Head’s up for your new favourite TV show guys! Yep we know there’s a whole lot going on TV-wise ATM with the return of Mad Men, and the start of Empire and Broad City but please do, if you can, clear a little slot in your ever-so-busy schedule to watch Jane The Virgin.
The show only started in America back in October of last year and since then it’s blown up. Gina Rodriguez (who plays Jane) won a Golden Globe, and the show was nominated for best television series after only nine episodes airing. And now it’s coming to the UK.
Here’s why you need to watch it...
The ridiculous premise somehow works
Many people raised their eyebrows when they first heard about this show. What basically happens is that Jane, a 23 year old Latina girl living in Miami is a virgin. She’s got a fiancé, she’s going to university, she’s planned her whole life out down to a T. All of which is fine and dandy until her doctor accidentally inseminates her with her boss’s sperm and she ends up pregnant. Without ever having had sex.
Erm what? Yep. That’s not even close to how mad things get. Her boss Rafael (who’s baby she’s now pregnant with) owns the fancy hotel she works at and is an international playboy and coincidentally, the guy she fancied when she was a teenager. Also, her fiancé, a policeman, is investigating some shady goings on at the hotel involving Rafael’s evil wife Petra. Also, the doctor who inseminated Jane is Rafael’s sister. Also, her absent father turns out to be an international celebrity for his role in Jane’s favourite telenovela (Latino soap opera). Trust us, it totally makes sense when you watch it.
Gina Rodriguez as Jane is GREAT.
She’s super cute, really sweet but with just the right amount of gumption and moxy to stop her from being too sugary. She basically your new dream TV BFF. The kind of girl you’d really like to hang out with. Gina was also in one episode of the TV version of 10 Things I Hate About You TV show which we had no idea was a thing. If you’re still not convinced then check out her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes below. YOU CAN AND YOU DID GINA, and now I’m crying.
The show’s breaking boundaries
In the same way that *Empire’*s been praised for creating mainstream roles for black actors, Jane The Virgin has done the same for Latino actors, a demographic that makes up easily 17% of the US population who, ATM don’t enjoy enough lead roles on TV. Seems like 2015 is finally the year that TV's going to start reflecting the real population.
Also, Jane’s mum is the best
Think Sofia Vergara in Modern Family with a crappy singing career and shorter skirts. Xo is the mum you’d have spent your teenage years cringing over as she flirted with your boyfriends and made herself the centre of attention at your parties… if she didn’t do everything in her power to make your life better, at whatever sacrifice that meant to her. She’s great. In fact, all the women in the show are. Apart from silly Petra. Whereas the men? All a bit silly really. Girl power.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
The Simpsons Does Girls And Lena's Gonna Steal Homer From Marge
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.