'Velma' braves mixed reviews to score biggest animated series premiere on HBO Max

Mixed critical reviews and review-bombing by audiences do not seem to have affected the viewership of Mindy Kaling-starrer animated series 'Scooby-Doo' spinoff series 'Velma'. It has become the most-watched animated series premiere on Warner Bros Discovery's streaming service HBO Max. So it is being watched by many, if only they are hate-watching it. Kaling herself shared the update through her Twitter handle. She shared a graphic depicting the news and wrote, "Thank you everyone for watching! 🎉 @hbomax @velmatheseries." You can see the post below. Kaling voices the titular character in the show, who is a nerdy member of Mystery Inc. This version is Indian-American. Sam Richardson, Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton also lend voices.

Thank you everyone for watching! 🎉 @hbomax @velmatheseries pic.twitter.com/QoZ6AIiPtB

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) January 14, 2023

The series is an adult, violent spin on the typically child-friendly franchise. And fans have perhaps not appreciated that.

On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a score of a mere 55 per cent. The critical consensus reads, "Jinkies! This radical reworking of the beloved Mystery Team has plenty of attitude and style, but it doesn't have the first clue for how to turn its clever subversion into engaging fun."

But the audience score is just 6 per cent.

The official synopsis of 'Velma' reads, "VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and under appreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. This original and humorous spin unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers."

Velma premiered on January 12 on HBO Max in the US.