Mindy Kailing's Velma TV show will reportedly make major changes to Scooby-Doo characters. The well-known franchise began with the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! in 1969 and has continued in the form of TV reboots, films, and reruns. The mystery-comedy follows a gang of teenagers who track down bad guys in disguise with the help of their dog, Scooby. A Scooby-Doo reunion special is in the works, highlighting the property's wide impact.
In February, it was reported a Scooby-Doo Velma origin story was in development. The story is from Kailing, the powerhouse comedian behind The Office and The Mindy Project and executive producer of the Netflix sitcom Never Have I Ever. She is set to executive produce an animated series that will focus on the character Velma, the "brains" of the gang, whose contributions are often overlooked by both her friends and the viewers. The adult cartoon will refocus the show structure of previous Scooby-Doo adaptations from an ensemble comedy to an in-depth character study of Velma's backstory. Kaling will play the titular role in the voice cast. And it's going to change up the Scooby-Doo formula in key ways.
Toonado reports that Velma has a few shake-ups in store for the Scooby franchise. Warner Bros. executive Tom Ascheim revealed new information about the project this week at TV Kids Summer Festival 2021, an online conference. According to Ascheim, Kaling was initially interested in exploring the backstory of a version of Velma who is of East Asian descent. The revamped Scooby series is also changing some major details from the original concept, says Ascheim:
We have a not for children, Mindy Kaling project called Velma because she was excited to reimagine what Scooby-Doo would be like if Velma were of East Asian descent and lived in a different world. And in that version, which is going on HBO Max first, there's no dog and no van but we have our 4 key characters through a different lens and I think it's great. Allowing our creators to play with our IP is super powerful.
"No dog and no van" is a huge departure from the classic Scooby-Doo setup. The show was originally conceived with the idea of four friends traveling around in their van, decorated in a "flower power," '60s hippie-style aesthetic, with their Great Dane in tow. The concept has stuck around through every iteration of the show, including live action adaptations starring the likes of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar alongside an expressive CGI hound. Based on this new information, it sounds like the show will take a deep dive not just into Velma's character but also into Daphne's, Fred's, and Shaggy's lives.
The creative overhaul is a risk, to say the least—Scooby is a lovable pup, and his removal from the gang will completely change the dynamic among the show's core characters (to say nothing of their newfound pedestrian lifestyle). Kaling has long since proved she knows what she's doing when it comes to scripted comedies, however, so fans of Scooby-Doo should rest assured that the EP's vision for the show will be worth the adjustments. Considering this adaptation is intended for adults rather than children, Scooby's possibly fatal absence and the gang's collective loss of private transportation feel appropriate for the genre. Adult animation is home for dark subject matter viewed through the lens of comedy, and the members of the Scooby gang have endured their fair share of trauma over half a century spooky pursuits.
Source: Toonado