Jane The Virgin

The telenovela is a peculiarly Latin American cultural phenomenon, as impassioned as flamenco and intoxicating as a margarita. Think of the traditional soap opera, but on steroids, the plot a conflation of the wildest twists, every scene beyond operatic in its excess.

There have been Anglo versions before – Ugly Betty had its fans – but now comes a new US drama, Jane The Virgin (Wednesday, E4 at 9pm), adapted from Venezuelan TV and giving us a story that’s full of charm and warmth. Our heroine is the lovely Jane Villanueva, a woman in her early 20s who alone among her peers has kept her virginity intact, at the urging of her firmly God-fearing grandmother. Plus Jane certainly doesn’t want to end up like her own mother, who had her as a teenager.

Jane’s boyfriend Michael is loving and patient, despite the frustrations of their relationship, so when she declares that she’s pregnant the news comes as something of a surprise – and that, in case you haven’t guessed, is an understatement. There is a good explanation, however unlikely, and without giving too much of the plot away you may well find yourself both shaking your head in disbelief but also realising that you’re almost instantaneously hooked.

This is light entertainment with a human heart, and a rare welcome sense of morality, and though there’s sex in the story there’s nothing here to offend the discerning viewer. Gina Rodriguez as Jane is a darling who you can’t help but fall in love with. 

---

NOT TO BE MISSED

How To Make A Number On e Record, Friday, BBC 4, 9pm
Notes from Noddy Holder and company on how to make it to the top spot in the charts.

Hunters Of The South Seas, Sunday, BBC 2, 9pm
Join adventurer Will Millard to discover the Pacific island paradises of the Coral Triangle.

Safe House, Monday, ITV, 9pm
Christopher Eccleston and Marsha Thomason star in a new drama as a couple who give refuge to crime victims.