Velma was a much older cartoon series that caused a lot of controversies, so the news that Velma was canceled was not too surprising. There's a perception among many that Velma fell 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.

With Mindy Kaling leading different 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, as Velma excluded 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 to Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated.

Velma Is Another Example Of How Difficult It Is To Reinvent Scooby-Doo

There Was No Scooby-Doo Story In Velma

Velma is 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 critiques Velma received is that it is R-rated, as the characters often engage in mature activities. Although Velma is a Scooby-Doo show that is supposed to have an adult audience, critics felt that the adultification of the characters ruined the family-friendly essence of Scooby-Doo, and made the characters hard to recognize from previous adaptations.

Custom image of Scooby Doo as an old woman against a backdrop of the cartoon poster and Matthew Lillard smiling as Shaggy
Related
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 was Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. The difference between this cartoon and older Scooby-Doo shows is that Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated was 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 because the backstory of Scooby-Doo’s gang ran its course.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated did 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 have tried to do something different with Scooby-Doo. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated functioned as a prequel of sorts to Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, with Velma also going back in time, albeit with a very different incarnation of the cast. While Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated stayed true to Scooby-Doo’s origins, Velma left out Scooby-Doo and took numerous liberties with the characters. Both of these shows’ premature endings show that it is difficult to reinvent Scooby-Doo, as it is hard to continue the story when 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 mirrored Scooby-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, as Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated served as a backstory for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! With Velma, 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

Velma with a look of intrigue in Velma season 2 trailer
Image via Max

The planned live-action Scooby-Doo series could reinvent the franchise, as it could learn from the mistakes Velma made. 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 starred She’s All That’s Freddie Prinze Jr. and Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar were successful. The live-action movie had what the Velma series lacked, which was a comedy that catered to all audiences whilst staying 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 following Velma’s cancelation. Where Velma went 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, like Velma, the franchise risks becoming unrecognizable.