Chapter 09
Those of you that read the tabloids will know that I have a reputation for having a temper. You may also have read that my temper displays itself in what those same tabloids describe as 'Velma Rants'. I am telling you this since this is entirely true. And hold onto your beer because you are about to experience one and it may be a bumpy ride.
Fans of the old show (and why would you be reading this if you weren't) probably have noticed that the episode from the show named "A Clue for Scooby Doo" which is based on this mystery wasn't very much like the real case. With the exception of the scene at the diner and the original scene with Mrs. Cutler, there was almost none of the original footage used.
That is because Clive Matthews, who was the network executive in charge of our show, is the worst human being alive. He is someone who I loathe and my hatred of him started during the filming of that episode. This occurred over a year after the events themselves and after the network (the publisher's lawyers tell me that I can't mention the network by name but I'll give you a hint: Charlie, Bravo, Sierra. If you don't get it, ask a friend in the military) bought the rights to our stories and concept.
We were doing the screening of the original YouTube videos to kick off the writing and editing for the second episode of the show when we got to the scene where we went out on Daphne's boat. In that scene, we were all wearing swimming suits. There was a point where I was in the shot from head to toe.
Matthews loudly whispered so that everyone in the room could hear. "She looks like a baby whale. I'm not putting that on television."
Three days later, we received a massive re-write. It included the opening scene where we were all going down to the Rocky Point beach for a beach party. That never happened.
I was so angry and embarrassed that I refused to participate and they had to threaten to sue me to get me to do the few seconds of screen time I got in that scene. Fred and Daphne were both supposed to be in skimpy swim suits but Daphne refused in solidarity with me (we were closer then) and Fred then refused because he thought he would look stupid if he was the only one in a suit.
The re-write also included the insipid 'graveyard of ships' nonsense as if there was such a place near Chrystal Cove. They put us in diving suits for that scene which was filmed in a large swimming pool with green sides at the studio in California. My diving suit turned out to be specially made and was reinforced around my waist and hips to act like a girdle and force a fake figure on me. Swimming in that suit was harder than running in those ridiculous Mary Jane shoes.
It only got worse when we found out that our contract allowed them to create scripted episodes which were completely fiction and filmed in studio. The third episode of the first season about the evil magician hiding on the 1600's pirate castle was the first one of those. Its easy to tell since nothing about that episode made sense. It was contrived, poorly written, poorly edited (since I refused to edit that one) and is generally considered the worst show of the first season.
Other than that, I won't be discussing it.
In case you haven't followed, the network (who shall not be named) is a den of evil and Clive Matthews is Satan.
Yes, I know that I'm playing chronological leap frog with the story here but, like I said at the beginning of all this, it's my memoir and I already have your money. So, deal.
Velma out.