Beyond all of the flaws that viewers and critics have already commented on, Velma just isn’t funny. The jokes don’t land, and probably 90% of the jokes are niche insults to very specific groups of people. I watched both episodes all of the way through, and I only laughed once (at the way Glenn Howerton says “Bathies!”).
I’d say that at its core, this show doesn’t work because the writers and creators very clearly resent Scooby Doo, and probably all animation. IP only works if the person making the IP has a respect and love for the original.
SBTB is a great example, because even though it was a parody and satire that heavily critiqued, teased, and called out the original show, there was an underlying love there. The show gave Slater and Jessie another shot at love while also having them grow individually in their respective arcs. Kelly decided to go to med school. Zack confronted his flaws and changed to support Mac. Screech got a beautiful tribute. And Lisa, although she deserved more screen time, was shown to be successful and living well.
Fans are smart. We pay attention to the little details and catch onto the nuances. We can tell if the people making the IP resent and disregard the original material, if they ever even watched it at all. And Velma is about as subtle as a chainsaw to the head.
