CBS has been celebrating its massively popular 2024 reboot of the classic show Matlock. With a gender-swapped lead role, played by the formidable Kathy Bates, and a legendary series to pull from, it’s a recipe for success (and has already been renewed for a second season). However, knowing the woman behind the magic, it’s unsurprising the new Matlock is thriving. Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman has a lengthy history of writing and producing for television, having worked on shows like Hope & Faith, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, and several others, but perhaps the golden egg of her career so far is the hit CW show Jane the Virgin, which aired from 2014 to 2019, and was loosely adapted from a Venezuelan soap opera from 2002.
A Family Comedy Deconstructs the Telenovela

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Release Date

October 13, 2014

Network

The CW

Seasons

5

Writers

Jennie Snyder Urman

Showrunner

Jennie Snyder Urman

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Jane the Virgin follows a woman in her early 20s named Jane Gloriana Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez), who has vowed to remain celibate before marriage but becomes unexpectedly pregnant when she is accidentally artificially inseminated by her doctor. Jane’s life is immediately thrown into chaos as she has to adapt to pregnancy and motherhood and finds herself in a love triangle with her boyfriend, Michael Cordero Jr. (Brett Dier), and the biological father of her baby, Rafael Solano (Justin Baldoni).
Jane, who was the result of a teenage pregnancy, has a complicated relationship with her outgoing mother, Xiomara “Xo” Gloriana Villanueva (Andrea Navedo), which informs many of her decisions. The cast of Jane the Virgin is rounded out by Yael Grobglas as Rafael’s scheming wife Petra Solano, Ivonne Coll as Jane’s devout grandmother Alba Gloriana Villanueva, and Jaime Camil as Jane’s father, Rogelio de la Vega. Ultimately, it’s a show that keeps family at the center while embracing Latinx culture.

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Jane the Virgin was Beloved by Many

Despite the show’s absurd premise, its unique blend of humor, drama, snappy dialogue, complex plot lines, and Urman’s dedication to authenticity, Jane the Virgin landed with viewers. It quickly gained a devoted fanbase and became critically acclaimed by industry experts; it was nominated for Golden Globes, won a Peabody Award in 2014, was recognized by the American Film Institute, and remained on dozens of Top 10 lists throughout its five-season run.
What Made ‘Jane the Virgin’ So Great?

It would be easy for a modern-day American telenovela to succumb to stereotypes and lean into melodrama, but Urman was determined to give the series credibility. She knew as a white woman that she would need to bring in diverse collaborators who could lend their expertise, filling her writers’ room with several Latina women and working closely with the show’s lead, Gina Rodriguez (who has recently been cast in Will Trent Season 3).
Urman told Vulture, “I am not a young Latina, but I can relate to being hardworking, driven, [and] having a complicated relationship with your mom.” She brought her own insight to the project and brought in others to fill the gaps where her own experience was lacking, creating a working atmosphere that the writers, cast, and crew all felt was nurturing, creative, and genuine.
Part of what made Jane the Virgin so successful was its silliness, embracing its telenovela tropes in a self-aware way while still telling a heartfelt story about women. Urman has credited her time working on Gilmore Girls for helping her learn how to write mother-daughter relationships, and it was that aspect of Jane that drew her to take on the project in the first place.

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Jennie Snyder Urman Knows How to Make a Hit TV Show

While exploring a compelling narrative that touches on everything from coming-of-age and familial legacy to issues like immigration and class status, Jane the Virgin’s lighthearted tone makes it easily watchable and enjoyable without feeling too heavy. Its post-production edits (think freeze frames and on-screen graphics) are charming, and the use of a narrator with a literary, almost fairy-tale style kept viewers hooked.
Urman developed Jane the Virgin as a story with a specific ending, and keeping the audience guessing proved far more effective with five seasons rather than creating a show that could go on indefinitely and may or may not fall off at some point. Though it goes against the profit-focused efforts of many networks and showrunners, Urman remained loyal first and foremost to her vision — and it paid off. If Jane the Virgin is anything to go by, the new Matlock is in excellent hands.