Summer is nearly over and, with that, comes this additional blow: Prime Video just cancelled one of the most bingeable series to drop this summer, My Lady Jane.
My Favorite New Show Just Got Canceled After One Season—But It’s 100 Percent Still Worth the Watch
I doth protest!
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Published Aug 19, 2024
Jonathan Prime/Prime Video
If you’ve been following my reporting, you’ll know that I was a big fan of the historical comedy, which followed—and cleverly rewrote—the life trajectory of Lady Jane Grey, who in the mid-1500s was named Queen of England...for nine days. (After that, she was tragically beheaded.) As the first episode narrates, “Actually...f*ck that. We’re retelling history the way it should have happened: the damsel in distress saves herself.” Critics agreed the show was a hit with its Rotten Tomatoes score coming in at 94 percent for the premiere season.
So, what gives? Variety suggests that the show struggled to find a wider audience despite comparisons to other runaway hits—say, The Great—which also feature bold (and funny!) female characters focused on rewriting their legacy.
Jonathan Prime/Prime Video
In my case, I was hooked after the first episode, catching a sneak peek at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City with an audience that laughed uproariously and cheered for the main stars, which include Emily Bader as Jane, Edward Bluemel as her love interest Lord Guildford and Dominic Cooper as Lord Seymour, a scheming underling. There were epic costumes (it is a Tudor-era show), twists and turns (the Ethians!) and real live animals (except for the bear, omg). The series felt like all the best parts of The Princess Bride, Bridgerton and—I agree with Variety—The Great, combined. (FYI, it’s based on the book with the same name, written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows.)
Jonathan Prime/Prime Video
Will it be back? Picked up by another streamer or network? Fingers crossed! I’ve certainly noticed more than a few shocked and disappointed fans launching online movements to #SaveLadyJane. We also know that series creator Gemma Burgess had a clear vision for a second season. No spoilers here, but let’s just say I was eager to follow along. (“Our story is not over yet,” the narrator proclaims at the conclusion of season one.)
Regardless, if you’ve yet to binge My Lady Jane, now’s the time—the first season is sharp, smart, well-acted and fun. But maybe savor it, too? And if you feel compelled to join one of the online movements to save it immediately after, I support.
