HBO Max’s new show Velma has only just been released, and it has already been bashed online by both fans and critics, who consider the show to be subpar.
Fans of the original animated TV series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969) Have been eagerly awaiting the release of a spin-off, and now it’s finally here, sadly, it hasn’t been met with a great reception.
Velma was released on the streaming platform on January 12, offering viewers an exciting new chapter in the beloved show’s universe. Fans were hoping for a compelling plot and a chance to reconnect with our old beloved characters. Disappointingly, it just wasn’t as thrilling as its predecessor.
Mindy Kaling is the voice of the main character Velma in the ten-part series which follows the “under-appreciated brains” of the gang, bringing together Daphne, voiced by Constance Wu, Fred (Glen Howerton), and Shaggy (Sam Richardson).
The series has been created as a prequel to the original animated series, but it revolves around Velma as the main character.
According to Collider, the plot synopsis is as follows: “VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. This original and humorous spin unmasks the complex and colourful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.”
This is obviously a darker version of the family-friendly series that came out way back in 1989, and it doesn’t seem to have gone down well with viewers, who have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the new show…
One wrote: “Can we stop letting people that don’t respect the original media get a hold of it and ruin it?” Adding “We have The Witcher, Percy Jackson, a ton more, and now Velma. Scooby Doo does not need to be turned into one of these god awful ‘adult comedy’ shows.”
A second added: “It really feels like Velma’s writing room had 1 funny person, surrounded by a bunch of ai script generators that were fed exclusively bad video essays and Riverdale scripts. There’s the occasional slightly funny line, drowned out by a sea of awful sludge.”
“Every character is insufferable. Whether it is the god-awful quips which never land or the ridiculous backstory they gave to Velma, the show constantly falls flat on its a**,” a third summed up.
Another took to IMDB to share a lengthy review about how terrible they thought the first few episodes were, claiming they attempted to cancel their HBO subscription because it was that bad.
They wrote in part: “It is way too snarky and I don’t see how anyone can find it entertaining. What is wrong with HBO? I’m tempted to cancel my subscription because I don’t want to associate myself with people who put out c*ap like this. I hope it backfires and blows up in your face, also whoever finds this show entertaining needs to check their own morals.”
It’s clear the general consensus is that the show just isn’t clicking with audiences, and this is confirmed by the shocking 7 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
