"Velma" Scooby Doo Spin-Off Earns Title of Third Worst Rated Series on HBO Max



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"Velma" Scooby Doo Spin-Off Earns Title of Third Worst Rated Series on HBO Max

"Velma," the latest spin-off of the beloved cartoon franchise "Scooby Doo," has received widespread criticism and poor ratings, earning its place as the third worst-rated series in the history of its streaming platform, HBO Max.

The animated series, which features Velma as the central character and aims to appeal to an older audience, has received backlash for its lack of the iconic character Scooby Doo and for its decision to recast the races of the main characters.

In "Velma," Velma is portrayed as South Asian, Daphne as East Asian, and Norville, who becomes Shaggy, as African American.

The Decision to Recast the Characters' Races

In an interview with Variety, series creator Charlie Grandy and executive producer Mindy Kaling explained the reasoning behind the decision to change the races of the characters.

“The original Scooby-Doo, which we’re such a fan of, is also really rooted in another era and reflective of the cultural landscape of the ‘60s and the ‘70s and what people traditionally put on TV,” Kaling said. “It just felt like, if we can have the characters be anything, why not do something new?” Grandy added, “What Mindy was attracted to in the character, and what I loved, was that the smartest of the gang that solved the mysteries got no credit.

Going from that, why not just expand the diversity of the cast?”

Mixed Reviews and Criticism

However, the series' attempts to modernize and diversify the franchise have been met with mixed reviews and criticism. "Velma" currently holds a score of 59 on Metacritic, and online reactions to the series have been overwhelmingly negative.

On IMDb, the series has an average rating of 1.3 after more than 50,000 votes. As a result of the poor reception, "Velma" has earned the title of the worst animated series and the third worst-rated series on HBO Max. The platform's worst-rated series are "The Pogmentary," a documentary about football player Paul Pogba, and the Turkish musical drama "Iste Bu Benim Masalim." "Velma" is currently available on HBO Max in the United States, with a release date for the United Kingdom yet to be announced. The series features voice performances by Mindy Kaling, Glenn Howerton, Sam Richardson, and Constance Wu.