Jane by Design: Season 1
  • Network: ABC Family
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 3, 2012
  • Season #: 1
Metascore
54 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
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  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 3, 2012
    70
    The show is aspirational and at times genuinely exciting.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jan 3, 2012
    60
    The drama thickens fast, and if the creators keep stirring rapidly, Jane by Design could become the same good soapy fun as its best ABC Family sisters.
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jan 3, 2012
    60
    Jane is a decent enough little show but it's difficult to imagine how its writers will manage to sustain the premise.
  4. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Dan Fienberg
    Jan 5, 2012
    58
    Jane By Design is by-the-numbers in its every facet.
  5. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Jan 3, 2012
    50
    It's just a plainer Ugly Betty. [9 Jan 2012, p.40]
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  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jon Caramanica
    Jan 3, 2012
    50
    It's refreshing, and ultimately unnerving, to see just how naïve Jane Quimby (Erica Dasher) is at the outset of Jane by Design.
  7. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Jan 3, 2012
    30
    [A] toothless hourlong teen-com.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. annelove
    10
    I think this show is amazing! It's original and fun and keeps you entertained. I think the acting could be improved a little bit, but it's not bad. I really love the original plot line. When you think you know what's going to happen the exact opposite happens! I think ABC Family did really well on this show! It is definitely better than most all the other teen shows on the channel.… Full Review »
  2. iluvkitty4ever
    1
    This honestly screams 'Disney Channel!', couldn't even get through the first episode, it was lame on an epic level. It seems the shows these days keep getting dumbed down. What happened to shows like full house? This show is such a cliche, never seen worse dialogue. Wait, yes I have, it was Nine Lives and Secret Life!… Full Review »
  3. lolawonderly
    5
    I continue to be shocked at the show's watchability factor. The writing is, bad, to say the least, and the acting, (by the majority of the cast), is mediocre at best. Given both of those things you would think I would have stopped watching by now, but, alas, I continue to tune in. There is something charming about Jane (the show's main character), and the plot is original and interesting. The more ABC Family shows I watch, the more frustrated I become, because, with a few tweaks in the scripts and a few casting changes, these shows would be infinitely better. If you have some free time and enjoy dumb teen dramas, go ahead and watch. It's definitely bad, and I wouldn't admit to liking it necessarily, but my amount of free time is excessive and it's quite entertaining.… Full Review »
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