New to Neon in May

Next month Sky’s streaming service Neon will premiere the queer skateboarding drama Betty.

A six-part series spun off the 2018 girl-gang movie Skate Kitchen starring Jaden Smith, it’s been dubbed “Euphoria meets Rocket Power” by Teen Vogue:

Betty continues the work of the film, and as the first full trailer shows, Betty brings back Skate Kitchen stars Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell, and Rachelle Vinberg. According to the show’s official synopsis, “A diverse group of young women navigate their lives through the male-dominated world of skateboarding in New York City.”

According to The AV Club, writer/director Crystal Moselle has “managed to harness the charm of her festival darling … broadening the focus of its source material — which previously zeroed in on the growing pains of 18-year-old Camille (Rachelle Vinberg) — and delving deeper into the lives of the rest of the squad.

“With each character allowed the space for their own personal journeys, Betty nicely expands the Skate Kitchen universe with a dramedy that is an authentic and endearing look at sisterhood and the trials of burgeoning adulthood.”

Betty will stream from May 2.

Neon’s also picked up Hulu’s The Great (May 18), which is billed as a “satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history”.

It’s from the writer of The Favourite, Tony McNamara, and stars Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult and Douglas Hodge.

Other highlights for May include season five of Billions (May 4), the return of Seinfeld and a bunch of BBC wildlife docos.

Here’s the full list of TV and movie premieres: