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Has a show you love ever been canceled? You may be entitled to compensation. Barring that, your best bet is to wage a fan campaign in honor of your fallen fave.
At the end of June, the historical romance series My Lady Jane premiered on Prime Video. By August, the show had been canceled—despite positive reviews and a considerable audience—and viewers were devastated.
So began the now-familiar cycle of premieres, cancellations, and fan campaigns to save axed shows. Fans of My Lady Jane created a petition, a website, email templates, and hashtags in order to fight the good fight. Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin wrote about the show on his blog and shared the petition, lending the cause increased visibility.
Why do fans love My Lady Jane?
But why did fans become so attached to this show in the first place? I spoke with Jules, one of the organizers of the Save My Lady Jane campaign, about fans’ love for the series and their desire to save it.
Jules told me that My Lady Jane is a show that brings people joy because “It is history, but not as it was, but as it should have been. Good triumphs over evil, and love conquers all.”
It provides viewers with a sense of escape, a world where women come out on top and aren’t subjected to constant violence. Deb, another organizer, appreciates that the show is “entirely from the female gaze plus written and directed by women.”
On TikTok and X, fans share their favorite aspects of the series, which include the sizzling romance, the humor, and the beautiful costumes. The show, based on a book, has captured viewers on BookTok as well, where fans express their appreciation for the series’ playful use of romance tropes. Fans love that the male leads are clearly written by women, as evidenced by their utter devotion and subservience to their love interests.
The online effort to save My Lady Jane
As Jules told me, the petition to save the show already existed when she became involved with the fan campaign. After that, it was simply a matter of organizing—creating the website, social media accounts, and engaging with other fans.
Jules explained that the show has brought many “like-minded” people together, and that “The friendships are what really started the campaign, and what have kept it going.”
When I asked Jules about the ethos of the campaign, she shared that in many ways, it reflects the tone of the series. “Our ethos is really summed up by what if history were different?” Jules told me, using a quote from the show. The organizers are urging Prime Video to actually listen to what their viewers want for once.
Jules also explained that the fans are committed to being polite and considerate as they demand more from corporate bosses, a mentality that isn’t always present within fandoms. They provide weekly email templates for fans to reach out directly to studios, but make sure these emails are always respectful, rather than hateful.
As Jules told me, their overarching strategy is to “make as much noise as possible until someone pays attention.” These social media and email campaigns, the petition, as well as a GoFundMe to finance larger actions, all serve this goal.
My Lady Jane is a historical fantasy where, despite various obstacles, women tend to get what they want. The men are devoted to their women (or to other men), and fans get to live out their dreams of romance.
The Save My Lady Jane fan campaign is buoyed by this same sense of optimism and chivalry, and fans pride themselves on having a good attitude. Even if the campaign doesn’t result in a renewal, one hopes these good feelings will remain.
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