling kids, partially explaining why there's a noticeable lack of a talking dog.

Velma has been slammed by viewers with an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers claim the HBO Max series veers too far from the Scooby-Doo franchise.

'This journey of self-discovery for her is something that really drew us to this project and this character,' she said at the time. I saw the first episode to give it a chance, and i’m not going to watch the rest I was bored 8 minutes in, It’s basically a self insert ruining of the Scooby gang (minus scooby).' Also the first pic of the show was of a naked Daphne, so they’re sexualizing minors AND the writer is transphobic. 'So, I was a little bit surprised and I think most Indian-American girls when they see this skeptical, hardworking, kind of underappreciated character, can identify with her.' The new Velma show is appalling to change that core relationship.' The trailer dropped the day before the series hit HBO Max and was not well-perceived. Viewers took to Twitter and complained about how unrecognizable these characters' new personas are and how the show has lost the spirit of Scooby-Doo. One user summed it up best: 'Bottom line, it’s not the mystery gang. Interestingly, she mentioned voicing Velma but not her role producing. One user refuted the new character descriptions, writing: 'Daphne is not a mean girl. 'I find the changes in Velma weirdly cynical for a freaking scooby doo spinoff,' one stated. It’s a strangely mean-spirited twist with *seemingly* no effort made to understand its own basis or fandom.'

Everyone's favorite mystery-solving gang is back on screen, but the first two episodes of HBO Max's Velma have Gen Zers crying foul.

Mindy Kaling has opened up about the decision to make Velma a lesbian in HBO Max's upcoming animated series Velma.

[LGBTQ+](https://www.digitalspy.com/lgbtq/) community comes after numerous debates over the character's sexuality over the past few years. "In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script," Gunn wrote on Twitter. [Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/movies/scooby-doo-linda-cardellini-lesbian-velma/)). "I work on a couple of other shows about young women, and it just felt like this gift to explore, knowing that there’s all these expectations for the character. [In 2022 animated film ](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41542738/scooby-doo-velma-gay-lesbian/) [Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!,](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41542738/scooby-doo-velma-gay-lesbian/) Velma develops a crush on costume designer Coco Diablo, with the character confessing her feelings to her friends. [Scooby-Doo officially makes Velma a lesbian](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a41542738/scooby-doo-velma-gay-lesbian/)

With the release of HBO Max's adult cartoon series 'Velma,' the internet seems to have one burning question: Is Velma Black? Here's what we know.

[HBO Max](https://www.distractify.com/t/hbo-max#:~:text=The%20streaming%20platform%20HBO%20Max,Max%20subscribers%20in%20the%20U.S.) is showing its love for the bookish beauty with the release of its adult cartoon series [Velma](https://www.distractify.com/p/is-velma-hbo-max-for-kids). gang is lucky to have [Velma](https://www.distractify.com/p/velma-canon-lesbian). In the new TV-MA-rated series, Velma Dinkley is Indian. [Scooby-Doo](https://www.distractify.com/p/how-does-velma-show-connect-to-scooby-doo) character. With this in mind, the internet seems to have one question about HBO Max's Velma: Is the titular character Black? Showrunner and executive producer Charlie Grandy and executive producer [Mindy Kaling](https://www.distractify.com/p/is-mindy-kaling-in-never-have-i-ever)'s animated series gives the undervalued teen a proper origin story.

In Velma Season 1 Episode 2, Fred Jones is arrested for the murders of both Brenda and Krista. But despite Velma's role in his arrest, Velma's own father ...

Personally, I’m suspicious of Fred’s father (who seeks too adamantly to uphold a certain image) and the Blake officers (who have done little, it seems, to look into Diya’s disappearance). So Aman agrees to give her the $500 she needs if Velma will help him prove Fred’s innocence. Daphne shows up at Velma’s door to give her the cold case file. But when he turns out to be Aman, an awkward discussion is had by the father and daughter at home. She accuses her of thinking she has everyone pegged-which Velma really thinks she does. Daphne tells Velma if she doesn’t have the money, she can work for her instead.