15 shows about working-class families that aren’t Roseanne
By Sundi Rose
Jane the Virgin
A wildly entertaining fusion of telenovela and family dramedy, Jane the Virgin will steal your heart immediately. Although it’s criminally under-appreciated by audiences, anyone who watches even one episode can’t deny its appeal.
The premise: Based on the Venezuelan telenovela, Juana le Virgen, it’s the story of Jane Villanueva, virgin and daughter of a teen mom. She becomes accidentally inseminated at a routine check up, and decides to keep the baby and raise it. The father of the child, Rafael, just so happens to be Jane’s crush, and the doctor who made the mistake is his sister.
Jane lives with her young and vivacious mother, Xiomara, and her very conservative and Catholic grandmother, Alba. Together, they form a very close-knit family that offers unconditional love and support, as well as unsolicited advice and interfering.
Why you’ll love it: It’s smartly written, and never ever reduces its characters or form to stereotypes or caricatures. It intertwines the Latin-American tradition of magical realism with honest portrayals of characters and stories that, while far-fetched, seem genuinely drawn.
Gina Rodriguez plays the title character with nuance and grace. Although you won’t always like how Jane handles things or interacts with other characters, you’ll always root for her because she’s earnest and, as her glowing heart often reveals, always willing to be vulnerable.
Where to find it: You can find all four seasons of the adorable and highly addictive series on Netflix, and the latest episodes on The CW’s website.