Is This Spicy and Scandalous New Show the Next ‘Bridgerton’? Here’s Why the Royal Comedy Is a Must-Watch

The pomp, the pageantry, the costumes—it’s all there. But so is a feminist portrayal of a woman hellbent on bucking royal tradition and carving her own path (in Jane’s case, she’d love to write an anthology of herbal remedies to common medicinal woes). Still, Jane’s fate to marry seems sealed, which includes a betrothal to Guildford Dudley (played by Edward Bluemel), which has been mapped out by parents on both sides with ulterior motives—mainly, a path to the throne, where Jane’s cousin currently sits.

Cue the plot twist in this modern re-telling of Tudor times: Per Jane, marriage is the last thing she plans to do, but her husband-to-be turns out to be equal parts dashing and dastardly. Could this royal romance turn out to be a love match? (Feels like something Lady Whistledown might narrate, no?)

Yes, you’ve got newcomers such as Bader and Bluemel (who, BTW, has stood out in bit parts in series like Sex Education and Killing Eve). But there are also a few familiar faces who share the screen—Dominic Cooper plays the devious Lord Seymour, who may or may not be secretly poisoning the king. There’s also Kate O’Flynn—formerly of Bridget Jones’s Baby and Happy Go Lucky—who steps into the shoes of Princess Mary (ahem, the future Mary, Queen of Scots) and Jim Broadbent, who plays the Duke of Leicester (oof, no spoilers, but beware his feet). Together, they deliver performances that are equal parts dramatic, spicy and full of comic relief. 

My prediction? Judging by the uproarious applause following the screening at the Tribeca Film Fest, My Lady Jane is set to be a hit. But its tone and decision to modify history and serve up a female-forward (albeit fictional) revision to the facts is what makes it such a stand-out. In other words, instead of life happening to Jane, Jane happens to life. Her character is in the driver’s seat of this series, making every desperate effort to chart her own course.

This follows a growing trend of rewriting the narrative for female characters after history seemingly fails to do them justice. (Hello, Dickinson, but even shows like Bridgerton or The Crown to some degree.)

Did we mention part of the My Lady Jane plot centers around people that can shape-shift into animals—a detail that sparks political turmoil in the kingdom?

Truly, this is a series you won’t want to miss.

My Lady Jane is on Prime Video as of June 27.

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