FYC: "Jane the Virgin" For Best Comedy Series
Monday, June 8, 2015 at 1:00PM Team Experience shares their preferred picks in top Emmy categories as voters ready their ballots. Here's Denny...
Jane the Virgin shouldn't work. But it does, in every way, in every episode. Based on a Venezuelan telenovela, the show tells the story of Jane (luminous Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez), a straight-A college student working at a posh Miami hotel as she completes her degree in Education, who gets accidentally artificially inseminated.
Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman pulled off a miracle with Jane's first season. There is not a single bad episode. NOT. ONE. And that feat is even more impressive when you consider what a high-wire act each episode of Jane is: Each episode juggles an ever-expanding cast of major characters, multiple flashbacks, in-show telenovelas, fantasy and/or dream sequences, one character (Jane's abuela Alba) who speaks exclusively in subtitled Spanish, and a third-person omniscent narrator who has become a character in his own right.
Oh yeah, and onscreen text, including the only onscreen twitter hashtags that are not only usable but laugh-loud funny. AND real-world issues that surround the show's beautifully-written Latina/o characters
All of this may sound like too much, but somehow it isn't. There's a lightness of touch here missing from most TV comedies - heck, most TV shows PERIOD. The show is able to earn copious amounts of tears while still remaining one of the funniest shows on TV, thanks in equal part to the remarkably assured writing, the tremendous performances (#emmyforrogelio), and the smart direction on display.
While it's true that Emmy hasn't noticed anything on The CW before, honoring Jane the Virgin with a nomination for Best Comedy Series would not only add diversity to the usually lily-white category, it would add credibility. It would show that Emmy voters not only care about quality, but that they don't care where they find it.
P.S. Two brilliant FYC ads if you haven't seen them after the jump...
Emmy, FYC, Jane the Virgin, TV, comedy
Reader Comments (15)
My absolute favorite show on TV.
YES. My favorite new show this year. YES.
I adore this show. True story, I grew up having the biggest crush on Jaime Camil (he played the villain in one of my favorite telenovelas when I was a kid) so I'm incredibly happy he's even in the running for an Emmy nomination for what's perhaps the funniest supporting male turn on TV right now (tied with Titus maybe...)
I also like it although
a) Rita Moreno was underused
b) 22 episodes felt a bit too much for the writers. They need back-up or a shorter season.
Have to agree with Peggy Sue, even though I LOVED this show. Starting to be a fan of UK system of shorter seasons of super great episodes. Note: this program would not be as successful without the sublime delight that is Gina Rodriguez.
oh, so happy to read this FYC for that show! And YES #emmyforrogelio!
Does Rodriguez have a chance to get past a likely nominee list that might include:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Deserving four-peat, but maybe it's enough already?)
Amy Schumer (Clips from her show get covered everywhere online. Managed a couple nominations from critic groups.)
Lisa Kudrow (Beloved and managed a nomination the first time around. But even less people tuned in this season.)
Ilana Glazer/Abbi Jacobson (If the academy members watch their show they SHOULD be in the running.)
Constance Wu/Tracee Ellis Ross (The clear stand outs in their shows, but maybe they go supporting?)
Melissa McCarthy (Spy adds to her list of comedy hits. And she basically won for Bridesmaids before.)
Lena Dunham/Edie Falco (Once you're nominated they're likely to keep nominating you regardless of actual quality of performance. Falco's last season.)
Did I miss anyone?
I think if the show manages a Best Comedy Series nomination her chances improve, but Veep will most likely be nominated too.
Two FYC ads?
@ Rene: Amy Poehler & Lea Michele (final seasons)? Emmy Rossum?
god, that Jamie FYC ad!
Jose - Camil is absolutely giving hands-down the funniest performance on TV right now, and definitely one of the finest supporting turns period.. Actually, though, if I had my way, I would give the show two nominations for Supporting Actor: Camil and Anthony Mendez, who plays the "Latin Lover" Narrator and is completely BRILLIANT.
Peggy Sue - Yes, Moreno was underused, but she was great. And getting her for even one episode was HUGE for the show. And while I think 22 episodes is too much in general for a season of TV, I do think that the writers did a damn good job with it - I was never bored. And for a show to be that strong right out of the gate is pretty incredible.
And yes, Gina Rodriguez is the shining light of the show and deserves a nomination for Best Actress too. And honestly, probably the win (give or take Ellie Kemper). And given how lovely she is in person (that Globes speech!), she probably has the nomination on lock.
Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post. I was asking about Rodriguez's chances to win the Emmy. I think she WILL be nominated. Though I just realized she didn't get a SAG nomination which I think she was eligible for.
Paul Outlaw - Totally forgot about Poehler and Rossum. The critics seemed to have forgotten about them both too, which is surprising in Poehler's case since she's received nominations from both the Television Critics and Critics' Choice Awards the last four years. And I'm a fan of Shameless and Rossum's work in it, but it's hard to get your FIRST nomination in this stacked category after five seasons.
Denny - Ellie Kemper!
And I also forgot Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling... which the Emmys tend to do too...
Isn't this show an hour long and with the new emmy rules doesn't it have to go for drama?
Mike - that's true, BUT shows can appeal to a committee. The committee then watches the entire season and makes its ruling. That's how Shameless and Jane the Virgin got to be considered Comedies. Orange is the New Black also appealed, but was ruled a Drama.
But whichever category this show was in, I would advocate for it getting a nomination, frankly. It's truly one of the best shows on television, regardless of genre.
It's so hard to choose between Jaime and Tituss. They better not go with some boring Modern Family actor in that category...
Suzanne-Definitely agreed with NOT choosing another supporting from "Modern Family"!
The thing about "Jane the Virgin" is, even though there are 22 hour-long episodes, none of them feels like a clunker. The overall quality remains high throughout the whole season. Gina Rodriguez is beyond phenomenal--she plays a character who could be a caricature and annoying, but she turns in many emotional layers that gives a realness to the character. The supporting players range from funny to hunky. I'm on #TeamMichael (he's such a sweetie, a man I would spend the rest of my life with haha), but Rafael and Jane have such explosive chemistry.... I'm more worried about if they can sustain this momentum in the second season....