HBO's Velma is not the greatest show, but is it as bad as reviews would suggest? Velma's rating on IMDb is 1.3 out of 10, and its Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 6 percent. This means the show is rated lower than legendarily bad movies like The Room or Troll 2. This could lead some people to believe that Velma must be one of the worst shows ever made, but in truth, it's just kind of mediocre. That being said, viewers haven't exactly rushed to correct the hyperbolic negative response because the show isn't good enough to inspire a strong defense of it. However, the extremely low ratings may actually end up being the best thing for Velma.
Hearing that a show is average, boring or just kind of bad is probably the worst thing that can happen to its viewership. On the other hand, when people see reviews claiming Velma is the worst show ever made, that creates a level of morbid curiosity. Audiences will likely be inspired to see for themselves if Velma is really as bad as the reviews say. There are also plenty of viewers who intentionally seek out bad shows and movies to mock and laugh at with friends. If left alone, Velma would likely have faded into obscurity, but the large amount of negative attention may have given it new life.
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Velma's Haters Unintentionally Signal Boosted the Show
Despite the negative reviews, Velma's viewership is much higher than other shows. While some of this popularity can likely be chalked up to the show's connection to the popular Scooby-Doo brand, it seems likely that it is in part due to the amount of attention being paid to the show online. Though Velma's IMDb user ratings are very low, it is the second most popular show on the site, only losing out to HBO's other hit series, The Last of Us. There are also plenty of YouTube videos talking about the series. Even if many of these videos fall into the same category as the exaggeratedly bad reviews, they still contribute to Velma trending online.
If Velma continues to receive so much attention, it will only continue to find a wider audience as more people's curiosity is piqued by its cultural relevance. If it continues to trend online, more content creators and websites will also be inspired to give their own takes on the show, perpetuating the show's popularity. Had Velma been given more realistically negative reviews instead of being touted as the worst show ever, it probably wouldn't have become such an online trend.
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Velma Doesn't Live Up To High Or Low Expectations
Velma is far from the worst show ever made, but it also isn't very good. Many of its jokes fall flat or just don't feel very creative. For example, Norville proclaiming that he doesn't like drugs almost feels like the writers were too busy patting themselves on the back for not leaning into the easiest Shaggy joke that they forgot to write a replacement. Watching the show divorced from the online hype, audiences will likely find that Velma inspires no strong feelings one way or the other.
The only real aspect of Velma that makes it stand out from the competition is the intense backlash to the show online. Thanks to the people who hate the show the most, Velma has become a trendy conversation piece instead of simply a lackluster adult animated show. There's also a chance that some viewers who check out Velma due to the hate stick around when they realize it isn't as bad as it's meant to be. Viewers' rock-bottom expectations may actually make the show seem better in contrast. This combined with the inflated viewership may actually mean that Velma's status as one of the worst-reviewed shows could actually be the only thing that gives the show the viewership it needs to survive.
Velma debuts new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max.
FAQs
Velma's rating on IMDb is 1.3 out of 10, and its Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 6 percent. This means the show is rated lower than legendarily bad movies like The Room or Troll 2. This could lead some people to believe that Velma must be one of the worst shows ever made, but in truth, it's just kind of mediocre.
Why is Velma rated R? ›
Violence is often played for laughs but may be more intense than parents expect given the comic tone: Dead bodies of murder victims are discovered, heads come open, and purplish matter drips out. A main character sells drugs, and a minor one smokes cigarettes.
What is Velma's approval rating? ›
Velma currently has a 7% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes while 19 critics gave it a 53%. : r/HBOMAX.
Why do people like Velma? ›
But Velma's race or sexuality never really mattered. People liked Velma—to the extent they paid attention to her—because she was “the smart one.” She was the one who would helpfully blurt out essential information.
Is Velma season 2 cancelled? ›
Get ready for more sleuthing and spookiness as the adult animated series "Velma" is set to return to HBO Max with its second season on April 25.
How bad is Velma's eyesight? ›
It has been a regular occurrence through the various incarnations on TV, in movies and comics, etc. Velma is severely nearsighted, rendering her nearly blind without her glasses.
Why did they change Velma so much? ›
The creator, Charlie Grandy, argued that the writers' alterations—including excising Scooby from the gang, reimagining Velma as a misanthropic South Asian teenager, and incorporating grotesque gags—felt authentic to the spirit of the original series. “We wanted to be respectful,” he explained.
How old is Velma? ›
In Ruby and Spears' original series bible, Fred and Shaggy are each 17 years old, Daphne is 16, and Velma is 15.
Who plays Amber in Velma season 2? ›
Velma (TV Series 2023– ) - Sara Ramirez as Amber - IMDb.
Is the Velma show a success? ›
Mindy Kaling's Velma series on HBO Max is already a massive hit for the streaming platform, at least as far as viewership goes. Movieweb reported that the show premiered its first two episodes and broke the record for the most-watched premiere for an original animated series on HBO Max.
Despite its negative reception, “Velma” still encountered a higher-than-average demand on HBO Max. According to a report from Parrot Analytics, the series became the fourth most in-demand breakout series in the country last week, "with 37.3 times the average series demand — a whopping 127% increase from last week."
What is the controversy with Velma? ›
Racism, division, and misrepresentation: The criticisms of Velma. One of the biggest criticisms of Velma is that it is racist and promotes division and hate. Many have taken to social media to voice their opinions and call for a boycott of the show. Velma's latest episodes also face criticism for their depiction of men ...
Is Velma LGBTQ? ›
But the series does lean into the character's history and queerness, while also giving fans a little something else in canon that they've wanted for decades. With or without the haters, Velma Dinkley is a lesbian.
Did Velma date a girl? ›
Velma Dinkley is usually shown in relationships with men such as Shaggy Rogers (with whom she has a son in Scooby Apocalypse), Johnny Bravo, Patrick Wisely, Sam Winchester, Ben Ravencroft, and many other male characters, although since the 2010s, she has been depicted as also being romantically interested in other ...
Is Velma rated TV 14? ›
Television series rated TV-MA are meant for audiences over the age of 17 years old, making Velma a series that is really more for adult fans and people who are kids at heart than actual children.
What is Daphne and Velma rated? ›
Is Velma season 2 good? ›
Velma: Season 2 Reviews
It's painful to see the first POC-led, queer-inclusive version of a long-standing franchise end up its worst. But this is one soon-to-be canceled queer show that won't be missed.
Is Velma a bad guy? ›
Trivia. Although, in writing, Velma was likely intended to be the hero, she comes across as more of a villain, due to her hateful attitude, criminal record, and tendency to betray and harm others.
