My Lady Jane | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Gemma Burgess |
Based on | My Lady Jane by |
Showrunners |
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Directed by | |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Oliver Chris |
Music by | Rael Jones |
Country of origin |
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Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Paula McBreen |
Cinematography | Maja Zamojda |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Amazon Prime Video |
Release | 27 June 2024 |
My Lady Jane (titled My Queen Jane on screen for episodes four through six) is a historical fantasy romance television series made for Amazon Prime Video, starring Emily Bader as the titular character. Produced by MacDonald & Parkes, the television series is adapted by Gemma Burgess from a novel by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, and Cynthia Hand that provides a fantasy reimagining of the life of Lady Jane Grey. [1]
All episodes of the series were released on June 27, 2024. In August that year, Amazon cancelled My Lady Jane after one season. [2] The cancellation inspired backlash and a petition, including from fantasy author and A Song of Ice and Fire creator George R.R. Martin. [3]
In an alternate 16th-century England, Lady Jane Grey 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.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
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1 | "Who'll Be the Next in Line?" | Jamie Babbit | Gemma Burgess | June 27, 2024 | |
When Jane's father Henry Grey [a] dies without a male heir, his great uncle the Duke of Leicester inherits everything. Leicester wants Jane to marry Lord Guildford Dudley. Jane and her maid Susannah attempt to flee Jane's forced marriage to Guildford, but are captured. Susannah escapes, revealing herself to be an Ethian. King Edward VI prepares his will, secretly naming Jane as his heir. Edward's dog, Petunia, reveals herself as an Ethian, sent to protect Edward by his great-grandmother. Edward learns that he is not, as he thought, suffering from an illness known as the Affliction, but instead is being slowly poisoned. At the marriage ceremony, Jane feigns illness. | |||||
2 | "Wild Thing" | Jamie Babbit | Gemma Burgess | June 27, 2024 | |
Jane completes the marriage ceremony with Guildford. She learns that Guildford is an Ethian, but is unable to control his changes and instead is a man by night and a horse by day. He begs her to discover a cure. Edward finds a merchant selling tofana. Mary and Seymour plot to speed up Edward's death. Seymour accuses Lord Dudley of being Edward's poisoner and Dudley is sent to the Tower of London. | |||||
3 | "With a Girl Like You" | Jamie Babbit | Shepard Boucher & Gemma Burgess & Meredith Glynn | June 27, 2024 | |
Edward disappears, and it is assumed that he threw himself from a high window in despair at his illness. Jane and Guildford travel into the woods to free Susannah after receiving an anonymous ransom note. Seymour sends soldiers to kill Jane and Guildford. Jane learns that the note was a ploy to get money for Ethians. She and Guildford escape the murder attempt. Jane is named queen. Jane's younger sister Katherine marries the Duke of Leicester. Margaret, Jane's youngest sister, suffocates him to death with a pear. Frances covers up the murder. | |||||
4 | "Bluebird Is Dead" | Jamie Babbit | Cathy Lew | June 27, 2024 | |
Jane and Guildford discover proof that Mary and Seymour colluded to murder Edward. When Jane confronts Mary, Mary attacks Jane and destroys the proof. Frances witnesses Guildford changing into a horse. | |||||
5 | "I'm Gonna Change the World" | Stefan Schwartz | Bisanne Masoud | June 27, 2024 | |
Lady Margaret Beaufort, Edward's great-grandmother and now a member of a religious order, nurses Edward back to health. Lord Dudley pressures Jane to name Guildford as her king. Mary agrees to make Lord Norfolk her chancellor when she is on the throne in exchange for the use of Norfolk's army. Jane disbands the Kingsland guards and invites the Ethians to attend her coronation banquet. After being threatened by Frances, Jane consummates her marriage to Guildford. Bess tries to flee with Petunia but is captured by Seymour. Margaret tells Edward that he is an Ethian, just as she is. Jane tells Guildford that his Ethianism cannot be cured. | |||||
6 | "I Feel Free" | Stefan Schwartz | Alyssa Lerner | June 27, 2024 | |
Mary, facing arrest, has fled. Guildford runs away with an Ethian who promises him a cure. Archer, a representative of the Ethians, saves Jane from an assassination attempt. Edward, unable to switch to an Ethian form, realizes Margaret is insane when she tells him of her plan to exterminate all Verity, and escapes with the help of Fitz, an Ethian. Archer and Norfolk wager the fate of the oppressive Division Law on a bowling match; Archer wins. Guildford is attacked by his Ethian companion but escapes. Jane abolishes the Division Law. Mary, Norfolk, and Seymour take over the palace and arrest Jane. | |||||
7 | "Another Girl, Another Planet" | Stefan Schwartz | Gemma Burgess & Meredith Glynn | June 27, 2024 | |
Jane is placed under house arrest. Guildford sneaks past the guards to rescue Jane, but she refuses to leave with him because her family is being held hostage by Mary. Jane's trial on charges of high treason begins. Bess rises to support Jane's claim that she was fulfilling the orders of the king's will. Edward sneaks into the palace and surprises Jane when she is taken to her room. Jane sends him away to raise an army so he can fight Mary. Although the council finds Jane innocent on the charges, Jane's guards captured Guildford after their meeting. Mary and Seymour bring in the groom Rupert, who has been tortured to reveal that Guildford is Ethian, and then Guildford (in horse form) himself. Jane and Guildford are condemned to death for violating the reinstated Division Law. | |||||
8 | "God Save the Queen" | Jamie Babbit | Gemma Burgess & Meredith Glynn | June 27, 2024 | |
Jane is taken to the Tower of London. Mary kills Norfolk when he criticizes her tyrannical behavior. Edward and Fitz beg the Ethians to help fight against Mary. At Jane and Guildford's execution, flying Ethians attack Jane's executioner and guards. Jane, freed by Susannah, rushes through the crowd to untie Guildford from the stake before fire reaches him, but is unable to undo the knots. Guildford is finally able to control his change. Lord Dudley and Stan clear a path for Jane to ride free on Guildford's back. In an epilogue, Bess is shown to secretly be an Ethian. Frances and Katherine remain Mary's hostages. Stan and Frances resume their relationship. Katherine clandestinely marries Lord Seymour's son William. Fitz and Edward kiss. Jane and Guildford agree to take back the throne. |
The series is based on the historical young adult novels by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows. Production company Parkes & MacDonald produced the series with Gemma Burgess 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. [4] Eight episodes were ordered for season one of the series. [5]
In mid-August of 2024, it was reported that the series had been canceled. [6]
In November 2022, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Dominic Cooper and Jim Broadbent were announced to have supporting roles as aristocrats. [7]
Principal photography took place in the UK in 2022 ahead of a projected late 2023 release. [8] In November 2022, filming was reported at Great Chalfield Manor, standing in for the Greys' residence Bradgate House, [9] and Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, standing in for Hampton Court Palace. [10] 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. [11] Other filming locations included Dover Castle, Dorney Court, Hatfield House, Ashridge, Chiltern Open Air Museum, Langley Park, St Bartholomew-the-Great, St Etheldreda's Hatfield, and Crossways Farm. [12]
The series had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on 12 June 2024, and was streamed on Amazon Prime Video on 27 June 2024.
The soundtrack features classic British rock covers performed by current British women rock musicians. [13] [14]
My Lady Jane (Prime Video Original Series Score) | |
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Soundtrack album by | |
Released | 27 June 2024 |
Length | 1 hour 4 minutes |
Label | Milan Records |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Jane's Escape" | 1:33 |
2. | "My Lady Jane" | 2:33 |
3. | "Quite Contrary" | 2:17 |
4. | "Never Say Die" | 2:19 |
5. | "Gurdy Two Shoes" | 2:04 |
6. | "Prettier When You Smile" | 1:45 |
7. | "The Tavern Heist" | 2:04 |
8. | "New Life" | 1:11 |
9. | "King Edward" | 1:14 |
10. | "Lust at First Sight" | 0:35 |
11. | "Jane in Court" | 2:29 |
12. | "Your Majesty" | 1:31 |
13. | "Manacled" | 4:12 |
14. | "Tofana" | 2:30 |
15. | "Lyre Lyre Pants on Fire" | 2:05 |
16. | "Two Legs or Four" | 1:18 |
17. | "Guildford" | 2:04 |
18. | "Execution" | 1:32 |
19. | "Another Heart Whispers Back" | 4:30 |
20. | "Transformation" | 3:00 |
21. | "Follow that Barge" | 2:07 |
22. | "Micromanaging" | 1:47 |
23. | "Lambkins" | 3:21 |
24. | "Target Practice" | 2:41 |
25. | "Unshackled" | 2:35 |
26. | "Will for Succession" | 5:03 |
27. | "Change This Country" | 3:02 |
28. | "Swashbuckling" | 4:48 |
29. | "Showtrial" | 3:08 |
30. | "Previously on My Lady Jane" | 1:25 |
31. | "Jane's Escape - Reprise" | 1:30 |
Total length: | 1 hour 4 minutes |
My Lady Jane (Prime Video Original Series Soundtrack) | |
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Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
Released | 27 June 2024 |
Length | 27 minutes |
Label | Milan Records |
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "Tainted Love" | Goat Girl | 2:55 |
2. | "Wild Thing" | Black Honey | 2:28 |
3. | "I'm a Man" | Lizzie Esau | 2:17 |
4. | "She's Not There" | Griff | 2:00 |
5. | "The Chain" | CHINCHILLA | 3:45 |
6. | "Dreamer" | Katy J Pearson | 3:54 |
7. | "Sail Away" | HotWax | 3:44 |
8. | "Ever Fallen in Love" | Yonaka | 3:00 |
9. | "I Feel Free (Amazon Music Original)" | Poppy Ajudha | 3:03 |
Total length: | 27 minutes |
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." [15] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 71 out 100 based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [16]
Elizabeth R is a BBC television drama serial of six 90-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the ABC in Australia and broadcast in the United States on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre. The series has been repeated several times, most recently from 15 March 2023, by BBC Four.
Katherine Seymour, Countess of Hertford was a younger sister of Lady Jane Grey.
Lord Guildford Dudley was an English nobleman who was married to Lady Jane Grey. She occupied the English throne from 10 July until 19 July 1553, having been declared the heir of King Edward VI. Guildford Dudley had a humanist education and married Jane in a magnificent celebration about six weeks before the King's death. After Guildford's father, the Duke of Northumberland, had engineered Jane's accession, Jane and Guildford spent her brief rule residing in the Tower of London. They were still in the Tower when their regime collapsed and remained there in different quarters as prisoners. They were condemned to death for high treason in November 1553. Queen Mary I was inclined to spare their lives, but Thomas Wyatt's rebellion against Mary's plans to marry Philip of Spain led to the young couple's execution, a measure that was widely seen as unduly harsh.
Lady Jane is a 1986 British costume-historical drama romance film, directed by Trevor Nunn, written by David Edgar, and starring Helena Bonham Carter as the title character. It tells the story of Lady Jane Grey, her marriage to Lord Guildford Dudley, and her reign as the "Nine Days' Queen" following the death of Edward VI of England.
John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick, KB was an English nobleman and the heir of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, leading minister and regent under King Edward VI from 1550–1553. As his father's career progressed, John Dudley respectively assumed his father's former titles, Viscount Lisle and Earl of Warwick. Interested in the arts and sciences, he was the dedicatee of several books by eminent scholars, both during his lifetime and posthumously. His marriage to the former Protector Somerset's eldest daughter, in the presence of the King and a magnificent setting, was a gesture of reconciliation between the young couple's fathers. However, their struggle for power flared up again and ended with the Duke of Somerset's execution. In July 1553, after King Edward's death, Dudley was one of the signatories of the letters patent that attempted to set Lady Jane Grey on the throne of England, and took arms against Mary Tudor alongside his father. The short campaign did not see any military engagements, and ended with the Duke of Northumberland and his son being taken prisoner at Cambridge. John Dudley the younger was condemned to death, but subsequently reprieved. He died of natural causes shortly after his release from the Tower of London.
Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, KG, KB was an English peer and politician. He was the nephew of Catherine Parr and brother-in-law of Lady Jane Grey through his first wife.
John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley, commonly known as Lord Quondam, was an English nobleman.
Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, was an English courtier and nobleman of the Tudor period. He was the father of Lady Jane Grey, known as "the Nine Days' Queen".
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the first buildings to use that material in England, and was built using bricks taken from the local clay, by builders from Flanders. It dates from 1441. Construction began under the then-owner, Sir Roger Fiennes, and was continued after his death in 1449 by his son, Lord Dacre. The castle has been owned by Queen's University at Kingston, a Canadian university, since 1993.
Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, was an English noblewoman. She was the second child and eldest daughter of King Henry VIII's younger sister, Princess Mary, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. She was the mother of Lady Jane Grey, de facto Queen of England and Ireland for nine days, as well as Lady Katherine Grey and Lady Mary Grey.
Lady Jane Grey, also 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 to 19 July 1553.
Lady Jane Grey, 16th-century claimant to the English throne, has left an abiding impression in English literature and romance. The limited amount of material from which to construct a source-based biography of her has not stopped authors of all ages filling the gaps with the fruits of their imagination.
Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland was an English courtier. She was the wife of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, and mother of Guildford Dudley and Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. Having grown up with her future husband, who was her father's ward, she married at about age 16. They had 13 children.
Gemma Burgess is a novelist, screenwriter, and showrunner. She was one of the inaugural new adult authors picked up by St. Martin's Press. Her novels include Brooklyn Girls. More recently, she created the historical fantasy romance television series My Lady Jane (2024) for Amazon Prime that reimagines the life of Lady Jane Grey.
Henry Dudley was an English soldier and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Their father was John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who led the English government from 1550 to 1553 under Edward VI and unsuccessfully tried to establish Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death in July 1553. For his participation in this venture Henry Dudley was imprisoned in the Tower of London and condemned to death, but pardoned.
Edward Robert Bluemel is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Sky One series A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022), the BBC thriller Killing Eve (2019–2022), and the Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane (2024).
Becoming Elizabeth is a historical drama television series, created by Anya Reiss, that follows the younger years of Queen Elizabeth I, who lived in the 16th century. It premiered on Starz on 12 June 2022 and Channel 4 on 15 June. In October 2022, the series was cancelled.
Emily Bader is an American actress. On television, she is known for her role in the Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane (2024). Her films include Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021) and Fresh Kills (2023).
Henry Ashton is an English actor. On television, he is known for his roles in the Amazon Prime fantasy series My Lady Jane and the BBC Three teen drama A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Jordan Peters is a British actor. His films include Pirates (2021). On television, he is known for his roles in the BBC One series Everything I Know About Love (2022) and the Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane (2024).