Jane The Virgin is an American satirical comedy-drama that aired on The CW from October 13, 2014, to July 21, 2019. Developed by Jennie Snyder Urman, the show is an adaptation of a Venezuelan telenovela, ‘Juana la Virgen,’ that Perla Farias created.
The show parodies common themes and situations in Latin American telenovelas.
Jane The Virgin had five seasons and one hundred episodes.
Cast
The show stars Gina Rodriguez in the titular role of Jane Gloriana Villanueva.
The ensemble cast includes Andrea Navedo as Jane’s mother Xiomara, Justin Baldoni as Rafael Solano, Yael Grobglas as Petra Solano, Ivonne Call as Jane’s grandmother Alba, Brett Dier as Michael Cordero Jr., Jaime Camil as Rogelio de la Vega and Elias Janssen as Mateo.
Premise
The series follows the life of Jane, a 23-year-old Venezuelan American virgin who gets pregnant after being accidentally inseminated.
The series set in Miami details the dramatic events in Jane’s life. Jane, who loves writing, is a hard-working woman who has vowed to save her virginity until marriage; she becomes pregnant when a doctor artificially inseminates her by mistake.
The baby’s father, Rafael, is a married man and the hotel’s new owner, where Jane also happens to work. Rafael was also Jane’s former teenage crush.
Jane faces the dilemma of whether to keep the baby or not when she gets to know that this is Rafael’s final frozen sample. Rafael saved his sperm samples as a cancer survivor, and this was his last chance to become a father.
With Jane not terminating the pregnancy, the show explores various plotlines like pregnancy and motherhood, her future professional career, and her biggest dilemma yet- to choose between Rafael and Michael.
As the series progresses, it explores the varied plotlines of the other characters. Some of the plots include health concerns, self-discovery, and immigration issues.
Reception
The debut season of Jane The Virgin received rave reviews from the critics, who applauded the show’s writing and Gina Rodriguez’s performance as Jane.
The show’s second season also received critical acclaim. The critics applauded the Season for its layered, humorous, and complex storytelling. Another critic stated that the series is deftly curated, envisioned, and edited along with being entertaining at the same time.
The popularity of the series prompted The CW to order a spin-off. Titled ‘Jane the Novela,’ the network canceled the series in May 2019.
Accolades
Along with the critical acclaim, Jane The Virgin also received several awards and award nominations.
Some of the most significant awards won by the series include the Golden Globe Awards, People’s Choice Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, and the Image Awards.
Jane The Virgin was nominated for the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy category at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. The same year, Gina Rodriquez won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
The series won a Peabody Award in 2014. The American Film Institute selected Jane The Virgin as one of the top 10 TV programs of 2014.