Gina Rodriguez
Andrea Navedo
Yael Grobgias
Justin Baldoni
Ivonne Coll
Brett Dier
Jaime Camil

Developed by:
Jennie Snyder Urman

2014-
Comedy, Drama, Romance
The CW
TV-14

“Jane the Virgin” is about a 23-year-old woman who finds herself living in a real-life version of a telenovela. As the title says, she’s a virgin … who’s accidentally artificially inseminated and, as a result, gets pregnant. Uh oh.

This is a likable dramedy that seems fresh. It’s a modern-day fairy tale (the pilot’s title is “Chapter 1”) that uses the classic telenovela structure to provide a twist on that genre. While the pilot could’ve been punchier, it has a nice sense of self. This show would work for both younger and older viewers, perhaps not too young nor too old, though.

While “Jane the Virgin” takes the form of a telenovela (with a wink), the acting is solid; it’s not overdone. Also, the writing is pretty good. Things will need to be developed very carefully in order to straddle the line between being fun to watch and being taken as a joke. The pilot straddles that line effectively; I was willing to go along with the preposterous premise and take it seriously, but not too seriously, of course.

“Jane the Virgin” shows promise. …

The next two episodes continue what was started by the pilot. This is certainly a good show, but it’s not for me: The pace lags a bit. It’s a minor thing that can make a huge difference. If things zipped by a bit more, I would be willing to continue watching. Nevertheless, “Jane the Virgin” is polished and cute enough to work for its audience.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: janethev)

When Jane Villanueva was a young girl, her grandmother, Alba, convinced her of two things: telenovelas are the highest form of entertainment, and women must protect their virginity at all costs.  Now age 23, Jane is a driven young woman studying to become a teacher, nursing a dream to be a writer, and supporting herself with a job at a hot new Miami hotel.

Despite the conflicting influences of her mother and grandmother, Jane has managed to find a wonderful fiancé: a handsome, hard-working detective named Michael, who loves her enough to accept her detailed timeline for their future together and even her insistence on “saving herself” until they’re married.  All of Jane’s meticulous life plans are turned upside down, however, when she sees her doctor for a routine check-up and is accidentally artificially inseminated with a specimen meant for the patient in the next room.  Unbeknownst to her, the specimen belongs to Rafael, a reformed playboy and cancer survivor, who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works but also a former summer crush of hers.