Daphne & Velma (TV series)

is an American adult animated mystery horror comedy television series that was based on the characters Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise. Developed and created by Charlie Grandy for HBO Max, it stars co-executive producers Constance Wu and Mindy Kaling as the voice of the titular characters, with Ken Leung, Ming-Na Wen, Russell Peters, and Sarayu Blue in supporting roles. Grandy also serves as the showrunner of the series. It revolves around Daphne Blake Velma Dinkley of Mystery Inc. before their official formation, making it the first television series in the franchise to not feature the character Scooby-Doo. It is rated TV-PG-13. 
The series premiered on January 12, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the voice acting and were impressed with the humor as well as its meta storytelling, characterization, and staying true to the Scooby-Doo mythos. The audience reception was overwhelmingly positive. In June 2023, it was confirmed that Season 2 is currently in production for broadcast in 2024. In March 2024, it was confirmed that Season 2 will premiere on the rebranded Max streaming service on April 25, 2024.
==History==
The series was first announced on February 10, 2021. On July 11, 2022, the trademark for the series was listed as abandoned, only for HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys to confirm the series to still be in production in an August memo, with the series previewing at New York Comic Con on October 6, 2022.
Some of the characters are notably raceswapped. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Constance Wu and Mindy Kaling explain that "the essences of Daphne and Velma are not necessarily tied to their whiteness. And we identify so much as their characters, and I think so many people do, so it's like, yeah, let's make them Asian and Indian respectively in this series." Unlike most Scooby-Doo incarnations, this series does not feature Scooby-Doo himself due to studio mandates, combined with the crew struggling to come up with an adult take on the character. Matthew Lillard, the current voice of Shaggy Rogers in most Scooby-Doo media, expressed his support for the cast of Daphne & Velma as opposed to his disappointment of not being cast in Scoob!
Daphne & Velma marks the second series not to feature Frank Welker voicing Fred Jones after A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, although Welker is still involved in the show by voicing Fred's father.
A second season of Velma is in production, and is scheduled to be released in 2024.
==Synopsis==
The series serves as an alternate universe origin story for Mystery Inc. It primarily focuses on Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley as they try to solve a mystery regarding the death of Edna Perdue, as well as the numerous attempted murders of local teenage girls.
==Characters==
==Main==
*Constance Wu as Daphne Fong, a beautiful girl and Velma's best friend, whom she has known since their births at the Crystal Cove Hospital. She is raised by her parents Darren and Carroll, who work as miners in the Crystal Cove Mines. She is a student at Crystal Cove High School along with Velma and is a member of the cheerleading squad there. She is partially modeled after Constance Wu and is depicted as East Asian-American. Like in the original series, her first name is the same. However, instead of her last name being "Blake", it is "Fong".
*Mindy Kaling as Velma Dinkley, a snarky teenage would-be detective, and Daphne's best friend. She and Daphne have been the best of friends since their births at the Crystal Cove Hospital. She has a lifelong passion for solving mysteries that she inherited from her mother Diya. Her father Aman is a lawyer. She is a student at Crystal Cove High School along with Daphne and her older brother Baryl. She is partially modeled after Kaling and is depicted as Indian–American.
*Ken Leung as Darren Fong, Daphne's father, and co-manager of the Crystal Cove Team at the Crystal Cove Mines along with his wife Carroll. He is depicted as East Asian-American.
*Ming-Na Wen as Carroll Fong, Daphne's mother, and co-manager of the Crystal Cove Team at the Crystal Cove Mines along with her husband Darren. She is depicted as East Asian-American.
==Supporting==
*TBA as Baryl Fong, the eldest son of Darren and Carroll and the older brother of Daphne. Like her and Velma, he is a student at Crystal Cove High School. He is a social outcast because of his cynical outlook on life which often gets him into trouble. He is depicted as East Asian-American.
*TBA as Errol Fong, Daphne and Baryl's uncle from Darren's side of the family and Carroll's brother-in-law. He is depicted as East Asian-American.
*TBA as Cheryl Fong, Daphne and Baryl's aunt from Carroll's side of the family and Darren's sister-in-law. She is depicted as East Asian-American.
*TBA as John Fong, Daphne and Baryl's grandfather from Carroll's side of the family and Darren's father-in-law. He is depicted as East Asian-American.
*Russell Peters as Aman Dinkley, Velma's lawyer father, who struggles to keep her in line and is happily married to his wife Diya. He is depicted as Indian–American.
*Sarayu Blue as Diya Dinkley, Velma's detective mother who writes mysteries, inspiring her daughter's passion, and is happily married to her husband Aman. She is depicted as Indian–American.
*Melissa Fumero as Sophie Rodriguez, Diya's model friend, and waitress who is the owner of Spooner's Malt Shop. She is also single mother raising her two sons Rico and Pedro. She loves them both the same and does not choose favorites with either of them, although she is more stern with Rico because of his age and level of maturity. She is depicted as Hispanic-American.
*TBA as Rico Rodriguez, the eldest son of Sophie, and older brother of Pedro. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School football team along with his best friends Chet and Jacques. He and Pedro have a love-hate relationship as he constantly disses him for not being "guy" enough. Sophie usually lectures him and orders him to apologize to his brother for damaging his self-esteem. In spite of their differences, he and Pedro love and respect each other deep down. He is currently in a relationship with Brenda who is a member of the school's cheerleading squad. He is depicted Hispanic–American.
*Carlos Alazraqui as Pedro Rodriguez, the youngest son of Sophie, and younger brother of Rico. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School marching band along with his best friends Seth, Omar, and Dandruff Tuba. His relationship with Rico is intense as Rico constantly mocks him for being the weaker brother or in his own words "not guy enough". Sophie usually goes to him during his times of despair and gives him words of encouragement to heal his wounds. Regardless of their differences, he and Rico love and respect each other sincerely. He is depicted as Hispanic–American.
*Jane Lynch as Donna Müller, Linda's best friend, who is a slightly incompetent detective at the Crystal Cove Police Station investigating Edna Perdue's death. She is also a single mother raising two sons Chet and Seth. She loves them both the same and does not play favorites with either of them, although she is more firm with Chet due to his age and level of maturity. She is depicted as German-American.
*TBA as Chet Müller, the eldest son of Donna, and older brother of Seth. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School football team along with his best friends Rico and Jacques. He and Seth have a wishy-washy relationship as he considers him a "nerd" due to his participation in their school's marching band. Donna usually reprimands him for it forcing him to lay off his brother. In spite of their differences, he and Seth love and support each other deep down. He is currently in a relationship with Krista who is a member of the school's cheerleading squad. He is depicted as German-American.
*TBA as Seth Müller, the youngest son of Donna, and younger brother of Chet. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School marching band along with his best friends Pedro, Omar, and Dandruff Tuba. His relationship with Chet is up-and-down as Chet considers him a "nerd" due to his interests in "less than manly activities" such as participating in their school's marching band. Donna usually comforts him and tells him not to let his brother's words stop him from doing what he loves. Regardless of their differences, he and Chet love and support each other sincerely. He is depicted as German-American.
*Wanda Sykes as Linda Beau, Donna's best friend, who shares her profession as a detective at the Crystal Cove Police Station. Like her and Sophie, she is also a single mother raising two sons. She loves both equally and does not pick favorites with either of them, although she is more strict with Jacques due to his age and level of maturity. She is depicted as African-American.
*Karl-Anthony Towns as Jacques Beau, the eldest son of Linda, and older brother of Omar. He is a handsome jock at Crystal Cove High School. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School football team along with his best friends Rico and Chet. He and Omar's relationship is the same as Rico and Pedro's but not extremely bitter. He picks on Omar much to his expense. He often considers him a "punk" due to his "soft" demeanor. Linda usually steps in and break both of them up before their fights escalate from verbal to physical with sound of her whistle which they both respond to immediately. They are then forced to make up soon after. In spite of their differences, he and Omar love and understand each other deep down. He is currently in a relationship with Gigi who is a member of the school's cheerleading squad. He is depicted as African-American.
*TBA as Omar Beau, the youngest son of Linda, and younger brother of Jacques. He is a member of the Crystal Cove High School marching band along with his best friends Seth, Pedro, and Dandruff Tuba. His relationship with Jacques is the same as Rico and Pedro's although not quite as bitter. He makes fun of him at his expense and calls him derogatory names such as "punk" and "soft". Linda usually steps in and break both of them up before their fights escalate from verbal to physical with sound of her whistle which they both respond to immediately. They are then forced to make up afterwards. Regardless of their differences, he and Jacques love and understand each other sincerely. He is depicted as African-American.
*Sam Richardson as Norville Rogers, Fred's best friend, and a student at Crystal Cove High School. He is a school news reporter, who frequently brings up how much he hates drugs. His mixed parents Lamont and Blythe are the guidance counselor and principal of Crystal Cove High School respectively. He is depicted as African-American and is exclusively referred to by his real first name instead of his familiar nickname, Shaggy. He also does not share the original Shaggy's cowardice, although his love of snacks remains.
*Gary Cole as Lamont Rogers, Norville's white father who works as a therapist and is Crystal Cove High's school counselor. He bears a resemblance to Shaggy's original design.
*Nicole Byer as Blythe Rogers, Norville's African-American mother and the principal of Crystal Cove High.
*TBA as Edna Perdue, Norville's grandmother from Blythe's side of the family and Lamont's mother-in-law. She was a doctor who was involved in a project known as S.C.O.O.B.I. (Special Covert Operation Brain Initiative). The reason behind her death remains mysterious.
*Glenn Howerton as Fred Jones, a popular but dimwitted 16-year-old boy, who is Norville's best friend as well as the heir to the Jones Gentlemen Accessories fashion line. He is in a strained relationship with his father William in terms of approval. The one that he has with his mother Victoria however is much more tranquil. He is a student at Crystal Cove High School along with Norville. He is the only original Mystery Inc. member depicted as primarily white, as in other Scooby-Doo media.
*Frank Welker as William Jones, Fred's father who has a strained relationship with him due to his incompetence. He often bickers with his wife Victoria about Fred should be raised causing their marriage to be bittersweet. Welker has voiced Fred since the character's inception in 1969.
*Cherry Jones as Victoria Jones, Fred's mother who is loving and supportive of Fred. She constantly tries to convince her husband William not to be so hard on their son and lower his expectations for him.
*TBA as Harry Meeting, Fred's grandfather from Victoria's side of the family and William's father-in-law. He was a general who was responsible for the creation of a project known as S.C.O.O.B.I. (Special Covert Operation Brain Initiative). The reason behind his death remains mysterious.
*TBA as Charles "Charlie" Stratford, a student at Crystal Cove High School and captain of the school's football team. He thinks highly of himself and bullies other boys that he believes don't fit his definition of "cool", notably the leader of the school's marching band Dandruff Tuba. He mostly hangs out with Rico, Chet, and Jacques whether they are on or off the field, although he is not very close with them as they are with each other. He is currently in a relationship with Olive who is the captain of the school's cheerleading squad. He is portrayed as Austrian-American.
*"Weird Al" Yankovic as Dandruff Tuba, a student at Crystal Cove High School and leader of the school's marching band which his best friends Pedro, Seth, and Omar are a part of. A running gag involves him frequently avoiding getting injured by Daphne and Velma's antics. He is depicted as Irish-American.
*TBA as Scott Ferguson, a student at Crystal Cove High School and member of the school's marching band. He occasionally socializes with Dandruff Tuba, Pedro, Seth, and Omar although he is not as close to them as they are with each other. He considers himself very unworthy due to his "awkward" appearance. He is depicted as Irish-American.
*Fortune Feimster as Olive, a popular girl, and captain of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School which her "BFFS" Gigi, Brenda, Becca, Kimmy, Krista, and Lola are a part of. She is also in a relationship with Charles Stratford who is the captain of the school's football team. She is depicted as Swedish-American.
*Yvonne Orji as Gigi, a cool girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School along with her "BFFS" Olive, Brenda, Becca, Kimmy, Krista, and Lola. She is also in a relationship with Jacques Beau who is a member of the school's football team. Her father Roscoe is a sergeant major of the Crystal Cove Army Base. She is depicted as African-American.
*Gary Anthony Williams as Roscoe, Gigi's father and sergeant major of the Crystal Cove Army Base. He often disapproves of her relationship with Jacques Beau as he considers him a "dreadlocked fool with no direction in his life". He is depicted as African-American.
*Shay Mitchell as Brenda, an attractive, popular girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School along with her "BFFS" Olive, Gigi, Becca, Kimmy, Krista, and Lola. She is also in a relationship with Rico who is a member of the school's football team. She is depicted Cuban-American.
*Natalia Del Riego as Becca, another attractive girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School along with her "BFFS" Olive, Gigi, Brenda, Kimmy, Krista, and Lola. She is also in a relationship with an unnamed boy who is a member of the school's football team. She is depicted as Brazilian-American.
*Tiana Camacho as Kimmy, another attractive girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School along with her "BFFS" Olive, Gigi, Brenda, Krista, and Lola. She is also in a relationship with an unnamed boy who is a member of the school's football team. She is depicted as Hawaiian-American.
*Debby Ryan as Krista, another attractive girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High School along with her "BFFS" Olive, Gigi, Brenda, Kimmy, and Lola. She is also in a relationship with Chet Müller who is a member of the school's football team. She is depicted as Russian-American.
*Kulap Vilaysack as Lola, another attractive girl, and member of the cheerleading squad at Crystal Cove High Schoolalong with her "BFFS" Olive, Gigi, Brenda, Kimmy, and Krista. She is also in a relationship with an unnamed boy who is a member of the school's football team. She is depicted as Italian-American.
*Jim Rash as Dave, the self-proclaimed "cool" mayor of Coolsville.
*Stephen Root as Sheriff Cogburn, the incompetent sheriff of Coolsville.
==Episodes==
==Season 1 (2023)==
#Daphne & Velma
#The Candy (Wo)man
#Daphne & Velma Kai
#Daphne & Velma Make a List
#Marching Band Sleepover
#The Sins of the Fathers and Some of the Mothers
#Fog Fest
#A Daphne & A Velma in the Woods
#Family (Wo)man
#The Brains of the Operation
==Season 2 (2024)==
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
#TBA
==Notes==
*The first episode was previewed at the New York Comic Con on October 6, 2022.
*The series was announced as being available to stream on demand on Foxtel in Australia from January 12, 2023, and on its Fox 8 channel three days later. While the Fox8 screening was as announced, the episode was not actually available to stream until January 13, 2023.
*This incarnation of Velma Dinkley is portrayed as being of Indian-American descent.
*This incarnation of Shaggy Rogers is portrayed as being of African-American descent.
*This incarnation of Daphne Blake is portrayed as being of Asian-American descent.
*This incarnation of Fred Jones is portrayed as being rich, spoiled, and entitled.
*This is the first cartoon in the Scooby-Doo franchise not to feature Scooby-Doo himself.
** What seems to be his buried skeleton appears in A Daphne And A Velma in the Woods.
*This is the second series of the Scooby-Doo franchise to not feature people disguised as monsters.
** The first series to have real monsters was The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo.
*This series was Hanna-Barbera's third adult project after The Flintstones and The Jetsons.
**It was also the first Scooby-Doo animated project to be aimed at adults.
**It was also created in celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Jetsons franchise.
Category:American animated television series
Category:Traditional animated
Category:Hanna-Barbera
Category:Warner Bros.
Category:Warner Bros. Animation
Category:HBO Max
Category:HBO Max Originals
Category:HBO Max Original Programming
Category:Scooby-Doo
Category:PG-13
Category:2023
Category:2024
Category:Ideas that could've happened