YouTube Announces New Series ‘Defying Gravity’ Premiere Date + Trailer

YouTube Originals Debuts Official Trailer for ‘Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics’

Partnering with Glamour, this six-part series will premiere Monday, September 21 on Glamour’s official YouTube channel.

Today YouTube Originals unveiled the official trailer for “Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics” – a brand-new documentary series from Emmy-winning Main Event Media (United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell), an All3Media America company, and Five All in the Fifth Entertainment (LANCE), that explores what it takes to be an Elite gymnast, through the voices of its greatest champions. Partnering with Glamour, this 6-part series will premiere Monday, September 21 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET on Glamour’s official YouTube channel.

Exploring the events and milestones, hopefuls and icons, heartbreaks and triumphs of the sport, each episode of “Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics” raises questions on the most challenging and thrilling aspects of gymnastics. How do athletes preserve their passion, confidence, and voice in a sport that pushes them beyond their limits? How do gymnasts maintain their mental toughness and laser focus while contending with all the external pressures placed upon them? And in an era of difficulty-dominant scoring, how do athletes stay unafraid of their own power? The documentary series examines these sport-specific subjects, while going in-depth on the broader themes of self-expression and resilience. In addition, the series does not shy away from the darker aspects of the sport, showing how gymnasts overcome body image issues, ageism, and abuse. Episode 5 of the series features survivors describing the sport’s culture of abuse and explaining how they’re using their voices and the life skills that gymnastics taught them to reclaim their beloved sport.

“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my directing career to be able to share the stories of so many incredible women in the sport of gymnastics,” said series director Bess Kargman. “‘Defying Gravity’ spotlights the fierce passion, courage and tenacity of so many inspiring athletes – including Nadia Comaneci, Laurie Hernandez, Katelyn Ohashi, Aly Raisman and so many more. I am elated the world will soon get to learn more about their powerful stories.”

“Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics” features 2021 Team USA hopefuls Jade Carey, Olivia Greaves, Morgan Hurd, Sunisa Lee, Grace McCallum, Riley McCusker, MyKayla Skinner, Trinity Thomas, and Laurie Hernandez; plus appearances and featured stories from numerous gymnastics icons, including Vanessa Atler, Mohini Bhardwaj, Ellie Black, Svetlana Boginskaya, Amanda Borden, Oksana Chusovitina, Kathy Johnson Clarke, Nadia Comaneci, Jamie Dantzscher, Coline Devillard, Becky Downie, Nellie Kim, Madison Kocian, Olga Korbut, Phoebe Mills, Dominique Moceanu, Katelyn Ohashi, Betty Okino, Carly Patterson, Samantha Peszek, Aly Raisman, Cathy Rigby, Kyla Ross, Daniela Silivas, Bridget Sloan, Tracee Talavera, and Jordyn Wieber.

Episodes will premiere free with ads each week and YouTube Premium subscribers will have access to binge all 6 episodes beginning September 21 before non-Premium subscribers. Fans can sign up for YouTube Premium to get early access to all episodes and watch the series ad-free.

“Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics” is produced by Main Event Media, All3Media America, and Five All in the Fifth Entertainment. The series is directed by Bess Kargman (First Position, Coach) and by Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel, The Lion’s Mouth Opens), who also serve as executive producers alongside Jimmy Fox for Main Event Media and Alex Garinger and Douglas Banker for Five All in the Fifth Entertainment, with April Smith and Julian Cautherley serving as co-executive producers. Susanne Daniels is Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. Nadine Zylstra, Head of Learning and Impact for YouTube Originals, along with Ian Roth on the Learning and Impact Development team oversee the series.