The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl ‘s Issa Rae pitched a series to HBO back in 2013, and according to Deadline, the pilot was “well received internally.” Now, the network has decided to give the show — titled Insecure — a series order. Insecure, which Rae created and wrote with Larry Wilmore, is a half-hour comedy centered around two “modern-day African-American women and their uncomfortable experiences and racy tribulations.”
Rae will play a character whose name — Issa Dee — is suggestive of a variation of herself (though she works for an education nonprofit), and Yvonne Orji will play her best friend Molly — who’s allegedly winning professionally but having a harder time romantically. Meanwhile, Issa’s boyfriend is Molly’s seeming opposite — he’s in a long term relationship, but is depressed and unemployed. (He’ll be played by Jay Ellis). And Lisa Joyce — who just landed the lead role in Lena Dunham’s upcoming series about the second wave feminist movement, Max — will play Frieda, Issa’s colleague.
Brooklyn Nine Nine producer Prentice Penny will be the showrunner, while Rae will co-executive produce, and Wilmore will be a consultant.