HBO Max Won’t Let Viewers Comment On Its Biggest Flop
HBO Max has turned off comments on Velma's teaser trailer due to the incredible backlash for the controversial show.
The newest HBO Max animated series Velma has been a critical disaster for the streaming giant, so much so that they had to turn off the comments for the teaser trailer on Youtube. One Youtuber pointed out the decision to turn off the comments and indicated that HBO likely has decided that the series is a flop. One would imagine that the comments could have ranged from mild complaints to wildly inappropriate, so that could be another reason that HBO decided to toggle the comment button.
Surprisingly, it seems like HBO Max is bringing the show back for a second season despite the outcry. Although the premiere episodes brought in decent viewership numbers, the people who have watched it are actively slamming the show. Even the critics aren’t impressed, with most of their reviews ranging from bad to below average.
The HBO Max Velma animated series follows acts as an origin story for the titular detective, with Mindy Kaling providing the voice. The series also stars Sam Richardson, Constance Wu, Glenn Howerton, Frank Welker, Debby Ryan, and Shay Mitchell. The series was developed by Charlie Grandy, who also executive produced along with Kaling.
Most reviewers seem to take umbrage with the fact that HBO Max’s Velma race-swapped many of the main characters including Velma, Shaggy, and Daphne. While that’s not necessarily an issue, many complaints go on to say that their personalities don’t match up with the original characters, making it seem like it was originally just a detective show that got the Scooby-Doo IP slapped on it. But, despite having Scooby-Doo characters, the series is missing one notable element — Scooby-Doo.
This is perhaps one of the things that frustrate viewers most about the HBO Max Velma series. Warner Bros wouldn’t let the creators use Scoob in their show, and everyone loves Scooby-Doo. It’s understandable that Scooby-Doo fans would want the cartoon dog to be in a show that has every other Scooby-Doo character in it.
Still, HBO Max had a great debut for Velma, as it became the streamer’s most-watched animated series debut ever. Clearly, there was interest in the show, which explains why we’re likely getting a second season. We’ll have to wait and see if the viewership numbers drop off as they release more episodes or if people decide to continue to tune in and give the show a chance.
Even if HBO Max has to drop Velma, the streaming platform has plenty of other big shows to keep subscribers happy. House of the Dragon and The Last of Us are both massive, blockbuster hits for the streamer. Both shows brought in massive viewer numbers, with House of the Dragon making history as the largest audience for an original series in the history of pay cable.
The Last of Us found some major success of its own, bringing in 4.7M viewers which is the largest debut for HBO Max since Boardwalk Empire (after House of the Dragon). While Velma likely won’t be the hit that the streamer was hoping for, there will be plenty of other options to keep people subscribed. If you’re interested, the next two episodes of Velma will be released on January 19.
