‘Betty’: Women Shred Skateparks And Stereotypes In New HBO Series Inspired By 'Skate Kitchen'

In 2018, the indie flick “Skate Kitchen” was released, inspired by the true story of a group of female friends pursuing their passion for skateboarding in a male-dominated space. Not only does it display the exuberance and fun of finding common ground with others, but it echoes timely sentiments expressed in the sports world and beyond. Now, the stars of the film are set to kickflip and ollie their way onto the small screen, as “Betty” prepares to debut on HBO.

The series and its cinematic predecessor are both the brainchild of producer, writer, and director Crystal Moselle. Both also take place in New York City, a setting with which Moselle is quite familiar. Her debut film “The Wolfpack” is a documentary that chronicles the members of one Manhattan family breaking free from the confinement of their apartment and taking in the outside world. Lesley Arfin (“Girls” & “Brooklyn Nine-Nine) joins Moselle as co-writer on the show.

As stated, the entire crew is back to rip it up once again on the streets of the Big Apple. Rachelle Vinberg and Nina Moran—who portray Camille and Kurt respectively in “Skate Kitchen”—unexpectedly bumped into Moselle one day in NYC, and their chance encounter proved to be the catalyst behind these collaborations. Moonbear, Dede Lovelace, and Ajani Russell fill out the rest of the lineup.

Here’s the synopsis:

Opinionated and loyal, Janay (Lovelace) is strong willed and stubborn in ways that both help and hurt her. Honeybear (Moonbear) is a quiet storm. Her flagrant style is a ruse; an armor she wears to hide her emotional struggles. Kirt (Moran) is a lover (to the ladies), a fighter (to the rest of the world), and a little kid in the body of a woman. She’s the funniest person alive, but even if she knew it, she wouldn’t care. Meanwhile, Indigo (Russell) is a street-savvy hustler trapped in the body of a well-to-do art school drop-out. On the edge of the group is Camille (Vinberg), guarded, perceptive, intelligent and awkward. She wants to be down with the dudes in the skate park and has fought hard for the small space she’s carved out with them, but she needs to realize that cool points don’t actually add up to the sum of anything, especially in the eyes of the other girls.

“Betty” and its six episodes plan to premiere on HBO on May 1. Check out a first look at the series below and watch the judgments come grinding to a halt.