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EspañolUGLY BETTY
'''Ugly Betty''' is an Golden Globe and Peabody Award winning American television comedy-drama series starring America Ferrera, Vanessa Williams, Rebecca Romijn and Eric Mabius. The series premiered on September 28, 2006, on ABC in the United States and on CityTV in Canada and it follows the life of the unsophisticated but good-natured Betty Suarez (Ferrera), and her incongruous job at the ultra-chic New York City fashion magazine ''"Mode"''. Betty's status as a "fish out of water" drives much of the plot.
The series is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela ''Yo soy Betty, la fea'' (''"I am Betty, the ugly one"''),[1] also simply known as "Betty la fea" ("Ugly Betty") written by Fernando Gaitán (also author of ''Café, con aroma de mujer''). It is adapted into a New York City setting by creator/developer Silvio Horta and co-producers Salma Hayek and Ben Silverman, whose production companies Silent H, Ventanarosa and Reveille respectively partnered with ABC Studios (formerly ''Touchstone Television'') to create the hour-long program for US audience. Hayek appears on the show as Sofia Reyes, in addition to playing a cameo role as an actress on a fictional telenovela watched by the main character's family in early episodes.
The show is filmed like a traditional network drama (with motion picture film), rather than the videotape production of the original series. ''Ugly Betty'' has been renewed for a second season. On July 19, 2007, the series received 11 nominations at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards in the Comedy category (the most of any comedy series)[2], including Outstanding Comedy Series, Best Actress (Ferrera), Best Supporting Actress (Williams), and Best Guest Starring Actress (Hayek for her role as Sofia; Light for her role as Claire. Both lost to Elaine Stritch). Already it has won one of its 11 categories, that of best cast ensemble[3].
Setting and storyline
As the series began, we were introduced to Betty Suarez, a young Latina who lands a job as a personal assistant to newly-installed editor-in-chief Daniel Meade at MODE magazine. Betty is good-hearted and brave, but sorely lacking in social skills, self-confidence, fashion sense, and aesthetic polish. She sports thick-framed eyeglasses and a large and prominent set of dental braces (which have become the most identifiable symbol for both Ferrera's character and the show itself). Her lackluster physical appearance and awkward nature result in her immediately being singled out in the aesthetically-centered world of New York City fashion, and she is quickly saddled with the show's eponymous nickname.
As Betty and her boss quickly become the success story of the fashion industry, they also must deal with how they got there and how it has affected their working relationship. At work the two find themselves dealing with Creative Director Wilhelmina Slater, who wanted the Editor-In-Chief position, while Betty found herself dealing with Marc St. James, Wilhelmina's assistant/henchman and receptionist Amanda Tanen, who wanted Betty's job in large part, initially, because of her attraction to Daniel. The only friends that Betty trusts at MODE are seamstress Christina McKinney and acountant Henry Grubstick, to whom Betty is attracted. Their home lives are also a challenge. At home in Queens, Betty must deal with her illegal immigrant father Ignacio's visa troubles, older sister Hilda and Hilda's son Justin. In Daniel's case, the issues in his home and personal life revolve around his demanding father (and boss), Bradford, who gave both Daniel and Betty their current positions; his alcoholic mother Claire; and, after returning from a two-year disappearance, his transexual and competitive sister Alexis (formerly known as Alex), who bears a strong grudge against their father; as well as Daniel's own sex and later drug addictions.
Season 1
Main articles: Ugly Betty (season 1)
Throughout the show's first season, most of the serialized storylines revolved around Betty trying to balance her work, home and romantic life (involving first boyfriend Walter after he cheated on her with Gina Gambarro, and later Henry Grubstick, whose ex Charlie is setting him up by claiming that she is pregnant with his child, though she had in fact slept with another man), her sister's attempt to join her in selling door-to-door products (only to be unemployed afterward) and her newfound talent as a beautician and her father's health and immigration problems (not to mention his admission to murdering his employer after fell in love with his wife, who happens to be Betty and Hilda's mother). Other issues that played out included Daniel's womanizing, his affairs with fellow editor Sofia Reyes and lawyer Grace Chin, and his sudden drug addiction; Bradford's affair with Daniel's late predecessor Fey Sommers, whose murder came at the expense of Claire, who's battling her problems with alcoholism; Alexis' trying to repair her relationship with Daniel but at the expense of Bradford; Wilhelmina's scheming plans to force Daniel out his job with the help of Alexis (who was known early on as the mystery woman, until she revealed to the world that she was alive and now a woman), a plot to marry Bradford so she can take over the company, dealing with her rebellious daughter Nico while winning acceptance from her father; Marc dealing with multi-tasking for his boss, his homosexuality and family acceptance; Amanda's binge eating, being the target of a prank, and learning of her true parentage as Fey's daughter; and Christina being used by Wilhelmina even as she helps Betty.
Season 2
Main articles: Ugly Betty (season 2)
The 2nd season of Ugly Betty will air on September 27, 2007 and is expected to end in May 2008. The season's theme is "Brighter, Bolder, Bettyer," with Mika's "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" being used as the featured song in its promos.
This season will introduce viewers to two new full-time characters, who will be played by Freddie Rodriguez and Illeana Douglas, while Lorraine Toussaint will continue in her role as Claire's fellow prison escapee Yoga as a recurring regular.
Episodes:
1. How Betty Got Her Grieve Back
2. Family Affairs
3. Betty’s Wait Problem
4. Grin and Bear It
5. A League of Their Own
6. Something Wicked This Way Comes
7. It's A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding
Cast
Core regulars
Recurring
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ava Gaudet | Gina Gambarro 2 |
| Kevin Alejandro | Santos 2 |
| Jowharah Jones | Nico Slater 2 |
| Gina Gershon | Fabia 2 |
| Jayma Mays | Charlie 2 |
| Bailey Chase | Beckett 'Becks' Scott 2 |
| Max Greenfield | Nick Pepper 2 |
Former cast/recurring members
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Sussman | Walter 6 |
| Salma Hayek | Sofia Reyes 8 |
| Octavia Spencer | Constance Grady 8 |
Notes
★ - Listed as "Guest Starring" in opening credits, but became a full time regular after episode "Sofia's Choice"
★ - Became recurring after their second appearance.
★ - Gorham and Light became recurring in the first season; They will become fulltime regulars in the second season.[5],[6]
★ - Alexis Meade was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne (when she was listed in the credits as "The Masked Lady"). Rebecca Romijn took over the role in ''In or Out.''
★ - Newton also plays another character, Ruthie.[7]
★ - Listed as "Guest Starring" in opening credits, but became a full time regular after episode "Sofia's Choice"; Was still listed in credits as a regular but has not been seen since "Brothers" and was dropped from the series altogether.
★ - Added to cast in second season.
★ - Former recurring regulars.
Production
The idea to bring "Ugly Betty" to American TV screens began in 2001 when NBC was planning to adapt ''Betty'' as a half-hour comedy, which would be produced by Sony Pictures Television[8] but it never made past the planning stages until ABC and Hayek's company came on board in 2004 and retooled it as an hour-long comedy-drama.[9] Two years later, on May 16 2006, ABC announced that ''Ugly Betty'' would be part of the 2006–2007 North American season lineup as a weekly hour-long series; the initial order was for thirteen episodes.
ABC had announced the title of the series would be ''Betty the Ugly'', a change from its developmental title, but changed it back to ''Ugly Betty'' on July 14,[10], although the ''Ugly Betty'' title was already being used in promotions prior to this date on Citytv. There were speculation that the show would be a daily serial that would have debuted as a summer 2006 or midseason 2007 entry, but given the buzz and growing interest in the show, the network decided to make it a weekly series instead. On August 8 2006, ABC decided at the last minute, a schedule change to move "Ugly Betty" from its previously announced Friday 8 p.m. (ET) time period to Thursday at 8 p.m. replacing sitcoms ''Notes from the Underbelly'' and ''Big Day'' as a lead-in to top-rated program ''Grey's Anatomy'', due to the growing interest in the show.
The program's pilot was tested on several cable providers to gauge interest and feedback from viewers, most notably the Hispanic community, including those who are fans of the original ''Betty'', who hoped that ABC will maintain the integrity of the original. ABC has also allowed its affiliates to show free off-air screenings to the public at various events ahead of the show's debut. In addition the network screened the debut episode on the web and made the episodes available for download on iTunes after their initial airings on January 5 2007. The encore episodes have also run on ABC Family and SoapNet, both of which have been airing marathons of the show.
On October 13 2006, ABC ordered a full season pick-up for the series, beyond the original 13 ordered at the May Upfronts[11] due to its premiere ratings. ABC originally announced 22 episodes for the season 1, but increased the number of episodes to 23 by one. The season finale is the episode called "East Side Story." On March 21 2007 ABC renewed the series for a second season.[12]
Since its debut, "Ugly Betty" won two Golden Globe Awards on January 15, 2007, for "Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series" (America Ferrera) and Best Comedy Series. Ferrera also won a SAG Award on January 28, 2007 for "Best Actress in a Comedy Series". On June 4 2007 the series was honored with a Peabody Award for its storylines, which explores clashing concepts of beauty, class, race and footwear with intelligence, warmth and wit.[13]
Although he is joining NBC as their new entertainment head, Ben Silverman will remain co-executive producer on the show, but in a limited role.[14]
Broadcasts outside the United States
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule | Notes | Latest Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ABC | September 28 2006 | Thursdays 8:00pm ET | In Guam, KTGM airs the show on Fridays at 7:00pm and Sundays at 4:00pm. It is the only ABC affiliate that airs the show twice. Slogan: "Ugly is the new Beautiful" | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| United States Military-Overseas | AFN-Spectrum | February 7 2007 | Wednesdays 9:00pm & 3:00am | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) | |
| Canada | Citytv | September 28 2006 | Thursdays 8:00pm ET | Slogan: "Style-challenged girl meets high-fashioned world" | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| United Kingdom | Channel 4 ''(First Run)'' | 5 January 2007[15] | Fridays 9:00pm, Sundays at 3:55pm (Repeat) GMT | Slogan: "Fashion has a new face" | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| S4C ''(Wales Only)'' | Fridays 10 or 11pm (varies)[16] | ||||
| 4oD | 5 January 2007 | Using Channel 4's on demand service, people could pay £0.99 to rent the episode of their choice at any time, for 24 hours. | |||
| E4 | 10 January 2007 | Wednesdays 9pm (Next Episode)[16] GMT | |||
| Ireland | RTÉ Two | 1 January, 2007 | Mondays 7:00pm GMT | First two episodes together | East Side Story(episode 23 season finale) |
| 2007-02-01 | Thursdays 8:00pm | Moved, and caused two episodes to be shown in the week it moved. | |||
| Netherlands | Net 5 | 20 August, 2007 | Mondays 8:30pm CET | Slogan: "De modewereld heeft een nieuw gezicht" ("The fashion world has a new face"). Shown with Dutch subtitles. Tien aired Lotte, the Dutch adaption of Yo Soy Betty, la fea. | Queens For A Day (all episodes will be aired) |
| Sweden | Kanal 5 | 7 November, 2006 | Tuesdays 8:00pm CET | Petra-Gate (episode 20). | |
| Fiji | Fiji One | 9 November, 2006 | Thursdays 9:05pm | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) | |
| Italy | Italia 1 | May 18, 2007 | Fridays at 9pm (2 episodes per night) - from June 13, 2007 it will air on Wednesdays | The episode Swag (episode 11) was shown as the fourth episode as it was originally planned by ABC. Obviously the episode was edited, not showing the part in which Betty remembers all the things that happened regarding her handbag | Don't Ask, Don't Tell (episode 17) |
| Norway | TVNorge | 3 January, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:45pm | East Side Story (episode 23). | |
| New Zealand | TV2 | January 16, 2007 | Tuesdays 8:30pm | Slogan: Ugly is the new beautiful, True Beauty Tuesdays | East Side Story (episode 23, season one finale) |
| Saudi Arabia and Arab World | Showtime Arabia | January 22 2007 | Mondays at 9:00 PM | Shown with subtitles | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale). |
| South Korea | KBS | February 3, 2007 | Dubbed in Korean | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) | |
| CJ Media Channel CGV | 2007 | TBA | |||
| Malaysia | 8TV | February 6, 2007 | Tuesdays 9.30pm GMT Repeat: Saturday, 12.30pm | In Malay subtitles | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| Star World | August 29, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | The Box and the Bunny (Episode 2) | ||
| Australia | Channel Seven[18] | February 18, 2007 | Sundays 7:30pm | The episode Swag aired as the eleventh episode without the flashbacks, thus disrupting the continuity since it followed the same pattern as the American scheduling. Slogan:"The New Face of Ugly" and "Beautiful Sundays" | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| Israel | Israel 10 | March 2 2007 | Saturdays 10:15pm | Hebrew title: "בטי" ("Betty") | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale) |
| Star World | August 29, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | The Box and the Bunny (Episode 2) | ||
| Hungary | RTL | March 17 2007 | Saturday 7:30pm | Hungarian title is: "Címlapsztori" as: Coverstory. Also airs 'El amor no es como lo pintan' (Másnak tűnő szerelem, Zone Romantica); Yo soy Betty, la fea (Betty, a csúnya lány, TV2); Verliebt in Berlin (Lisa csak egy van, TV2) and La fea más bella (Lety, a csúnya lány, Viasat3) | |
| Singapore | Channel 5 | March 5 2007 | Sundays 10:30pm/10:00pm | Censored version. Was originally scheduled to debut in February 2007 and used the promo 'Be Ugly in 2007' | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale). |
| Star World | August 29, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | The Box and the Bunny (Episode 2) | ||
| Hong Kong | TVB Pearl | March 15, 2007 | Thursdays 10:35pm | Chinese title: "俏"Betty ("Pretty" Betty) Episode 15 kept the working title Brothers & Friends | East Side Story (episode 23, Season one finale). |
| Star World | August 29, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | The Box and the Bunny (Episode 2) | ||
| Romania | Acasa TV | March 4, 2007 | Sundays 8:30pm | Romanian title: "Betty cea urâtă din New York" ("Betty the Ugly In New York"); Also airs "Betty la fea" with subtitles | Secretaries' Day (episode 21). |
| Finland | Nelonen | April 23, 2007 | Monday 8:00pm | Finnish title: "Ruma Betty" | Derailed (episode 16). |
| Denmark | TV2 | May 2007 | Wedensdays 8:40pm | The episode Swag (episode 11) was shown as the fourth episode as it was originally planned by ABC. Obviously the episode was edited, not showing the part in which Betty remembers all the things that happened regarding her handbag | Brothers (episode 15) |
| Poland | FOX Life | May 2007 | Also airs Yo soy Betty, la fea (polish title: Brzydula) but on TVN | Petra-Gate (episode 20) | |
| TVP2 | September 2007 | Mondays 10:00pm | First episode to be aired | ||
| France | TF1 | 2007 | Also airs Verliebt in Berlin ''(as "Le destin de Lisa")'' | ||
| Turkey | Mymax | 2006 | Wednesdays 10:00pm | ||
| Germany | Sat. 1 | April 27 2007[19] | Fridays 8:15pm | German title: "Alles Betty!" Also airs Verliebt in Berlin | The Box and the Bunny (episode 2) (cancelled after two episodes) |
| Austria | ORF1 | 21st April 2007 | Saturdays 5:10pm | German title: "Alles Betty!" | Punch-Out (episode 19) |
| Mexico | XEW-TV XEQ-TV | June 2007 | Also airs La Fea Mas Bella (based on Yo Soy Betty La Fea) | ||
| South Africa | M-Net | July 17 2007 | Tuesday 7:30pm | [20] [21] | Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral (episode 8) |
| Zimbabwe | |||||
| Portugal | SIC | April 7, 2007 | Saturdays 3:00 pm | Portuguese title: "Betty Feia" ("Ugly Betty"). Shown with subtitles. | Brothers (episode 15). |
| Chile | Canal 13 | 2007 | |||
| Spain | Cuatro TV | Also airs Yo Soy Betty la Fea | |||
| Greece | Mega Channel | Also airs Maria i Ashimi (Ugly Mary). Alpha TV airs I ashimi pu egine omorfi (La fea más bella). | |||
| India | Star World | July 4, 2007 | Wednesdays 9:00pm IST (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | Sony Entertainment Television used to air Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin a few years before, Which is also an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea ("I am Betty, the ugly one") went on to become one of the highest rated show on TV. | Lose the Boss (broadcast as Episode 10) |
| Philippines | Studio 23 | April 8 2007 | Tuesday 9:30pm (since July 24, 2007) | Studio 23 also airs Betty la fea The episode Swag (episode 11) was shown as the fourth episode as it was originally planned by ABC. Obviously the episode was edited, not showing the part in which Betty remembers all the things that happened regarding her handbag | Derailed (episode 16). |
| Star World | August 29, 2007 | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | The Box and the Bunny (episode 2) | ||
| Bahrain | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | ||||
| Indonesia | Wednesdays 7:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 7:00pm) | ||||
| Kuwait | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | ||||
| Maldives | Wednesdays 9:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Oman | Wednesdays 9:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Pakistan | Wednesdays 9:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Qatar | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Sri Lanka | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Taiwan | Wednesdays 9:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 9:00pm) | ||||
| Thailand | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) | ||||
| United Arab Emirates | Wednesdays 8:00pm (Encore: Saturdays 8:00pm) |
Competition with other "Betty" offshoots
Although Buena Vista Television has sold the series to foreign territories, the English-language version is expected to compete with the in-house versions in several of the locations.[22]
As noted by the international broadcast table posted above, several of these broadcasters have not only acquired this version, but the counterparts as well, including those that were produced by the broadcasters themselves. So far the series has been sold to TV networks and broadcasters in over 130 countries, making this version the most successful of the "Betty La Fea" franchise [23]
In the U.S., Univision aired the Mexican counterpart ''La fea más bella'', which ran weeknights at 8PM (E/P), including Thursdays during the same time ''Ugly Betty'' airs. The star of the Mexican version, Angelica Vale, was supposed to make a cameo in the 22nd episode, playing Betty's "counterpart" from the series, Leticia 'Lety' Padilla Solís [24], but the story turned out to be false. Vale appeared in the season finale playing Angelica, an orthodontist's assistant who looks exactly like Lety (pre-makeover).
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release dates | Additional Features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| The Complete First Season - The Bettyfied Edition | 23 | August 21 2007 | September 17 2007 | September 24 2007 | This six disc box set contains all 23 episodes from the first season. Special features include an exhibit of the "Best and Worst Fashions of Season One", a discussion with the cast on the show's origins, a behind-the-scenes documentary with the production, costume, and set designers, as well as English and Spanish audio tracks. |
Ratings
In the United States
In the following summary, "Rating" is the estimated percentage of all televisions tuned to the show, and "Share" is the percentage of all televisions ''in use'' that are tuned in.
"Viewers" is the estimated number of actual people watching, in millions, while "ranking" is the approximate ranking of the show against all prime-time TV shows for the week (Sunday to Saturday).
Based on average total viewers per episode of ''Ugly Betty'' on ABC:
'Seasonal'
| Season | Timeslot (EDT) | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) | 18-49 (Rank)[25] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '1' | Thursday 8:00 P.M. | September 28, 2006 | May 17, 2007 | 2006-2007 | '#22' | 12.7 | 3.7/10 ('#40')[26] |
'Weekly'
| Episode # | Title | Air Date | Rating[27] | Share[28] | 18-49[25] | Viewers | Rank[30] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '1' | "Pilot (aka I Am Not Going To Sell Herbalux)" | September 28 2006 | '10.7' | '17' | '6.5' | '16.09' | '#9' |
| '2' | "The Box and the Bunny" | October 5 2006 | '9.5' | '15' | '4.9' | '14.20' | '#18' |
| '3' | "Queens for a Day" | October 12 2006 | '9.3' | '15' | '4.4' | '13.80' | '#21' |
| '4' | "Fey's Sleigh Ride" | October 19 2006 | '8.9' | '14' | '4.3' | '13.07' | '#21' |
| '5' | "The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe" | October 26 2006 | '8.9' | '14' | '4.3' | '13.15' | '#21' |
| '6' | "Trust, Lust, and Must" | November 2 2006 | '9.3' | '14' | '4.4' | '13.72' | '#22' |
| '7' | "After Hours" | November 9 2006 | '8.6' | '13' | '4.1' | '12.87' | '#27' |
| '8' | "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral" | November 16 2006 | '8.9' | '14' | '3.9' | '12.96' | '#23' |
| '9' | "Lose the Boss" | November 23 2006 | '5.3' | '11' | '2.9' | '8.73' | '#48' |
| '10' | "Fake Plastic Snow" | November 30 2006 | '9.0' | '14' | '4.3' | '13.33' | '#21' |
| '11' | "Swag" | January 4 2007 | '7.8' | '12' | '3.9' | '11.64' | '#18' |
| '12' | "Sofia's Choice" | January 11 2007 | '10.4' | '16' | '4.4' | '13.48' | '#12' |
| '13' | "In or Out" | January 18 2007 | '9.5' | '15' | '4.5' | '14.10' | '#13' |
| '14' | "I'm Coming Out" | February 1 2007 | '9.3' | '14' | '4.8' | '14.27' | '#11' |
| '15' | "Brothers" | February 8 2007 | '9.1' | '14' | '4.7' | '14.30' | '#20' |
| '16' | "Derailed" | February 15 2007 | '9.1' | '14' | '4.5' | '13.70' | '#17' |
| '17' | "Icing on the Cake" | March 15 2007 | '7.4' | '12' | '3.5' | '10.80' | '#19' |
| '18' | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | March 22 2007 | '7.4' | '13' | '3.2' | '10.50' | '#18' |
| '19' | "Punch Out" | April 19 2007 | '6.7' | '12' | '3.0' | '9.5' | '#25' |
| '20' | "Petra-Gate" | April 26 2007 | '6.8' | '12' | '3.1' | '9.62' | '#29' |
| '21' | "Secretaries' Day" | May 3 2007 | '7.1' | '12' | '3.6' | '10.7' | '#22' |
| '22' | "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" | May 10 2007 | '6.6' | '12' | '2.9' | '9.6' | '#23' |
| '23' | "East Side Story" Season Finale | May 17 2007 | '7.1' | '13' | '3.5' | '10.39' | '#22' |
In other countries
★ 'United Kingdom'
The premiere on Channel 4 on January 5, 2007 attracted 4.5 million viewers.[31] Two weeks later, Ugly Betty hit a new high, with 5 million viewers watching the third episode.[32]
The figures and shares were very much similar each week, flirting around 2-3 million viewers with 10-15% share. Disappointingly, the finale rated less than the premiere episode, attracting 3.1 million viewers with 15% share.[33] Yet still, it managed to perform reasonably well, when pending on Channel 4's standard and expectations with viewing figures.
Because of the show's success and the fanbase it has acheived in the UK, Channel 4 has decided to move up the second season schedule launch to Friday October 05, 2007, thus allowing viewers to see the series two weeks after its US airings, a rarity in UK television.
★ 'Australia'
Its debut episode on the Seven Network pulled in 2.03 million viewers, beating Nine's airing of ''60 Minutes'' and Ten's airing of ''The Biggest Loser'' in the same time period. Since its debut the series has remained in the top 5 in the Australian TV ratings.[34].
The season one finale aired August 5, 2007 and received the lowest rating of the year - 1.051 million, and only in the 13th slot of the night. This was predominantly because it was up against the season premiere of the popular program, Australian Idol. Nevertheless, "Ugly Betty", along with other American TV imports, has boosted Seven's fortunes and ratings in the country's firece TV war.[35]
★ 'Netherlands'
Net 5 began airing Ugly Betty on August 20, 2007 to excellent ratings. Its rival Tien aired Lotte, the Dutch adaption of Yo Soy Betty, la fea, which by the way is a daily serial. Lotte gained an audience of between the 250,000 and 300,000 viewers, while Ugly Betty does better, with an weekly audience of between 400,000 and 600,000 viewers.
★ 'New Zealand'
"Ugly Betty" joined Greys Anatomy and Desperate Housewives as TV2's highest-rated overseas shows. It went on a two month hiatus after airing Sofia's Choice as the audience for sister channel TV1's Dancing with the Stars was deemed too similar. In the meantime, TV2 aired Day Break.[36]
★ 'Germany'
This was the only country where "Ugly Betty" failed to connect with audiences there. Sat1 cancelled the show after two episodes due to low ratings.
In popular culture
Ever since the show's debut, the main characters, especially the title character, have quickly become the latest fixures in the lexicon of pop media culture, and already they found their way onto parodies, news media stories and art-imitating-life situations, as well as recognition from the United State Congress itself.
Television parodies and references
In the October 7 2006, episode of "Saturday Night Live," cast member Fred Armisen spoofed the character of Betty by playing a look-alike named ''Fugly Betsy''[37][38]. Not to be outdone, an 2007 episode of ''MADtv'' has Ellen DeGeneres (played by Nicole Parker) interviewing an actress on her talk show who plays ''Ugly Betty'' with Salma Hayek (played by LisaNova) always pointing out how ugly she is. The ''Ugly Betty'' actress (played by Crista Flanagan) claims it is only make up and costume but is ignored.
On April 22 2007, the 2007 TV Land Awards parodied the series with a spoof aptly titled ''Ugly Betty White'', with White playing Betty Suarez, Charo playing Hilda, Erik Estrada playing Ignacio, Joan Collins playing Wilhelmina, Peter Scolari playing Alexis, and George Hamilton playing Daniel.[39] Thanks to her performance in that parody, the producers cast White in a guest starring role in the episode "Family Affair", in which she will play Wilhelmina's mother, Victoria Smith-Slater. The episode will air in October 2007.
Even the cast poked fun at their alter egos. On October 30, 2006, three of the series' cast members, appearing in their characters (Ferrera as Betty, Mabius as Daniel, and Newton as Amanda) gave New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick a 'makeover' to make him look more like quarterback Tom Brady in a spoof that was featured on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown.[40]
It was also referenced in other shows, most notably in "Up All Night", the February 8, 2007 installment of the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', in which Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) says "this would've worked on ''Ugly Betty''" when she fails to crawl out a door without being seen. The scene was patterned after the ''Ugly Betty'' episode "Swag" in which Betty crawled through a fashion show[41].
Overseas success
The buildup to "Bettymania" also began to take shape overseas, especially in the United Kingdom. On December 6 2006, Channel 4 began to advertise the show. The ad shows seemingly attractive models gathered around a pool, but as the camera angle changes a model comes out of the pool wearing Betty's glasses, then as the models smile, they are all wearing Betty's braces. Another ad parodies Marks and Spencer's successful fashion advertising campaign, as well as Dove and Gap campaigns. A voice over then says, "Fashion has a new face. 'Ugly Betty' Coming Soon To 4." After a week of these teasers, clips from the actual programme were included in the trailers. In mid-January, in the UK, Davina McCall, presenter of ''Celebrity Big Brother'' dressed up as Betty live on Channel 4 before the titles of the second eviction show of the evening. Interestingly on February 16 2007, Ashley Jensen (Christina) also dressed up as Betty during an airing of Channel 4's ''Friday Night Project'', where she was the guest host. The children's channel CBeebies also parodied the title sequence, with one variation mixing faces of regular CBeebies characters until finally settling with Tiny from ''Little Robots''.
Australia also became smitten with "Bettymania." During the lead up week to the huge Sunday Premiere of ''Ugly Betty'', February 12 to February 17 2007, Channel Seven devoted a week of ''Deal or No Deal'' to the show by having the models dress like Betty, complete with the Guadalajara poncho. Channel Seven also used the series to promote its successful "Beautiful Sundays" schedule.
In South Africa, M-Net teamed up with Ogilve Johanesburg to hype up its campaign for the show, which included a picture of Betty on the mock cover of ELLE magazine[42]
And New Zealand have also hyped-up ''Ugly Betty'' by promoting Tuesday nights as "True Beauty Tuesday" and also launching competitions for a replica of Betty's Guadalajara poncho.
Real-life impact
The show's impact on issues and culture has also attracted the attention of the United States Congress, where on January 17, 2007 California congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-32nd, El Monte) saluted Ferrera on both her Golden Globe win and for bringing a positive profile to the Latin and Hispanic communities.[43]
In addition to that recognition, on May 8 2007, star America Ferrera was honored by Time Magazine on their annual list of the 100 most influential people. The event took place at New York's Lincoln Center and the actress was recognized for defying stereotypes with the show [1].
The success of Ugly Betty and how it deals with body imaging among women in general would inspire a series of reports on Entertainment Tonight, in which reporter Vanessa Minillo went undercover in a fat suit to see if women were discriminated on the basis of how they look.
Ugly Betty won the Outstanding Comedy Series award by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in April 2007. [2]
Reviews
★ Ugly Betty Reviews at Metacritic.com
★ first-look in ''USA Today'' (August 15 2006)
★ Review in ''USA Today'' (September 28 2006)
★ Comparisons between ''Ugly Betty'' and ''The Devil Wears Prada'' in USA Today (September 26 2006)
★ "It's a 'Bettification' project" from USA Today (October 4 2006)
★ from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (September 27 2006)
★ from The Los Angeles Times (September 27 2006)
★ from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (September 27 2006)
★ from Seattle Post-Intelligencer (September 28 2006)
★ from Canoe.ca (September 28, 2006)
★ "Ugly, The American" from Time (November 27 2006)
★ From North Jersey.com (December 15 2006)
★ "Be Ugly '07" campaign announced in USA Today (December 20 2006)
★ Articles from TV Addict
See also
★ List of Ugly Betty cast members
★ List of Ugly Betty episodes
References
1. ''"Yo soy Betty, la fea" (1999)''
2. From www.emmys.com
3. From EMMY.org (September 9, 2007)
4. From US Weekly (July 25, 2007)
5. From E Online (March 21, 2007)
6. From TV Guide (August 1, 2007)
7. from TV Guide (2007-01-17)
8. The Futon Critic
9. The Futon Critic
10. The Futon Critic, July 14 2006
11. From ABC medianet, October 13 2006
12. From The Futon Critic (2007-03-21)
13. From The Futon Critic (2007-04-04)
14. From AHN (June 5, 2007)
15. Digiguide, January 5, 2007
16. From Digiguide 2007-01-05
17. From Digiguide 2007-01-05
18. From ebroadcast October 17, 2006
19. http://www.quotenmeter.de/index.php?newsid=19142
20. From IAfrica.com (2007-01-22)
21. From allAfrica.com (2007-07-19)
22. ''Variety'', October 9 2006
23. From World Screen.com (2007-05-21)
24. From "People en Espanol" (April 17 2007)
25. TV Ratings ... on BroadcastingCable
26. Hollywood Reporter: 2006-07 primetime wrap
27. TV Ratings ... on Zap2it
28. TVWeek.com
29. TV Ratings ... on BroadcastingCable
30. Week of December 11th-17th/2006 complete ratings
31. ''The Guardian'', January 8 2007
32. ''The Guardian'', January 22 2007
33. ''The Guardian'', June 11 2007
34. From ebroadcast.com (2007-02-19
35. From ebroadcast.com.au (July 3, 2007)
36. NZHerald.co.nz (2007-02-19
37. From imdb.com (Ugly Betty)
38. From imdb.com (Saturday Night Live)
39. From www.towerload.com April 2007
40. The Futon Critic, October 27 2006
41. From imdb.com (30 Rock)
42. From Bizcommunity.com (August 18, 2007)
43. http://solis.house.gov (2007-01-17)
External links
★ Bettysuarez.com Betty's "personal site"
★
★
★ Bettyalamode.com Ugly Betty Fansite
★ Ugly Betty Italia The first Italian site about Ugly Betty
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