Jane walks in on a woman who is receiving oral sex from a man, we see him crouched under her skirt but there's no nudity. A dog shapeshifts into a woman who's naked but seen only from the shoulders up. A man takes a shower and is seen from behind, his buttocks visible. Jane helps a woman heal the "pustules" on her vagina using an herbal remedy; we don't see anything. Couples kiss and simulate sex.
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The shape-shifting Ethians are "dunked" by the Verity, which is akin to witches being drowned back in the day. A little girl plays with a sword and makes fake blood to pull pranks on people. A woman poisons her brother, making him deathly ill.
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Jane wants to be appreciated for her mind, not her looks or social status. She's a creative thinker who tries to bring people together.
Positive Messages
a little
The show is heavier on the hijincks than it is on deep messages, but it does illustrate the mistreatment of women and those who are different from the norm in ancient times.
Parents need to know that My Lady Jane is a British dramatic comedy series that's set in the mid-1500s and was inspired by historical events. It's based on a young adult book series by authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Characters (including, in one scene, Jane's younger sister) drink beer and wine at feasts and in pubs. Expect a lot of swearing ("f--k," "piss," "damn," "bitch," "s--thead," "hell") and some sexual banter, plus scenes of kissing and simulated sex -- though there's little actual nudity beyond a scene that shows a man's bare butt while he takes a shower. In-fighting among royalty and commoners alike leads to some mild violence, including poisoning attempts and "dunking" (being tortured with water, a la the Salem witch trials).
This is not for kids of age 14. This has been wrongly rated and isn't for young teens but adults due to nudity and subject matter and scenes of oral sex being done....this is an adult show- should be rated TV-MA.
As a long time fan of the book, this was extremely disappointing. Whereas the book is blissfully free of harsh language and sex, making it a perfect choice for its target audience, within the first five minutes of Episode 1 we are inundated by constant swearing and sexual situations COMPLETELY inappropriate for the books target audience. I couldn’t watch past Episode 2 and am amazed that this disgrace of a television show shares the same name as the book. If you are not a fan of the book and are looking for a funny bridgerton esque romp then this could be for you, but for anyone interested who loved the book BEWARE! I think that it is very harmful to remove a story so completely from its original target demographic and I hope that no young teens make the mistake of viewing this thinking that they will get a story remotely similar to that of the book.
What's the Story?
MY LADY JANE is a playful re-imagining of the true story of England's Lady Jane Grey, who ruled as queen for a mere nine days after the death of her cousin, King Edward VI, in 1553. In reality, the 17-year-old Jane was executed by Edward's half-sister Mary, who then took the throne. This British series fantasizes about what may have happened if Jane wasn't killed, and if she'd had a chance to rule. There's still unrest from various political factions, however, which Jane needs to navigate while adjusting to the quickie marriage she's been forced into by her social-climbing mother, Lady Frances. And if that isn't enough, this version of reality is also populated by people known as "Ethians" who can shapeshift into animals; they're feared and discriminated against by the everyday humans (called "Verity"). Can Jane bring her countrymen together in peace, and find happiness in her own life too?
While it certainly doesn't lack energy or creativity, this series sometimes goes overboard on the "irreverence" (we get it, the narrator loves F-bombs) in a way that seems desperate. My Lady Jane is the latest re-imagined period piece (see also The Buccaneers) to combine corset-heavy costume drama with anachronistic music choices (we hear Portishead, Led Zeppelin, and Kate Nash). Reminiscent of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, it's amusing here and there but can also be heavy-handed.
All of this plus the concept of a parallel-reality Lady Jane escaping execution (and seeing what comes after) would have been entertaining enough; it feels like overkill that the show also adds fantastical elements like shape-shifting maids who turn into hawks. But if you can hang with the slightly-too-much vibes, there are charming performances and fun twists that make it worth your time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's concept of re-imagining past events from history. Can you think of any other historical figures or events that could be entertaining if revamped in this manner?
The show's narration is bursting with profanity. Would the series still be funny without it? Does the constant swearing add to or take away from the story being told?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.