When I recently announced the news that Heels was coming to Netflix next month, I explained that almost everyone had that one show they loved that was canceled too soon. Clearly, I was tempting fate, as Prime Video had just pulled the plug on one of my favorite shows of 2024 so far: My Lady Jane.
While you'll admit that it was a bit of an odd choice to dial up the steaminess — given that “My Lady Jane” was originally a young adult novel — I do think the series could have become a solid addition to the Prime Video library, serving as a more action-packed, swashbuckling alternative to Netflix's “Bridgerton.”
Sadly, Gemma Burgess' irreverent, alternative fantasy series has been axed after just one season. News of the show's cancellation was first confirmed by Deadline , and it comes just seven weeks after the series premiered on June 27.
According to the publication, “My Lady Jane” simply didn’t “find a large enough audience.” I distinctly recall it landing a spot in the top 10 Prime Video shows at one point when it came out, but it clearly didn’t have the longevity of shows like “Fallout” to justify funding a second installment. And, quite frankly, it sucks.
“My Lady Jane” deserved better
I've already written a post on Tom's Guide about why you should stream “My Lady Jane,” but even at the risk of repeating myself a bit, I want to emphasize that the show was great.
It was a genuinely funny mix of farce, fantasy, period drama and romance, which wryly reimagined the life of the titular English monarch. Rather than being known for her short reign, “My Lady Jane” sees Emily Bader taking the sovereign on a spirited adventure, with royals plotting to claim the throne, a brewing civil conflict between humans and human-animal shapeshifters, danger and deception.
Additionally, the series featured main characters with sizzling chemistry and a sarcastic sense of humor. Worse yet, the first season ended with the promise of more adventures to come, but we won't see now what other troubles Lady Jane and her partner Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel) were about to get into.
I'm not the only one who loved “My Lady Jane.” The show currently has a 94% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the site's most beloved shows of 2024. Like me, most critics praised the show's playful tone and excellent leads, and (judging by their comments), I'm sure at least some of them are also disappointed that Jane won't be back on our screens.
Hopefully, the fan campaign (#SaveLadyJane / #SaveMyLadyJane) and/or the Change.org fan petition calling for the show to be renewed and/or for another top streaming service to step in and save the show will convince someone to take a chance. But if we have no choice but to find a new series to fill the void, check out our lists of the best Prime Video series and the best fantasy series to stream on Prime Video right now for more streaming recommendations.