Betty (TV series)
2020 American teen comedy television series
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Betty is an American teen comedy television series created by Crystal Moselle. The series is based on Moselle's 2018 feature film Skate Kitchen, which was in turn based on her 2016 short film That One Day. It includes most of the cast of the original feature film, and focuses on the Gen Z all-girl group's efforts to stand out in New York's predominantly male world of skateboarding. The series premiered on HBO on May 1, 2020.[2] In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on June 11, 2021.[3][4] In August 2021, the series was canceled after two seasons.[5]
| Betty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Teen comedy[1] |
| Created by | Crystal Moselle |
| Based on | |
| Directed by | Crystal Moselle |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Aska Matsumiya |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | Jackson Hunt |
| Editors |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 29–31 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | May 1, 2020 – July 16, 2021 |
Betty received positive critical reception, and was nominated for a Gotham Award for Shortform Breakthrough Series.[6][2][7]
Plot
Betty follows "a tight-knit group of girl skaters and follows their everyday lives as they navigate the male-dominated world of skateboarding. The title comes from the derogatory nickname sometimes thrown at them by men."[8]
Cast
Main
- Dede Lovelace as Janay,[9] a bold vlogger
- Kabrina Adams as Honeybear,[9] a shy aspiring filmmaker
- Nina Moran as Kirt,[9] a flirtatious ladykiller and a "lovable stoner"[10]
- Ajani Russell as Indigo,[9] a low-level weed dealer from a wealthy family
- Rachelle Vinberg as Camille,[9] a serious skater who tries to fit in with the male skaters
Recurring
- Caleb Eberhardt as Donald (season 1)
- Edmund Donovan as Bambi (season 1)
- Katerina Tannenbaum as Ash
- Reza Nader as Farouk
- Alexander Cooper as Charlie
- CJ Ortiz as Luis
- Brenn Lorenzo as Ceila (season 1)
- Jules Lorenzo as Yvette (season 1)
- Raekwon Haynes as Philip
- Karim Callender Abdul as Dante (season 1)
- Noa Fisher as Peachy (season 1)
- Kai Espion Monroe as Kai (season 1)
- Lil Dre as Tai
- Andrew Darnell as Sylvester
- Roblé Ali as Jzabel
- Isabel Palma as Shelby
- Rad Pereira as Victoria
- Moises Acevedo as Micah
Guest
- Ben Sinclair as Biker ("Ladies on Fire")
- Tony Hawk as Skater ("Ladies on Fire")
- Amy Sedaris as Woman on Trail ("Sweet Tooth")
- Gina Gershon as Oracle ("Sweet Tooth")
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Key Party" | Crystal Moselle | Crystal Moselle & Lesley Arfin | May 1, 2020 | 0.158[11] |
| 2 | 2 | "Zen and the Art of Skateboarding" | Crystal Moselle | Patricia Breen | May 8, 2020 | 0.172[12] |
| 3 | 3 | "Happy Birthday, Tyler" | Crystal Moselle | Moshe Kasher | May 15, 2020 | 0.048[13] |
| 4 | 4 | "The Tombs" | Crystal Moselle | Britta Lundin | May 22, 2020 | 0.192[14] |
| 5 | 5 | "Perstephanie" | Crystal Moselle | Naima Ramos-Chapman & Veronica Rodriguez | May 29, 2020 | 0.148[15] |
| 6 | 6 | "Ladies on Fire" | Crystal Moselle | Lesley Arfin | June 5, 2020 | 0.172[16] |
Season 2 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Octopussy" | Crystal Moselle | Moshe Kasher | June 11, 2021[a] | N/A |
| 8 | 2 | "Blue Is the Warmest Threesome" | Crystal Moselle | Ben Snyder | June 18, 2021 | N/A |
| 9 | 3 | "Sugar We're Going Down, Swinging" | Crystal Moselle | Wally Baram & Aida Osman | June 25, 2021 | N/A |
| 10 | 4 | "Sweet Tooth" | Crystal Moselle | Crystal Moselle & Rachelle Vinberg | July 2, 2021 | N/A |
| 11 | 5 | "Good Luck with That" | Crystal Moselle | Naima Ramos-Chapman | July 9, 2021 | N/A |
| 12 | 6 | "The Let Down" | Crystal Moselle | Sabaah Folayan | July 16, 2021 | N/A |
Production
Development
On August 14, 2019, it was reported that HBO had given Betty a series order consisting of six episodes. The series is created, directed, executive produced by Crystal Moselle who also co-wrote and directed Skate Kitchen. The series is a spinoff of the film and features many of the same actors, with some tweaks to various storylines.[8] Lesley Arfin, Igor Srubshchik Jason Weinberg were executive producers alongside Moselle. Production companies involved with the series are Untitled Entertainment, A Dreamy Crystal Moselle Sequence, and Arfin Material.[18]
The series premiered on May 1, 2020.[2] On June 18, 2020, HBO renewed the series for a second season which premiered on June 11, 2021.[3][4] On August 24, 2021, HBO canceled the series after two seasons.[5]
Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Rachelle Vinberg, Nina Moran, Moonbear, Dede Lovelace, and Ajani Russell would reprise their roles from Skate Kitchen as series regulars.[18] As with the film, the actors play fictionalized versions of themselves.[8]
Filming
The series was filmed on-location in New York City.[2] The show has no sets.[19]
Reception
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 97% based on 30 reviews, with an average rating of 7.15/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Earnest, audacious, and effortlessly cool, Betty captures the spirit of skating and friendship with style."[20] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Betty was noted by Vogue for depicting the friendships of women, several of them queer or of color, "in a naturalistic way."[22] Ashlie D. Stevens wrote of the series in Salon, ""Betty" isn't fast-paced or bursting with dramatic turns, but therein lies its appeal. This is a show that is about watching a new generation of women empower themselves and the women around them, seemingly in real time."[10] Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times noted while "there is no nudity, that old HBO staple", that a strength of the show is "its main themes are friendship, self-knowledge, identity, equality and freedom...It feels innocent, which is not to say naive. And it is appropriately, almost casually exhilarating."[19]
The New York Times and Time named the first season to end-of-year "best new series" lists.[23][24]
The second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.[25] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]
Ratings
Season 1
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Key Party" | May 1, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.158[11] |
| 2 | "Zen and the Art of Skateboarding" | May 8, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.172[12] |
| 3 | "Happy Birthday, Tyler" | May 15, 2020 | 0.01 | 0.048[13] |
| 4 | "The Tombs" | May 22, 2020 | 0.03 | 0.192[14] |
| 5 | "Perstephanie" | May 28, 2020 | 0.02 | 0.148[15] |
| 6 | "Ladies on Fire" | June 5, 2020 | 0.04 | 0.172[16] |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | 2020 | Breakthrough Series – Short Form | Crystal Moselle, Lesley Arfin, Igor Srubshchik and Jason Weinberg | Nominated | [27] |
