As Jane The Virgin comes to a close, fans might be on the hunt for a new show to fill the hole left it its wake. Now, there are definitely some on the CW that fans might fancy, not to mention dramedies on Netflix, Amazon, or any other network, but for fans who want something a bit closer to the spirit of Jane, your best bet is a telenovela. The show was based off of an original telenovela, after all. And, if you're looking for a place to start, here are nine telenovelas to watch if you love Jane The Virgin.
Jane The Virgin followed the story of a young woman who was accidentally artificially inseminated, and became unknowingly pregnant with the child of her old crush — and that's not even half of what happened in the pilot. Over the course of five seasons, there have been many deaths, a few "resurrections," many will-they-won't-they love stories, and some babies. There have been religious struggles, career highs and lows, and everything in between. It can be hard to imagine that there's even one show out there that could possibly live up to the entertainment Jane the Virgin has given us. Well, these telenovelas might not be Jane the Virgin but they're definitely as close to it as you're going to get.
1'Juana La Virgen'
As stated above, the Jane The Virgin you know from The CW is actually based on a 2002 Venezuelan telenovela of the same name, Juana La Virgen. It starts off with the exact same premise: a woman gets pregnant by accidental artificial insemination and then a lot of drama ensues, including Juana falling in love with the father of the baby.
There are a few key differences between Jane the Virgin and Juana La Virgen, like the fact that Juana is only 16, but it's a true telenovela through and through, so that added scandalous aspect is part of the dramatic appeal.
2'Café, Con Aroma De Mujer' ('Coffee, With The Scent Of A Woman')
This telenovela focuses on Teresa Suárez, nicknamed Gaviota, who works as a coffee bean harvester in Colombia with her mom. She falls in love with the grandson of one of the men she works for, miraculously curing him of his fear of women. There's passion, pregnancies, and missed connections — basically everything you could want from a telenovela.
3'Gitanas' ('Gypsies')
Gitanas follows a woman named Maria Salomé who is a part of this culture of travelers. But when she falls in love for an outsider, her life starts gets way more complicated than she ever imagined. If you love drama and action, this romantic epic won't disappoint.
4'María la del Barrio' ('Humble Maria')
JTV star Andrea Navedo specifically mentioned Maria la del Barrio as a great show to watch if you love JTV. And of course, as Xiomara, Jane's mom, on the hit show, she'd know better than anyone what would hit the spot for fans. In a Quora post form 2016, she described the show, writing, "It is about a brave and poor young girl who is welcomed into a rich family and develops a romance with their young, misogynistic son. And that drives another woman, in love with the son, insane."
Don't let Navedo's straightforward description fool you, this telenovela is the epitome of the genre, featuring plot lines so out of control, it'll blow you away. It's even inspired memes, like "Cries in Spanish." The scene above is definitely the craziest one from the series, so eat it up and then go marathon to your heart's content.
5'La Reina del Sur' ('Queen of The South')
La Reina del Sur is another telenovela that was recommended by Navedo on Quora. The series is about Teresa Mendoza (Kate del Castillo), a woman whose drug-dealing boyfriend is killed in Mexico, forcing her to go on the run. While doing so, she becomes a leader of a drug cartel. Think of her as the Sin Rostro of telenovelas. The second season just picked up again in April, and Castillo actually appeared on a few episodes of JTV, playing Luciana Leon, so it's the perfect show to pick up if you're already missing Jane.
6'Rubí'
If your favorite moments from Jane the Virgin involved the evil drama that is Petra’s family, then Rubí is for you. Rubí is the main character of course, and is the complete opposite of Jane. She’s a jerk who only cares about money and hot men. But she’s basically like Season 1 Petra, except, unlike Petra Rubí doesn’t have a heart of gold underneath her vileness, and doesn’t ever redeem herself.
7'Marimar'
Marimar is part of a trilogy of telenovelas that each star Thalía as a character with some variation of the name Maria — each living with a very different set of problems. This time around, it's Marimar, a poor woman who catches the eye of a young, rich bachelor. They marry, but she's constantly faced with more hardships, starting with her jealous stepmother framing her for stealing.
8'Soy tu Dueña' ('A Woman of Steel')
Latina named the main character of the Mexican telenovela Soy tu Dueña "one of the most kick-ass heroines" ever in a telenovela, which should catch the eye of many JTV fans. After a failed and disastrous engagement, Valentina just wants to live alone. But of course this is a Mexican soap opera we're talking about, so instead of life as a single woman, there's more love, heartbreak, and lies ahead for her.
9'La usurpadora' ('The Usurper')
If you were a big fan of Petra and her sister Anežka, then this telenovela is 100% made for you. The show is about twins separated at birth. Paulina is the good one, Paola is the rotten one, and a series of events leads them to switch lives. There are affairs and car wrecks, happy endings and tragedies.
The adventures of Jane might be over, but lucky for fans, there are plenty of telenovelas out there just waiting to be discovered.
