Prime Video’s decision to cancel My Lady Jane after just one season has left many fans heartbroken.
On Friday, August 16, Prime Video chose not to renew the series. Despite receiving critical acclaim, My Lady Jane struggled to attract a large audience and failed to appear on Nielsen’s Top 10 weekly streaming rankings for original series.
In response, fans took to social media to launch a campaign urging other networks to pick up the show, while also questioning why Prime Video didn’t give My Lady Jane more time to find its audience.
One post on X highlighted the frustration: “My Lady Jane being canceled for not reaching a ‘broad enough audience’ when it was barely promoted to begin with. Amazon needs to be serious.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by another user, who pointed out they “never heard about” My Lady Jane before its cancellation, citing an inadequate “marketing budget” compared to other hit shows. Another viewer argued that Prime Video missed an opportunity by not leaning into the series’ campy tone.
“Canceling My Lady Jane is such a huge misstep. I can’t think of another recent show that has so quickly overcome poor marketing and inspired such loyalty and conversation among seemingly everyone who watched it,” wrote one fan. “It’s truly so magical and fun. It deserves more!!”
Based on the historical YA novels by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, and Cynthia Hand, My Lady Jane offers a radical reimagining of Lady Jane Grey’s (played by Emily Bader) short reign after King Henry VIII’s son, Edward (Jordan Peters), succumbed to tuberculosis.
In this version, Jane and her husband Guildford (Edward Bluemel) escape execution, and Edward survives.
For some viewers, the end of My Lady Jane was particularly disappointing, as they felt it resonated with them more than other popular Regency-era shows, such as Netflix’s Bridgerton.
One fan expressed their confusion, saying, “In my opinion, My Lady Jane was significantly better than Bridgerton Season 3, and I’m just so baffled that people will watch the latter for the period drama romance but not the former! How is there an audience for one and not the other?”
Another added, “Amazon canceling My Lady Jane?? They just hate fun, hate whimsy, hate historical romance with drama, hate enemies-to-lovers where one is a literal horse, hate silliness!!!!”
Timing also seemed to be an issue for many, with some questioning why Prime Video didn’t wait longer before making a decision. “My Lady Jane has been canceled after one season when it’s only been released in June 2024? @PrimeVideo, when we catch you.
Why can’t we have anything good? The show has everything from drama, romance, fantasy, comedy, gorgeous costumes, and protagonists with insane chemistry.”
Fans adored My Lady Jane for many reasons, including the chemistry between Bader and Bluemel. The quirky twist (spoiler alert!) of Guildford transforming into a horse added to the show’s unique charm, drawing in those curious about its unconventional premise.
Although the book series on which the show was based had no further installments, show creator Gemma Burgess was keen on continuing the story.
She hinted at a potential second season in an interview in June, saying, “A second season is always a possibility. We wanted to really lean into the visual storytelling of taking a woman up to the point of being beheaded. It seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up.”
Burgess, a former author, emphasized the different storytelling techniques required for television. “When you’re an author, you can do a lot of first-person present tense thinking, but on television, you need conflict, action, and something visually engaging to drive the drama.”
Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel, who portrayed Jane and Guildford, were also enthusiastic about returning for more seasons. Bluemel shared in a June interview with Collider, “I would like to see Guildford continue backing up Jane and helping her out on her journey.
For many reasons, he’s a very different person at the end of the series than he was at the beginning, and finding his new lease on life and maybe even a glimmer of joy here or there.”
Bader, in a joint interview, reflected on Jane’s development, saying, “They’ve been through a lot—but at the same time—by Jane choosing to do what she does at the end with saving herself, she puts her family at risk. She needs to buckle down and figure out what she’s gonna do. I think badass Jane can take it up a notch.”
Despite the cancellation, My Lady Jane left a lasting impression on fans and critics. Emily Bader has since been cast as the lead in Netflix’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel People We Meet on Vacation. Edward Bluemel is currently filming Seven Dials Mystery for Netflix.
For now, My Lady Jane remains available for streaming on Prime Video.
