By Robert T. Wood
“Jane the Virgin could well come to be known as the Great American telenovela“
From the Big Apple to the City of Angels, and everywhere in between, The CW’s Jane the Virgin has emerged as a spectacular hit with television critics beginning in 2014 when it premiered. Proving to be a favorite among critics and audiences alike, it was renewed for a full season only three episodes into its inaugural run. Recently the CW gave the show a major shot in the arm with its 2nd season order of 22 more episodes.
Last week Jane the Virgin its awards season streak with a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy and was also honored at the American Film Institute Awards luncheon as part of America’s finest in film and television. Its two Golden Globe nominations, a first for the CW as the show was nominated for Best Series- Musical or Comedy and its lead actress Gina Rodriguez won for Best Actress in a Television Series- Musical or Comedy.
However, it was never more clear, that not only does the CW have a hit on its hand, its star, Gina Rodriguez has made history, picking her first Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Golden Globe award and the first EVER Golden Globe award for the CW.
Adapted from a Venezuelan telenovela, Juana la Virgen, the show’s unusual premise centers on a young woman’s struggles with life, love, and accidental artificial insemination. Jane the Virgin‘s is part of a trend of telenovela adaptations aimed at English- speaking audiences in the United States, which some say began with ABC’s Ugly Betty.
Jane is a waitress, studying to be a teacher, who really wants to be a writer. Her mother Xiomara juggles the role of mother, dancer, and aspiring singer while her grandmother Alba reconciles her traditionalist Catholic worldview within a swiftly changing society. Her detective fiancé Michael is cool to the changes in Jane’s life and hot on the trail of the sinister crime baron Sin Rostro. Rafael is the tall, dark-haired and handsome dauphin whose wife Petra plays the role of the steely-eyed femme fatale. And Rogelio, a smooth, flashy telenovela superstar, is the father who Jane has just met.
(L-R) Justin Baldoni, Ivonne Coll, Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Naveda, Brett Dier
What makes Jane so fetching, are performances of the ensemble cast headlined by Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Naveda (Jane’s mom), Ivonne Coll (Jane’s Grandmother), Justin Baldoni (as Rafael, Janes love interest) and Jaime Camil who plays Jane’s estranged father. The show also features a vast variety of international stars including and a increasing slate such as Latin music icon Juanes and Paulina Rubio as guest stars. Beyond the wonderful performances, the allure could also be the “out of the box” style that can only be credited to executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman. There are the comical captions and smartly-designed smartphone texts that adorn the new novela’s fourth wall; The catchy clap-and-drum theme during tense moments of drama; the speaking inanimate objects and or course there is the suave, sardonic narration provided by Anthony Mendez. All of these elements allow Jane the Virgin‘s narrative format to be appealing and accessible to twenty-first century audiences from a multitude of cultures and generations.
Jane the Virgin returns to the small screen on January 19 with new episodes. If viewers continue to become interested in the weekly exploits of Jane Gloriana Villanueva, Jane the Virgin could well come to be known as the Great American telenovela.
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