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4. Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin is a telenovela inspired comedy-drama on the CW (it’s also available to watch on Netflix). It was developed by Jennie Snyder Urman, who worked on Hope & Faith and co-produced Gilmore Girls. The show is loosely based off of a Venezuelan telenovela called Juana la Virgen and explores the life of a religious Venezuelan American woman who becomes artificially inseminated on accident during a checkup at the doctor. Jane, the main character, is played by Gina Rodriguez. She is a hardworking young woman who is often aided by her mother, who got pregnant at a very young age, and her traditional and religious grandmother. The whole men situation is quite complicated, particularly with new surprises around every corner in classic telenovela fashion, but the ladies are strong and have each other’s backs at the end of the day. The show deals with controversial topics, some more prominent than others, such as religion, sex, abortion, immigration issues, wealth inequality, and domestic violence. Jane the Virgin is funny, filled with drama, and very enjoyable. It is also the only show on network television with a primarily Latino cast (paving the way for more let’s hope!). The show has been renewed for a 4th season, which we can probably expect in Fall 2017.