Velma' review: Mindy Kaling and company try to milk grown-up laughs out of 'Scooby-Doo's' pre-dog days on HBO Max

“This is my story, told my way,” the title character narrates at the outset of “Velma,” an adult-oriented take on “Scooby-Doo” that demonstrates the limits of stretching what amounts to a one-note joke into a series. Sporadically witty but ultimately rather tedious, the HBO Max comedy leverages more than a half-century of name equity to yield an animated prequel that’s definitely not for kids, meddling or otherwise.

Mindy Kaling's new Velma series slammed for sexualizing its 15-year-old characters

Mindy Kaling's new Velma series slammed for sexualizing its 15-year-old characters

Mindy Kaling's VELMA Series - First Look EXPOSED! Discussion and News! (Scooby Doo HBO Max)

Mindy Kaling's new Velma series slammed for sexualizing its 15-year-old characters

Velma – Burkely Hermann's Official Website

Den of Geek New York Comic Con 2022 Special Edition by Den of Geek - Issuu

Mindy Kaling's 'Velma' Animated Show Cast and Who They're Playing

Velma Review: HBO Max's Edgy Animated Series Goes Wrong

Velma' Isn't Edgy. It's Just Mean. - The Atlantic

Velma' Review: Cheeky Prequel Is Less Scooby-Doo and More Mindy Kaling

Velma Review: HBO Max's Edgy Animated Series Goes Wrong

Velma' spinoff divides critics: Lame jokes, prequelitis, and bad meta