Velmawas a much older cartoon series that caused a lot of controversies, so the news thatVelmawas canceledwas not too surprising. There’s a perception among many thatVelmafell short as the show made a multitude of changes to the characters' personalities, resulting in a lack of redeeming qualities. Its attempts to offer something different has been met with some praise, but there’s no question that it courted controversy.
WithMindy Kaling leadingthe cast ofVelma, the show follows a muchdifferent story surrounding Velma, as she tries to solve mysteries in her school as young girls are getting murdered. This show was incredibly different to other Scooby-Doo shows, asVelmaexcluded the main character from the series. However, being unique wasn’t enough to ensure it enjoyed a long life. In this regard, Velma’s cancelation can be compared toScooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated.
Velma Is Another Example Of How Difficult It Is To Reinvent Scooby-Doo
There Was No Scooby-Doo Story In Velma
Velmais another example of how difficult it is to reinvent Scooby-Doo, as it is hard to adapt another story while staying true to Scooby-Doo’s origin and family-friendly production. One of the many critiquesVelmareceived is thatit is R-rated, as the characters often engage in mature activities. AlthoughVelmais a Scooby-Doo show that is supposed to have an adult audience, critics felt that the adultification of the charactersruined the family-friendly essenceof Scooby-Doo, and made the characters hard to recognize from previous adaptations.
James Gunn’s Scooby-Doo Movie Broke The Original Cartoon’s Cardinal Rule With 1 Twist
The Scooby-Doo franchise tends to abide by a strict set of rules when telling its stories, but the 2002 live-action adaptation strayed from the path.
Another Scooby-Doo story that also ended after two seasons wasScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. The difference between this cartoon and older Scooby-Doo shows is thatScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporatedwas serialized, instead of adapting to Scooby-Doo’s original episode format, where they have a different monster every episode. This is also different to earlier Scooby-Doo shows, as it showed Fred (voiced by Frank Welker) and Daphne’s (Grey DeLisle) relationship develop, and sparks fly between Velma (Mindy Cohn) and Shaggy (Matthew Lillard). Despite paying homage to the horror genre, the show ended after two seasons becausethe backstory of Scooby-Doo’s gang ran its course.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporateddid find its audience, but the show’s producer Mitch Watson revealed that the show was initially supposed to have a 52-episode run. After the show concluded, a third season was pitched, but Cartoon Network decided not to renew the series.
The main common denominator between these shows is that both havetried to do something different with Scooby-Doo.Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporatedfunctioned as a prequel of sorts toScooby-Doo, Where Are You!, with Velma also going back in time, albeit with a very different incarnation of the cast. WhileScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporatedstayed true to Scooby-Doo’s origins,Velmaleft out Scooby-Dooand took numerous liberties with the characters. Both of these shows’ premature endings show that it is difficult to reinvent Scooby-Doo, as it ishard to continue the storywhen creating something completely different within the Scooby-Doo franchise.
Velma’s Cancelation After Season 2 Mirrors Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated’s
Velma And Mystery Incorporated Were Canceled For Different Reasons
Velma’s cancelation after season 2 mirroredScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated’s cancelation as both of the shows were canceled after the second season where the story begins to develop. However,both of these shows have different circumstances when it comes to their reception and cancellation. As the producer Mitch Watson revealed, the show intended to have a 52-episode run, asScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporatedserved as a backstory forScooby-Doo, Where Are You!WithVelma,it was its inability to develop an audience that kept it from lasting.
New Live-Action Scooby-Doo Show Is The Next Chance To Reinvent The Franchise
There Is Another Scooby-Doo Story Coming After Velma’s Cancelation
The plannedlive-action Scooby-Doo seriescould reinvent the franchise, as it couldlearn from the mistakesVelmamade. The new live-action series is currently in the works, with Greg Berlanti serving as the show’s producer. The show can also learn why the live-action movie from 2002 that starredShe’s All That’s Freddie Prinze Jr. andBuffy The Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar were successful. The live-action movie had what theVelmaseries lacked, which was a comedy that catered to all audiences whilststaying true to Scooby-Doo’s story.
What the live-action can learn is that they do not need to change the Scooby-Doo franchise.
As the live-action is the franchise’s first live-action series, there are many ways that the series can reinvent the Scooby-Doo franchise followingVelma’s cancelation. WhereVelmawent wrong is that the show tried to make the characters more mature, which flew in the face of the original show. What the live-action show can learn from all this is that honoring its roots is crucial to not turning away longtime fans. Scooby-Doo has been loved for decades because it is a horror franchise that still caters to many audiences. By changing Scooby-Doo and the characters, likeVelma, the franchise risks becoming unrecognizable.
