''My Lady Jane'' (titled ''My Queen Jane'' on screen for episodes four through six) is a

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...

romance television series made for

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...

, starring Emily Bader as the titular character. Produced by MacDonald & Parkes, the television series is adapted by

Gemma Burgess Gemma Burgess was one of the first new adult authors picked up by St. Martin's Press, the publisher who first coined the term "New Adult" in 2009. Her critically acclaimed Brooklyn Girls series centers on five twenty-something girls and the humo ...

from a novel by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, and Cynthia Hand that provides a fantasy reimagining of the life of

Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...

. All episodes of the series were released on June 27, 2024. In August that year, Amazon cancelled ''My Lady Jane'' after one season. The cancellation inspired backlash and a petition, including from fantasy author and

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...

creator

George R.R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

Synopsis

In an alternate

16th-century England The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began with t ...

is coerced by her mother into marrying Lord Guildford Dudley. Jane, as cousin to Edward VI, is in line to the throne. The world of ''My Lady Jane'' is inhabited by Ethians, humans who can take animal form, as well as ordinary humans, known as Verity. In England, the Verity ruling class have driven Ethians out of society; in response, Ethians have formed a group called the Pack.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Production

The series is based on the historical young adult novels by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows. Production company Parkes & MacDonald are producing the series with

and Meredith Glynn as co-showrunner and executive producers, and Jamie Babbit directing the pilot and executive producer, whilst Sarah Bradshaw and Laurie MacDonald are executive producers. Eight episodes were ordered for season one of the series. In November 2022,

Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...

, Rob Brydon, Dominic Cooper and

Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film ''Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for hi ...

were announced to have supporting roles as aristocrats. Great Chalfield Manor north elevation - geograph

Filming took place in the UK in 2022 ahead of a projected late 2023 release. In November 2022, filming was reported at

Great Chalfield Manor Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, about northeast of the town of Bradford on Avon in the west of the county of Wiltshire. History Pevsner describes Great Chalfield as "one of the most perfect examples of t ...

, standing in for the Greys' residence Bradgate House, and Herstmonceux Castle in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

, standing in for

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

. Production designer Will Hughes-Jones initially intended to use the real Hampton Court, but found its architecture had evolved too much since the 16th-century, whereas Herstmonceux "looks more like Hampton Court did back then than it does now". Still, the grounds of Hampton Court were used in the series for outdoor scenes. Hughes-Jones selected Broughton Castle for the Dudleys' residence. Other filming locations included Dover Castle, Dorney Court, Hatfield House,

Ashridge Ashridge is a country estate and stately home in Hertfordshire, England in the United Kingdom. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Berkhamsted and north west of London. The estate com ...

Chiltern Open Air Museum Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) is an independent open-air museum of vernacular buildings and a tourist attraction located near Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St. Giles in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. Its collection consist ...

, Langley Park, St Bartholomew-the-Great, St Etheldreda's Hatfield, and Crossways Farm. In mid-August of 2024, it was reported that the series had been canceled.

Release

The series had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on 12 June 2024, and was streamed on

on 27 June 2024.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 94% "Certified Fresh" score, based on 36 reviews with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A romp-antasy for revisionary souls, ''My Lady Jane'' has her cake and slays it too." On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 71 out 100 based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Notes

References

External links

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