From “A Pup Named Scooby-Doo” to “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island,” everyone’s favorite food-loving Great Dane has remained a constant presence of the franchise that many would assume as a no-brainer to include in any of the meddling kids’ newest adventures. However, it seems that the newest incarnation of the Mystery Inc. gang will not be including their famous mascot.
On an interview with Polygon, “Velma” showrunner Charlie Grandy explains the creative and corporate reasoning behind the omission of Scooby-Doo. “What made ‘Scooby-Doo’ a kid show is Scooby-Doo,” Grandy explains. “We couldn’t have a take on it, like how can we do this in a fun and modern way. [Our efforts] coincided with Warner Bros. Animation saying we can’t use the dog!” As “Velma” aims to tell a story for a more mature audience complete with gore, swearing, and biting social commentary, a clumsy, goofy-voiced pooch was clearly not what was on the mind of the show’s creators, nor Warner Brothers, who more than likely want to preserve the character’s image for younger crowds.
With such a drastically different tone than any prior “Scooby” property, “Velma” has an uphill battle to fight to win over fans and critics. The show, which at the moment has only released its first two episodes, has seen mixed reviews, holding a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 55%, with Variety saying that the show’s attempted subversion has “been done before, and much better.”
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