As a self-proclaimed book-obsessed individual, I feel that 2024 is the year of book-to-movie adaptations. I love these adaptations that Hollywood churns out, yet most fall short. That was until I came across “My Lady Jane,” one of Prime’s newest releases. Here is why “My Lady Jane” exceeds expectations and deserves so much more attention.
I literally fangirl everytime a new book becomes a new show, and after binge watching Netflix’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” I was on the hunt for something to scratch the next itch. That’s when Prime caught my attention with its new historical romance show, a genre which I feel is hard to get right ever since CW’s “Reign” ended.
Prime released this new book-to-movie adaption on July 27, 2024 and the social media attention hasn’t gone away since its release. The show loosely follows the life of Lady Jane Grey, the former queen of England known as the nine day queen, putting a feminist, comedic and fantasy spin on Grey’s tragic reign.
This show has amazing comedy that hits every mark without missing a beat. Comedy practically seeps out of the show’s frames with one liners from the crude narrator and tension heavy banter between the main love interests. It worked in time period accurate slang, my favorite being “ you numpty,” and modern dialogue effortlessly. Which granted lots of giggles and smiles while watching. The show is not labeled a period drama, which I heavily agree with, but it is heavily influenced by the time period and in every facet it works wonders.
In all honesty, this show was beautiful from its cinematography to wardrobe. And the book tropes included can make any book girly swoon. The enemies to lovers plot line between Jane and Guliford had me on the edge of my seat. Their relationship started out of forced proximity then blossomed into the most beautiful, undying romance. The show has revenge plots, a whole lot of fantasy magic and extra amounts of girlboss, that at times seem overwhelming, but in the end worked perfectly within the lens of the show.
I feel I cannot end this mini-review without talking about Jane herself, Emily Bader. She is a star, and I am so excited to see her next projects. She is an American actress, but from how good her English accent is I never would have guessed. Her portrayal of Jane blew her other co-stars, great as their performances are, out of the water. Bader’s chemistry on screen was unmatched, firmly cementing her as one of my favorite actresses. I can’t even describe how incredible Bader is, she was perfect for the role and I can’t imagine another actress having her level of commitment. Emily Bader is Jane Grey and Jane Grey is Emily Bader. Bader’s next project will also be a book adaptation, as she will play Poppy Wright in Emily Henry’s “People We Meet on Vacation.”
With all this being said, surprisingly “My Lady Jane” will not be getting a season two. I shouldn’t be surprised as I fear this is the case with lots of shows, but this show has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% and seems widely loved by the public. Prime’s reasoning for this was the show’s “failure to attract a wide audience or make Neilson’s top 10 streaming weekly,” according to Deadline. Outcries on social media began, and even George R.R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones, praised the show’s wit and plot lines.
This cancellation brings up the question of what a successful show looks like for streaming platforms. From my eyes, “My Lady Jane” was more than successful and I would love to see how showrunners figure out a new season since the historical source material is practically gone. A season 2 could go in any direction in this alternate universe where Jane Grey survives execution. This calls for new success metrics for this new era of media consumption as traditional ways of success are no longer applicable for streaming. Ultimately, the cancellation shows how out of touch streaming platforms are with audiences, as the outcry on social media has started online petitions for the show’s season two.
Who knows if “My Lady Jane” will get another season on Prime, but I strongly suggest everyone should watch it so they can experience its hilarious immersion into an alternate life of Lady Jane Grey. It genuinely is a great show and you will not be disappointed. In my book, “My Lady Jane” has cemented itself into my top tv shows of 2024.