Talk:Velma

Maybe this could just be called "Velma." -- Signed by James (talk) 21:32, 18 May 2022 (UTC)

Velma Official Trailer from HBO Max

Hello there,

here's the official trailer for Velma from HBO Max's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHdtsWn7sgE

What are your thoughts and reactions about the forthcoming series Velma?

BTW, the word Dinkley appears on a letter box in a Brush Script font which was also used for Neighbours between 1985 and 2007 as well. --Michael (talk) 14:20, 7 October 2022 (UTC)

Velma (TV series) episode guide

Hey James, Snoopy and QuestJ65,

Have you known that there's episodes of Velma (TV series) which is due to premiere in 2023?

Here it is:

1. Velma (episode)

2. The Candy (Wo)man 3. Velma Kai

4. Velma Makes a List

5. Marching Band Sleepover

6. The Sins of the Fathers and Some of the Mothers

7. Fog Fest

8. A Velma in the Woods

9. Family (Wo)man

10. The Brains of the Operation

Hope this helps and Merry Christmas to you. --Michael (talk) 01:50, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

Didn't know that, thanks, and Merry Christmas to you too. -- Snoopy The Dog (talk) 02:59, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

Velma (2023 TV series) reactions

So what are your reactions to the Velma TV series?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11627883/Mindy-Kalings-new-Velma-series-slammed-sexualizing-15-year-old-characters.html

I'm not keen on it along with Jellystone!, Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs, Hurry, Hurry, Tom and Jerry and Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.

Also, i've heard of Velma Dinkley in that show being as Indian descent, Shaggy as Norville being African-American and Daphne being of East Asian descent but this is ridiculous.

Thoughts and reactions? --Michael (talk) 16:43, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

To be honest, I'm not too keen on it either. Scooby's removal seemed odd to me. -- Snoopy The Dog (talk) 16:55, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

No comment. --QuestJ65 (talk) 19:17, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

How about you James? --Michael (talk) 02:18, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

I have certain issues with it, one of them being this is just a dumb way of letting Mindy Kaling vent about the media. I've only seen the first episode, and that showed promise. But the promise is always going to likely be let down by its absolute need for self validation in addressing things by Mindy/Velma that doesn't progress the series, only just slows it down. -- Signed by James (talk) 03:08, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Velma is cancelled

Just now, I heard there was a report that Velma has been cancelled after two seasons. With the Halloween special acting as series finale, my words cannot fully describe how chaotic this has been when it was first announced. In fact, I rarely even said anything about this show in general, and that's for a very good reason; it was just plain bad.

I refused to watch it as much as possible, not even anything other than its first trailer. I refused to say much of the show beyond that it was just bad, because I believed that it was likely made in bad faith, or just a attempted experimental take on the Scooby-Doo cast. It tried too hard to be different from any Scooby show that came before, while also too off-brand for what the whole series stands for. It was so different that I'm too afraid to at least explain why, but now that its reportedly over, I can finally express what Velma did wrong as a show from the perspective of someone who refused to watch a single episode.

First of all, its too edgy and childish for an adult animated series. I've seen some of the jokes and it didn't resonate me in the slightest. Perhaps they were poorly handled in telling a meta joke or providing some commentary without sounding condescending. And second of all, it doesn't feel like Scooby with a main cast who constantly has apathy towards each other, and a controversial tone that clearly doesn't mesh with anyone.

A mean-spirited portrayal of Velma is attempted in this series, and while this is done so to an extent in the past, this version I feel was quite possibly the least likeable portrayal of the character yet. I liked Mindy Kaling for when she did Kelly in The Office (in fact, I think she was more likeable here), but her depiction of Velma in my mind was clearly made in an attempt to make a bad impression. She is very snarky, can't stop talking about any specific pop culture references or social topics, and treats anyone with poor taste. The same can also be said with the rest of the main cast, more or less; Fred is a rich boy with behavioral issues regarding immaturity, Daphne is a "school bitch", and Norville (Shaggy) is a simp without any sort of wanton cowardice. In my mind, none of those traits fit with any of the Scooby cast because they are either unfit for their character, or something I could not bear for being one-dimensional.

In what I think is a large piece of contention, I have to address the fact that the main characters are depicted as people of color. Now, as a POC myself, I am not offended by this at all. But the general reason as to why it didn't resonate with me was because I am frankly tired of the political discourse of the show online. In fact, I'd be remiss that said discourse downright traumatized me when season one was first put out. The series itself isn't shy from discussing that sort of topic, but how it was handled was pretty distasteful. In fact, I think the show was trying too hard in setting up controversial gags for the sake of being cynical, and that includes those centering on race and/or gender. I mean, what is the deal of making a joke when all you care is to offend people of all walks of life? I remember seeing a gag on the #MeToo movement ("I spit truth without a filter, like every comedian before #MeToo") and felt irked not because I opposed it, but because it was just added without any substance as to why it was included; it wasn't self-awareness, but rather just there for the sake of shock value and nothing else. Some people call the jokes "woke" due to being unreasonably hateful, but that's not really the type of description I'm looking for when describing them.

btw as a side note, I really hate it when people use "woke" in a distasteful matter i only bring it up when it feels necessary

And lastly, the plot is messy. Without going into spoilers or at least looking it up, my impression is that while the murder mystery plot sounds convincing on paper, what it really bogs down was a thin one that is filled with anything but substance. Jokes are thrown out of the window constantly, and without adding in said jokes, its about as thin as paper. Again, I have only seen the show via promotional material and/or clips, so I couldn't say any further than that. Additionally, the inclusion Scrappy as a villain in the second season was poorly executed when that was already done in the first live-action Scooby-Doo film, and even that was made with some level of dignity.

In conclusion, I refused to talk about anything about Velma until now, and it was because I was afraid of it. However, I could finally explain those feelings now that the series is over. It has been a wild, wild ride, but at least for now I could explain what went wrong with the series without any sort of personal baggage. I apologize for not making it clear when I said "no comment" in the previous section, but I'm finally glad its over for now.

As Jay Sherman from The Critic had put it, nothing of value was lost. -- QuestJ65 (talk) 20:33, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

P.S. I also realized that many animators and writers lost their jobs after it was over. It really sucks despite the show's quality, but I do hope that they'll find work within the industry. Please support them if you can. -- QuestJ65 (talk) 20:50, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

I was shocked by its sudden cancellation, truthfully it wasn't my cup of tea, but I still respected those who watched it and the team behind it for their hard work, hopefully they can find other work in the industry. -- Snoopy The Dog (talk) 21:00, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the matter. I understand where you're coming from, and I think you captured everything correctly without even having seen it properly. It's not a requirement to watch if you really don't want to, and I think you made that right choice in staying away. Hopefully the new anime-inspired Scooby will get to air and will bring something better to watch for the community. And with fear in the animation industry of being replaced with AI, I hope they're able to get new jobs elsewhere. I imagine they will. I also remember when Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs, Wacky Races, and some other shows were cancelled, and it left animators without jobs. ---- Signed by James (talk) 21:10, 8 October 2024 (UTC)