Velma, Mindy Kaling's adult animated mystery series, will debut its second season on the Max streaming app on April 25. Kaling executive produces the show and also provides the voice for the title character.
The first season of the show began airing on January 12, 2023, and ran for ten episodes.
HBO previously renewed the show for a second season in June 2023.
On the second season, Suzanna Makkos, the executive vice president of original comedy and adult animation for Max and Adult Swim previously stated, "The series that we create at Max are art and voice driven, with character and comedy coming before anything else.”
“We’re always looking for hard comedy with heart and edge, diverse and inclusive shows with underlying thematic resonance, and character design that showcases the hand of the artist. I am so excited to share these incredible series with the world, and continue to show why Max is a great home for adult animation.”
The show debuted to poor ratings (a 39% approval rating among critics and a 7% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes) but inexplicably broke several streaming records for Max as it went on to become the most-viewed premiere of an original animated show for Max.
Considering that Max is the home of other animated shows like Young Justice, Harley Quinn, Scavengers Reign, and more, it is no minor accomplishment.
In response to the barrage of negative reviews, showrunner Charles Grandy had previously stated in remarks that he personally felt the fans erroneously believed that Velma was trying to erase the original Scooby-Doo cartoon or that Velma's race in the show was the main source of the animosity.
Said Grandy, "The original Hanna-Barbera shows are still out there to watch. We are not erasing the originals. We just want to be a little ice planet on the outer regions of the Scooby-verse!...None of these characters are rooted to being white. We were worried about going to Warner Bros. and asking them to do it, but they said, 'Do it. It's time! Just make sure it's funny and good!'
Velma Official Synopsis: Velma is an adult-animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated 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.
The main voice cast includes Kaling as Velma, Sam Richardson as Shaggy, Constance Wu as Daphne, and Glenn Howerton as Fred.
Kaling is the executive producer while Charlie Grandy serves as showrunner.