Jane The Virgin CW News, Air Time, Cast: Golden Globe Nominated CW Show Highlights Virginity, Latinos & Christianity in a New Light
"Jane the Virgin," the hit freshman CW series based on a Venezuelan telenovela, has received two Golden Globe nods (Best TV Series Musical or Comedy, as well as Best Actress in a TV Series Music or Comedy for newcomer Gina Rodriguez), and any who've seen the series can't possibly be surprised by the show's success.
While a show about a pregnant 23-year-old Latina virgin was initially met with raised brows, the series is decidedly one of the most refreshing series to hit primetime television in a long time, and the irresistible series manages to gauge Latinos, Christianity and virginity in a way that feels genuine and light-hearted.
Jane's Spanish-speaking abuela's influencing on her views on sexuality and virginity comes from a very real place. Lessons, taught in vein of oral tradition, from elders are highly regarded in the Latino community. At the same time, the show made the point of not making her appear too innocent. Yes, Jane is a virgin, but like most humans, she's still a sexual being -and she often has to challenge those very real desires. What is also very refreshing is the pride that she possesses about her virginity, and the show's recognition that virgins don't lead solitary, quiet lives...men still pursue them. They still have fun.
"What I do love is that we have this girl who is not afraid of this choice that she's made and doesn't think she's uncool," actress Gina Rodriguez told NuvoTV in Dec. 2014. "And she's not uncool and she's got fine men chasing her and there's a power in that. In the idea that it's like 'I know my worth.' And I think that's a beautiful thing to portray on television. We're bombarded by images that are not like that."
The narrator, voiced by Anthony Mendez, also helps to keep to the tone of the series light, and even helps to pointedly address some of the aspects of the series that are most typical to a Latino television drama. The fantastical elements of the series, such as the insemination mishap, the love triangles, police investigations, the secret plots, and the sudden murders are all presented in a digestible and enjoyable way for audiences, who are offered the "insider treatment."
"As an audience member you feel respected," Jennie Snyder Urman told The Huffington Post. "You don't feel like, 'Wait, I'm just supposed to buy all this?' There's connection between the storyteller and the audience."
Spoilers: Jane will have the baby in episode 22, the finale of the first season. Executive producer Jennie Urman confirmed this, according to TVLine. The Jane, Michael and Rafeal triangle could become an issue again, but writers still aren't sure what will happen.
The series will return to the CW Jan. 19th.
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