My Lady Jane is now streaming on Prime Video. A lot of British history is deeply depressing. The Black Death, Henry VIII’s many dead wives (by his decree), religious wars, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Who hasn’t dozed off trying to muscle through a history textbook chock full of that doom and gloom? All that bleakness inspired authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows to take history into their own hands with their revisionist YA novel, My Lady Jane. The 2017 New York Times bestseller reimagines Lady Jane Grey’s tragic, nine day reign as the pawn Queen of England into a fantastical, swoony romance that makes Jane a player in her own story. Under the guidance of writer/showrunner Gemma Burgess (author of the Brooklyn Girls novels), My Lady Jane translates well into an eight episode Prime Video series that confirms, yes, history is a lot more fun and watchable when you take an unrepentantly tongue-in-cheek approach to its telling.
While the series is set in 1553, My Lady Jane takes no time in establishing its anachronistic, irreverent tone and voice through a hand-drawn, animated prologue that immediately earns some big laughs. Through comedically outlandish violence and a deliciously catty commentary from an omniscient narrator (who will continue to show up all season), we’re provided a brief summary of the real history and context for why 17-year-old Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) meant anything to the Tudor dynasty. From there, the show is off and running, establish.