Jane By Design “Pilot” 

I love high school shows. If I had to pick a favorite television genre, high school shows would be my number one always and forever. There’s just something I really enjoy about watching people struggle with decisions and life choices on the way to becoming who they are. I love the drama of high school. I love the drama of thinking you know it all when you’re young and being constantly proven wrong. The drama of first and young love is very compelling and it’s fun to watch someone discover the kind of person they want to be with. I’ve also got a thing for fashion – mostly watching competition shows about it and occasionally (but not often) being stylish myself. So going in, I knew I was going to like Jane by Design. And it didn’t disappoint.

With any new show – especially the pilot – there are things that don’t work. And this show is no exception. But instead of focusing on the few things that I didn’t love I’m going to focus on what I did. I know the world of fashion can be cut-throat and vicious, but that’s not how we (usually) do things at TV Goodness.

How adorable is Erica Dasher‘s Jane Quimby? I love that she’s got a passion for fashion but that it’s not appreciated at her high school. When she sees an opportunity to help her struggling little family she takes it. I don’t remember having the opportunity to pursue this type of internship when I was in high school, but I’m not going to let reality intrude on my enjoyment of this set up. A little mix up at the office makes Jane the executive assistant to Andie MacDowell‘s Gray Chandler Murray, a globe trotting fashion executive. It’s all very The Devil Wears Prada, but for high school. I’m in.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Season:

• Discovering more about Jane’s family. I love that her brother is trying to give Jane a normal life after their father died. It’s noble and I’m looking forward to getting to know him. I’m also curious about their missing mother. Eventually I’m sure one of the siblings will try to track her down and I look forward to that.
• Jane’s High School Life vs. Jane’s Working Girl Life. It’s only a matter of time before someone discovers Jane’s secret but until that happens I will enjoy every moment of seeing her try to juggle it all. I like that she’s naive in so many ways in the world of business. I think it’ll actually help her get ahead in that world. And you know what she learns at the office will be noticed in the classroom. In fact, we’ve already seen some of that. And I can never get enough of fashion so there’s more fabulous clothes to look forward to.
• Who Will Jane Fall For? There are quite a few choices on the table. We’ve got Nick Fadden, who Jane’s gotten physical with in the past. Yes, she let him touch her boobs when they were in grade school. And? There’s definitely something there. Another possibility is Jeremy Jones. He’s too much of a bad boy and too old for her (whatever his age is), but they’ve got a connection. I’d like to see a real friendship develop between these two and maybe in a few years, they’ll be ready for something more serious. But if something happened now I wouldn’t be against it. Finally there’s Jane’s best friend Billy Nutter. He’s got his hands full with Lulu Pope right now but they’ve got undeniable chemistry. I can see these best friends taking things to the next level – eventually.

What did you think of the pilot? Will you be back for more?

Jane by Design airs Tuesdays at 9/8c.