Scooby-Doo’s brains — Velma — gets her own show on HBO

HBO has greenlit Velma, an “adult, animated comedy series” exploring the origins of the Scooby-Doo gang’s top sleuth. Mindy Kaling will voice the title character, in a series following Velma Dinkley from her meddling childhood to crime busting fame, as she and the gang unmask land swindlers and insurance fraudsters.

A news release from HBO on Wednesday touted Velma as “the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery, Inc. gang.” From 1969 to 1976, Velma was the pivotal member of a freelance investigative force comprising cannabis enthusiast Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, swingers Daphne Blake and Fred Jones, and their anthropomorphic great dane, Scooby-Doo.

Velma Dinkley has since appeared in several adaptations, including two live-action features written by James Gunn in 2002 and 2005 (with Linda Cardellini in the role). Fans will also recall the 2010-13 Cartoon Network series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated in which Velma was portrayed by fellow 1980s TV icon Mindy Cohn (Natalie on The Facts of Life). That series is currently streaming on Netflix.