Fall TV Preview: Can ‘Jane the Virgin’ defy the odds … and the critics?

As of right now, “Jane the Virgin” may be one of the oddest shows on any network’s fall schedule. It’s an adaptation of a telenovela that is walking the line between comedy and drama, and the premise (a young girl getting artificially-inseminated by mistake) is something that most are going to find cheesy and outlandish.

Still, and despite the groans of many out there who wonder where this fits on a CW littered right now with supernatural creatures and superheroes, we would not be that shocked if it comes to May and this show is still on the air. File this one under “so crazy that it just might work.”

Cast – Gina Rodriguez, Jaime Camil, Yael Grobglas, Brett Dier, Andrea Navedo, Justin Baldoni, Ivonne Coll, Ryan Devlin.

Producers – Jennie Snyder Urman (writer / executive producer), Ben Silverman (EP), Gary Pearl (EP), Jorge Granier (EP), Brad Silberling (director).

Logline – “A series of surprising and unforeseen events causes a hard-working, religious young Latina to be accidentally artificially inseminated. Adapted from a Venezuelan telenovela.”

Timeslot – Mondays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, after “The Originals.” This spot has not bee good to shows as of late. “Beauty and the Beast” and “Hart of Dixie” are still on the air, but they both struggled here. Meanwhile, “Gossip Girl” sunk in this spot, and “The Tomorrow People” was canceled.

Our take – Ultimately, we do feel like this show has an outside chance to become the new “Ugly Betty,” and find a spot on TV with quirky humor that most initially scoffed at. There’s a title that is easy to remember, and it is certainly different than most of the CW schedule right now. A similar comparison in a way may be “Hart of Dixie” four years ago, when this was a show that so many projected would be the first thing canceled in the fall. It has never been a huge hit, but it has gone on to have multiple seasons on the air.

What do you think about this show based on what you’ve seen so far? Share below.