When Velma, an animated series about Scooby-Doo’s Velma Dinkley, hit HBO Max a couple of weeks ago with much fanfare, nobody could have predicted the kind of backlash and trolling Mindy Kaling would go on to face from the die-hard fans of the classic Scooby-Doo franchise.
For those not in the know, Kaling did not only voice the titular character but also served as an executive producer on the show. Joining her in the voice cast were Constance Wu as Daphne, Jane Lynch as Donna, Sam Richardson as Shaggy, Glenn Howerton as Fred, Melissa Fumero as Sophie, Russell Peters as Aman, Wanda Sykes as Linda, Fortune Feimster as Olive, Sarayu Blue as Diya, Nicole Byer as Blythe, Kari Wahlgren as Evelyn, and Yvonne Orji as Gigi, among others.
Velma received disappointing reviews and an appalling 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with several critics calling it cringe-worthy, unsubtle, and unfunny. Fans accused the makers of deviating significantly from the original characters and core elements that made the Scooby-Doo franchise a hit among them. They also complained about how the show relied more on gore and violence.
It seems the unprecedented backlash has hit Kaling hard and she has decided to distance herself from the show. What makes us think so? Well, HBO Max aired the final episode of Velma on February 9, 2023, and Kaling has since deleted some of her tweets promoting the series, which received strong criticism from fans of the franchise.
On January 12, Kaling tweeted that she was excited to voice Velma. “So excited for you guys to see this tomorrow. Jinkies indeed!” read her tweet. The only remaining post about Velma on her Twitter handle seems to be the one from January 12.
Meanwhile, HBO Max has renewed Velma for season 2, despite the backlash against it. Yes, you read that absolutely right! Channing Dungey, the chairman, and CEO of Warner Television Group, has confirmed the news.
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
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Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Vinay Kumar Sinha