I Am Jazz

I Am Jazz (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I Am Jazz (announced as All That Jazz) is an American reality television series on TLC about a transgender girl named Jazz Jennings. The series features Jazz and her family "dealing with typical teen drama through the lens of a transgender youth." I Am Jazz premiered on July 15, 2015, and has received positive reviews.

The fourth season premiered on January 2, 2018.

Synopsis

Jazz Jennings, a South Florida teen, was assigned male at birth. Aged 4, Jennings was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in childhood, making her one of the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as gender dysphoric. Her parents, Greg and Jeanette, decided to support her female gender identity by her fifth birthday. Jazz has been in the spotlight since 2007, when at age 6, she was interviewed by Barbara Walters to discuss her gender identity. She participated in follow-up interviews, launched a foundation, and co-wrote a book, also called I Am Jazz. She has also posted videos about her life on YouTube.

I Am Jazz focuses on the "Jennings" family (the surname "Jennings" is a pseudonym, and any reference to the family's exact location is obscured) and their day-to-day lives. Jazz, who is about to go into high school, grapples with the usual teen angst in addition to her own challenges as a transgender girl. Her family, which includes her three siblings, parents and grandparents, also talk about their experiences.

Production

The 11-part series involved filming five days a week, including both days on the weekend. The series was initially called All That Jazz, but was retitled to I Am Jazz. The show takes its title from a 2011 documentary, I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition, that aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The one-hour series premiere of I Am Jazz first aired at the same time Caitlyn Jenner was giving her acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPY Awards on ABC.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired
	1	11
	2	8
	3	8
	4	TBA		TBA

Episodes

Season 1 (2015)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)	Viewers= 1.36	ShortSummary=One-hour series premiere. Jazz's family talk about Jazz's life and her insistence from an early age that she was a girl, and the struggles and confusion they faced. Jazz goes bathing suit shopping with Ari, and struggles to find a flattering suit; Jazz talks with her brothers about her insecurities over her body. Jazz's maternal grandparents stop by and talk about their shock in learning Jazz was transgender. Jazz and Jeanette visit the doctor to discuss results of Jazz's hormone tests.	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers= 1.02	ShortSummary=Ari is coming back from college for the summer, and the twins have to go back to sharing a room; their parents let them and Jazz makeover their rooms. Jazz feels her room is too girly and needs to match her age. Jeanette is emotional about Jazz growing up and no longer being her "baby." Jazz and her friends host a coed bowling night, but few boys come. She is hurt when she finds out one boy refused to come because she is transgender; Jazz talks about facing rejection as her friends start dating and how boys come up to her friends but ignore her. Jeanette is very worried about the social situations Jazz will face in high school.	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers= 1.08	ShortSummary=Jazz attends a soccer conditioning clinic in preparation for high school. Her parents and coach discuss whether she should try out for the varsity or junior varsity squad when she enters high school. Greg stresses that he just wants Jazz to be happy. Jeanette worries that Jazz, who was barred from playing in the girls' league for several years, is scarred from the experience.	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.911	ShortSummary= Jazz believes she chose to be a girl, but she finds out it was not the case, when she was still a boy she would wear dresses in private, revealing that without knowing or remembering, Jazz had always truly been a girl.	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.886	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.870	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.897	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.766	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.690	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.698	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}	Viewers=0.780	ShortSummary=	LineColor = 330066 }}

Season 2 (2016)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)	Viewers= 1.048	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 0.971	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 0.987	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 1.334	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 1.181	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 0.996	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 1.022	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}	Viewers= 1.110	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B40405 }}

Season 3 (2017)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)	Viewers= 1.386	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.942	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.886	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.982	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.759	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.832	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.863	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}	Viewers= 0.850	ShortSummary=	LineColor = B87BF6 }}

Season 4 (2018)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)	Viewers= 1.118	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers= 0.855	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers= 0.821	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers= 0.778	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers= 0.835	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers= 0.849	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}	Viewers=	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }} </ref>	Title= Nothing Is Set in Stone	OriginalAirDate=	Viewers=	ShortSummary=	LineColor = FF69B4 }}

Reception

Critic Brian Lowry of Variety praised I Am Jazz, calling it a "sensitively constructed series (in an admirable departure for the attention-seeking network)... Simply told and heartfelt, the show should add a welcome dimension to the education process, capturing the challenges associated with sexual identity at such a vulnerable age." James Poniewozik, in his review for Time magazine, stated that the reality show airing on the same network that recently pulled 19 Kids and Counting off the air feels like a "change of an era." Poniewozik writes, "I Am Jazz is an engaging story of a teen girl who has transitioned. But it is also the story of everyone else, transitioning." Marc Silver of The Washington Post wrote about the boom of transgender-theme shows on TV, including Jenner's upcoming reality show, I Am Cait: "I Am Cait will surely attract more viewers because of Jenner's fame. It's too soon to say how Jazz will fare. But, with her humor and honesty, she's a tough act for Caitlyn Jenner to follow."

Awards

The show tied for best Outstanding Reality Program at the 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Broadcast

Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on TLC on December 10, 2015.