Reason behind Scooby-Doo's absence from Mindy Kaling's 'Velma' revealed

Mindy Kaling's Velma seemingly hurt Scooby-Doo fans after it was revealed that the all-time favourite goofy dog won't be featuring in the upcoming adult comedy.

During an interview with Polygon, the showrunner Charlie Grandy explained the absence of a brown-spotted Great Dane, "What made Scooby-Doo a kid show is Scooby-Doo," Grandy added.

"We couldn't have a take on it, like how can we do this in a fun and modern way. [Our efforts] coincided with Warner Bros. Animation saying we can't use the dog!"

The Velma's showrunner justifies the omission of the iconic character of Scooby-Do to differentiate it from the adult tone of the show.

Moreover, Velma's creators reimagined the role of the brains of the gang as being of South Asian descent because "most Indian American [women], when they see a skeptical, hardworking, underappreciated character, they can identify with her. This show is for them."

Daphne and Shaggy have also been cast as East Asian and Black because "no one on [Scooby-Doo] is defined by their whiteness," said Kaling — "except Fred is extremely white."

The original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! debuted in 1969 on CBS. Velma and co-gang have undergone various avatars, from cartoons to live-action movies to video games.