Jane the Virgin Is Getting a Spin-off, But What Will It Be About?

December 4, 2018By News Team

All right, lets do this. Jane the Virgin is coming to an end at the CW, but it appears the network has gotten too attached to let go of its critically beloved show completely. A Jane spin-off is reportedly underway, although its unclear what, exactly the new show will be about.

Although Jane the Virgin has never been a huge ratings draw for the youth broadcaster, it was a crucial turning point for the brand, along with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Both series endeared the network to critics in a way the CWs more traditional fare did not; both also won best-actress Golden Globes for their stars, Gina Rodriguez and Rachel Bloom, respectively. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the network is cooking up a spin-off with a brand-new cast.

For now, the prospective series remains untitled—though we do know that Jane the Virgin writer Valentina Garza, who has been with the show since its third season, will write and executive produce the new series. Rodriguez and Jane show-runner Jennie Snyder Urman will all executive produce the new series, with Brad Silberling—who directed multiple episodes of the original series, including the pilot—on board to executive produce and direct the pilot of the new series.

Right now, little else is known about the new show, though T.H.R. says it will “follow a story line from the flagship series.” Its unknown if any Jane the Virgin characters will appear on-screen in the new show, but we do know that there will be no backdoor pilot in Janes final season. We also know that the offshoot will not, as old rumors have previously suggested, focus on Jane Gloriana Villanuevas father, Rogelio de la Vega (Jaime Camil).

As T.H.R. notes, the Jane spin-off is just one more example of the CWs effort to expand as many of its shows worlds as possible. The Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals managed to sire a spin-off of its own, Legacies, and the Arrowverse has grown to comprise multiple series in just a few years. And theres also the now-canceled Wayward Sisters, the latest would-be Supernatural spin-off.

Compared to most of those series, though, Janes ratings are paltry; should the CW choose to move forward with a spin-off, the new series will likely live or die by its story. If the team finds an organic way to expand the flagship shows narrative in a meaningful way, theres a chance the spin-off could replicate the success of the original—but thats a tall order, especially since the a lot of the originals appeal has been its uniqueness. Another challenge will be finding a lead as magnetic and multifaceted as Rodriguez, whose talent for balancing emotionally weighty material and zany comedy has anchored the series since the beginning. Our one request? Make sure Jaime Camil at least gets a cameo. After all, a Rogelio is a terrible thing to waste.