My Lady Jane
By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Comedic re-imagining of Tudor tale has sex, swearing, booze.
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My Lady Jane
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Based on 12 parent reviews
NOT Correct rating!
Terrible
As a long time fan of the book, this was extremely disappointing. Whereas the book is blissfully free of harsh language and sex, making it a perfect choice for its target audience, within the first five minutes of Episode 1 we are inundated by constant swearing and sexual situations COMPLETELY inappropriate for the books target audience. I couldn’t watch past Episode 2 and am amazed that this disgrace of a television show shares the same name as the book. If you are not a fan of the book and are looking for a funny bridgerton esque romp then this could be for you, but for anyone interested who loved the book BEWARE! I think that it is very harmful to remove a story so completely from its original target demographic and I hope that no young teens make the mistake of viewing this thinking that they will get a story remotely similar to that of the book.
What's the Story?
MY LADY JANE is a playful re-imagining of the true story of England's Lady Jane Grey, who ruled as queen for a mere nine days after the death of her cousin, King Edward VI, in 1553. In reality, the 17-year-old Jane was executed by Edward's half-sister Mary, who then took the throne. This British series fantasizes about what may have happened if Jane wasn't killed, and if she'd had a chance to rule. There's still unrest from various political factions, however, which Jane needs to navigate while adjusting to the quickie marriage she's been forced into by her social-climbing mother, Lady Frances. And if that isn't enough, this version of reality is also populated by people known as "Ethians" who can shapeshift into animals; they're feared and discriminated against by the everyday humans (called "Verity"). Can Jane bring her countrymen together in peace, and find happiness in her own life too?
Is It Any Good?
While it certainly doesn't lack energy or creativity, this series sometimes goes overboard on the "irreverence" (we get it, the narrator loves F-bombs) in a way that seems desperate. My Lady Jane is the latest re-imagined period piece (see also The Buccaneers) to combine corset-heavy costume drama with anachronistic music choices (we hear Portishead, Led Zeppelin, and Kate Nash). Reminiscent of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, it's amusing here and there but can also be heavy-handed.
All of this plus the concept of a parallel-reality Lady Jane escaping execution (and seeing what comes after) would have been entertaining enough; it feels like overkill that the show also adds fantastical elements like shape-shifting maids who turn into hawks. But if you can hang with the slightly-too-much vibes, there are charming performances and fun twists that make it worth your time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's concept of re-imagining past events from history. Can you think of any other historical figures or events that could be entertaining if revamped in this manner?
The show's narration is bursting with profanity. Would the series still be funny without it? Does the constant swearing add to or take away from the story being told?
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 27, 2024
- Cast: Emily Bader , Edward Bluemel , Jordan Peters , Anna Chancellor
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: June 28, 2024
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