''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by

Silvio Horta Silvio Horta (August 14, 1974 – January 7, 2020) was an American screenwriter and television producer widely noted for adapting the hit Colombian telenovela '' Yo soy Betty, la fea'' into the ABC series '' Ugly Betty''. Horta served as head ...

, which aired on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

from September 28, 2006, to April 14, 2010. It is based on the Colombian telenovela ''

Yo soy Betty, la fea ''Yo soy Betty, la fea'' (English: I am Betty, the Ugly one), often referred to simply as ''Betty, la fea'', is a Colombian telenovela created by Fernando Gaitán. It aired from 25 October 1999 to 8 May 2001 on RCN. Ana María Orozco stars as ...

'', created by

Fernando Gaitán Fernando Gaitán Salom (9 November 1960 – 29 January 2019) was a Colombian TV series and telenovela screenwriter as well as a producer. Career Fernando Gaitán was known for weaving different histories into diverse social contexts. He gained ...

. The series follows Betty Suarez, a smart and well-meaning young woman from

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, who lacks fashion sense but secures a job at a high-end fashion magazine, ''Mode''. As she navigates a glamorous but cutthroat industry, Betty challenges stereotypes and expectations while advancing her career and maintaining close ties to her family. The series was produced by

Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...

’s production company

Ventanarosa Ventanarosa ( being ) is an American film and television production company formally founded by Salma Hayek in 1999 and run by Hayek and her production partner, Jose Tamez. Siobhan Flynn serves as its Head of Development and Production. History In ...

, along with Silent H Productions,

Reveille Productions "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), the ...

, and

ABC Studios ABC Signature was a production arm of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio's ...

. The pilot episode was filmed in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, but production moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

for the first two seasons before returning to New York for the final two. The show stars

America Ferrera America Georgina Ferrera (; born April 18, 1984) is an American actress, director and television producer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by America Ferrera, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golde ...

as Betty, alongside

Eric Mabius Eric Harry Timothy Mabius (born April 22, 1971) is an American actor. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, with a degree in cinema studies. After working in theater productions, M ...

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer. She gained recognition as the first Black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later Vanes ...

Ana Ortiz Ana Ortiz (born January 25, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Having pursued a career in ballet and singing from a young age, she eventually attended University of the Arts. Ortiz began her acting career in theatre, in early 2000s starred ...

Tony Plana José Antonio Plana (born April 19, 1952) is a Cuban-American actor and director. He is known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC television show ''Ugly Betty'' and for voicing Manuel "Manny" Calavera in the video ga ...

Michael Urie Michael Lorenzo Urie (born August 8, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC comedy drama television series ''Ugly Betty'' and Brian on the Apple TV+ series '' Shrinking'', a role for which he won ...

, and

Becki Newton Becki Newton (born July 4, 1978) is an American actress known for her roles as Amanda Tanen on ''Ugly Betty,'' Quinn Garvey on ''How I Met Your Mother'', and Lorna Crane on '' The Lincoln Lawyer.'' Early life Newton is a first cousin once remove ...

. ''Ugly Betty'' received critical acclaim for its performances—particularly Ferrera’s—as well as for its themes of identity, body image, and representation. It won several major awards, including two

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

, three

Emmys The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

, and a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

in 2007. Though ratings declined in later seasons, the series developed a strong following and is credited with advancing Latino and LGBTQ+ visibility in American television. Interest in a potential revival continued since its conclusion.

Plot

Betty Suarez Beatriz U. Suarez is the protagonist of the American comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe Award and 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of the character, as well as ...

is a quirky, Mexican American woman from

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York, who is sorely lacking in fashion sense. She is known for her adult braces, rather unusual wardrobe choices, sweet nature, and slight naïveté. She is abruptly thrust into a different world when she lands a job at ''Mode'', a trendy, high-fashion magazine based in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

that is part of the publishing empire Meade Publications owned by the wealthy

Bradford Meade This article lists the characters featured in the American ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. Overview Main characters Betty Suarez Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, is the main protagonist. Aims to run her own magazine in the f ...

. Bradford's son,

Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...

, has been installed as editor-in-chief of ''Mode'' following the death of

Fey Sommers This article lists the characters featured in the American ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. Overview Main characters Betty Suarez Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, is the main protagonist. Aims to run her own magazine in the f ...

(Bradford's longtime mistress). Bradford hires the inexperienced Betty as his

womanizing Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...

son's newest

personal assistant A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task. It is a subspecialty of secretarial duties ...

to curb his habit of sleeping with his assistants. As time goes by, Betty and Daniel become friends and help each other navigate their individual professional and personal lives. Life at ''Mode'' is made difficult for both Betty and Daniel by their co-workers. Their most serious threat comes from creative director

Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vi ...

, a vindictive schemer who devises numerous plots to steal Daniel's job and seize control of the Meade empire. In addition, Wilhelmina's loyal assistant Marc St. James and ''Mode'' receptionist

Amanda Tanen This article lists the characters featured in the American ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. Overview Main characters Betty Suarez Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, is the main protagonist. Aims to run her own magazine in the f ...

continually mock and humiliate Betty for her lackluster physical appearance, awkward nature, and initial lack of taste in fashion, though they both ultimately warm to Betty in later seasons. However, not everyone at ''Mode'' is against Betty; she gains loyal friends in Scottish seamstress

Christina McKinney Christina McKinney is a fictional character on the American dramedy ''Ugly Betty'', which aired on ABC between 2006 and 2010. Christina was portrayed by Ashley Jensen. Introduced as a seamstress for the fashion magazine ''MODE'', she is a close fr ...

and nerdy accountant

Henry Grubstick This article lists the characters featured in the American ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. Overview Main characters Betty Suarez Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, is the main protagonist. Aims to run her own magazine in the f ...

. She also receives strong support from her father

Ignacio Ignacio is a male Spanish language, Spanish name originating in the Latin name "Ignatius" from ''ignis'' "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the Ignatius of Antioch, third bishop of Antioch (who was thrown to wild beasts by emp ...

, older sister

Hilda Hilda is one of several feminine given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. ...

, and nephew

Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...

Cast and characters

Main

: A smart, kind-hearted young woman from

, Betty begins working at ''Mode'', a prestigious fashion magazine, despite her lack of fashion sense. Known for her optimism and integrity, she navigates a hostile work environment and ultimately grows into a confident and respected professional. *

as Daniel Meade: The editor-in-chief of ''Mode'' and son of publishing executive Bradford Meade. Initially irresponsible and womanizing, Daniel gradually matures with Betty’s influence and learns to take his role and relationships more seriously. *

Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequent ...

as Bradford Meade (seasons 1-2): The powerful CEO of Meade Publications and father to Daniel. Bradford’s complicated personal and professional life—including secrets, affairs, and corporate battles—sets many plotlines in motion during the early seasons. *

as Ignacio Suarez: Betty and Hilda’s father, a caring and principled man who immigrated from Mexico. His undocumented status and past legal troubles form part of his character’s early storylines, while he serves as the emotional anchor of the Suarez family. *

as Hilda Suarez: Betty’s outspoken older sister and a single mother. Hilda runs a beauty salon and provides consistent emotional support for Betty. Her personal and romantic struggles are recurring themes throughout the series. *

Ashley Jensen Ashley Jensen (born 11 August 1969) is a Scottish actress and narrator. She is best known for her roles as Maggie Jacobs in '' Extras'' (2005–2007, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award), Christina McKinney in ''Ugly Betty'' (2006� ...

as Christina McKinney (seasons 1-3; guest season 4): A Scottish seamstress working at ''Mode'' who becomes one of Betty’s closest allies. Christina often serves as a moral voice within the magazine’s cutthroat environment and becomes entangled in Wilhelmina’s schemes. *

as Amanda Tanen: The receptionist at ''Mode'', Amanda is initially portrayed as superficial and mocking, particularly toward Betty. Over time, she becomes more complex, with storylines that explore her insecurities and friendship with Marc. *

Mark Indelicato Mark Indelicato (born July 16, 1994) is an American actor, singer, fashion blogger, and photographer best known for his role in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Ugly Betty'', as Justin Suarez, the fashion-obsessed nephew o ...

Justin Suarez Justin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty'' (2006–2010). Portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato, Justin is raised by his single mother Hilda, both of whom live with his aunt Betty and grandfather Igna ...

: Hilda’s son and Betty’s fashion-loving teenage nephew. Justin is expressive, flamboyant, and enthusiastic about performing arts and fashion. His coming-of-age and eventual coming out are significant aspects of his character arc. *

as Wilhelmina Slater: The ambitious and fashion-forward creative director of ''Mode'', Wilhelmina is known for her manipulation and desire to take over the company. Despite her antagonistic role, her vulnerabilities and motivations are gradually revealed. *

Rebecca Romijn Rebecca Alie O'Connell ( , ; later Romijn-Stamos; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the ''X-Men'' film series, as Joan from '' The P ...

as Alexis Meade (seasons 1-2; recurring season 3): Daniel’s

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

sister. Alexis reappears after a long absence and becomes involved in both family and business conflicts at Meade Publications. Her character played a significant role in early representation of transgender identities on network television. *

as Marc St. James: Wilhelmina’s flamboyant and loyal assistant. Initially antagonistic, Marc’s character becomes more sympathetic over time, with plots exploring his career aspirations, friendships, and personal identity. *

Kevin Sussman Kevin Sussman (born December 4, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He played Walter on the ABC comedy-drama ''Ugly Betty'' and Stuart Bloom on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory''. Starting with the sixth season of ''The Big Bang Theory ...

as Walter (season 1): Betty’s former boyfriend in the early part of the series. Walter is portrayed as kind but complacent, and his relationship with Betty ends as she seeks a more ambitious and fulfilling path. *

Christopher Gorham Christopher David Gorham (born August 14, 1974) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, particularly for playing Henry Grubstick on the ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty'', Auggie Anderson on the action-drama serie ...

(recurring season 1; main season 2; guest seasons 3-4): An accountant at ''Mode'' and Betty’s love interest during the first two seasons. Their relationship is central to several romantic storylines, complicated by distance and personal obligations. *

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap oper ...

as Claire Meade (recurring season 1; main seasons 2-4): The wife of Bradford Meade and mother to Daniel and Alexis. Claire is introduced while imprisoned for murder, but later becomes a key figure in the family and corporate storylines, often showing strength and cunning. *

Daniel Eric Gold Daniel Eric Gold (born September 19, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. He attended Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute as a teenager, and went on to graduate from Penn State in 1996, with a degree in Theater Arts. Career ...

as Matt Hartley (recurring season 3; main season 4): A sports editor-turned-artist who becomes romantically involved with Betty. Matt’s insecurity and jealousy cause strain in their relationship, though he plays a pivotal role in Betty’s romantic development.

Episodes

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

Columbia TriStar Television Columbia TriStar Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CTT) was an American television production and distribution company, which was active from 1994 until its reincorporation as Sony Pictures Television in 2002. It was the third iteration of what ...

(now

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production company, production and broadcast syndication, distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division o ...

) but it did not get past the planning stages (three writers were needed to come up with a concept based around the character) until ABC and Hayek's company came on board in 2004 and retooled it as an hour-long comedy drama. ABC had announced the title of the series would be ''Betty the Ugly'', a change from its development title, but changed it back to ''Ugly Betty'' on July 14, 2006.The Futon Critic
July 14, 2006 On October 13, 2006, ABC ordered a full season pick-up for the series, beyond the original 13 ordered at the May Upfronts
, October 13, 2006 due to its premiere ratings. ABC originally announced 22 episodes for season one, but increased the number of episodes by one to 23. The season finale is the episode called " East Side Story". On March 21, 2007, ABC renewed the series for a second season. Although he subsequently joined NBC as their new entertainment head, Ben Silverman remained co-executive producer on the show, but in a limited role. In November 2007, the cast of the series made headlines when they threw their support behind the 2007 Writers' strike by joining them on the picket line in solidarity. Ferrera commented on the reason they did this: "The issues coming up with the actors' contracts are very similar to what the writers are dealing with right now, and we have to stay united and stand strong within the creative community for what we believe is fair." On November 25, the cast appeared in a 38-second video for "Speechless Hollywood" in which a black & white camera pulled away from a close up of Ferrera to show her co-stars sitting next to her as they look directly at the camera without speaking. On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up ''Ugly Betty'' for the 2008–09 television season, along with nine other shows. On the same day the renewal was announced, two of the show's executive producers,

Marco Pennette Marco Pennette (born July 9, 1966) is an American television writer and producer. Early life Pennette was born in Greenwich, Connecticut where he grew up loving theatre: "I want to go into theatre; TV sort of lured me away." He attended New Yor ...

and

James Hayman James Hayman, sometimes credited as Jim Hayman, is an American television producer, director and cinematographer. Career His credits include ''Judging Amy'', ''Ugly Betty'', ''Joan of Arcadia'', '' Kingpin'', ''The Sopranos'', '' Any Day Now'' ...

, were let go. Their departure added to the constant off-camera turnovers on the series, including the exiting or firing of five writers. In a Q&A from ''TV Guide'', Michael Ausiello criticized the decision, saying, "someone saw fit to fix what wasn't broken" and praised the two men for writing several of the show's best episodes. These turns of events may have also contributed to Rebecca Romijn's decision to no longer be a full-time regular on the series in the third season, citing the move by new writers to make changes in the direction of several characters, especially Romijn's role as Alexis. With the strike over as of February 12, the possibility existed for seven new episodes to be completed by April, bringing the number of second-season episodes produced to 20, but only 18 episodes were eventually produced. As a result of the strike, creator Silvio Horta delayed plans for a musical episode and having

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...

on board for a possible storyline until the third season. Four days later on February 16, 2008, ABC picked up ''Ugly Betty'' for the 2008–09 television season. On March 12, 2008, Horta signed a two-year, seven-figure deal with ABC Studios, which guaranteed the show's future and gave Horta a chance to produce other projects aside from ''Ugly Betty''. On May 6, 2008, ABC announced that starting with the third season, ''Ugly Betty'' would return to New York City and start production there. The move was done to bring the authenticity of the great series' setting into the show and to take advantage of a

tax credit A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit they have accrued from the total they owe the state. It may also be a credit granted in recognition of taxes already paid or a form of state "dis ...

offered by the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

's Governor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development. The production returned to

Silvercup Studios Silvercup Studios is one of the largest film and television production facilities in New York City. The studio is located in Long Island City, Queens, with another facility in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. The studio complex has ...

in Queens, where the original pilot was produced. The move resulted in several Los Angeles crew members being let go. These events led California Assemblyman

Paul Krekorian Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is an American politician who has represented the second district on the Los Angeles City Council from 2010 until 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the president of the Los Angeles City ...

to introduce bill AB X315, the "Ugly Betty Bill", which would keep television and film production from leaving the state by using tax incentives. The bill was passed by the assembly and Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

signed it into law on February 19, 2009. In January 2009, ABC announced that it was putting ''Ugly Betty'' on hold to make room for the new comedies '' In the Motherhood'' and ''

Samantha Who? ''Samantha Who?'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007, to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd, who also served as producers. Although highly rated during its fi ...

'' in the Thursday night time slot. The series' aired one more original episode on March 19, 2009. The move by ABC and the show's declining ratings led viewers to believe that ABC would cancel the show, but on February 17, 2009,

stated that the show had been picked up for a fourth season. That statement would later be confirmed on March 5, 2009, when Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment Group, announced that ABC planned to renew ''Ugly Betty''. On April 23, 2009, ABC gave an early fourth-season renewal to ''Betty''. ''Ugly Betty'' began airing on Friday nights starting October 16, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 p.m. Central, although it was originally scheduled to start a week earlier on October 9. This caused fans and critics to worry that ABC wished to end the show, since that time slot is perceived as the

Friday night death slot The "Friday night death slot" or "Friday evening death slot" is a perceived graveyard slot in American television. It implies that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday nights (typically, between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. E ...

. On July 24, 2009,

TV Guide Network The American cable television, cable and satellite television network Pop (American TV channel), Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized electronic program guide, channel and program listin ...

announced that it had acquired the exclusive cable rights to the show and would air the fourth-season episodes two weeks after their ABC run with an option to strip the show daily, with plans to air it weekly starting in the fall of 2010. With '' Eastwick'' recently cancelled, ABC began considering moving ''Ugly Betty'' to the Wednesday night 10:00 p.m. Eastern/9:00 p.m. Central timeslot, although talks arose of moving '' Lost'' to that same time slot. On December 1, 2009, ABC made the move to Wednesday official by announcing that it would start airing new episodes on its new night starting January 6, 2010.

Cancellation

On January 27, 2010,

announced that ''Ugly Betty'' would cease production after the fourth-season finale, which aired in April 2010. "We've mutually come to the difficult decision to make this ''Ugly Bettys final season," said executive producer Silvio Horta and ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson in a joint statement. The show had struggled in the ratings in the US, falling from an average 8.1 million to 5.3 million viewers between the third and fourth seasons.

Future

On September 15, 2010, Ferrera stated that she knows of no plans for an ''Ugly Betty'' movie and that she thinks "the rumor is well and alive—it's always a possibility I suppose!" On September 29, 2010, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' writer

Michael Ausiello Michael Ausiello (born February 23, 1972) is an American television industry journalist, author, and actor. He was a senior writer at ''TV Guide'' and its companion website, TVGuide.com, between 2000 and 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he wrote and re ...

reported that a movie would not happen.

International broadcasts

Australia

Its debut episode on the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

pulled in 2.03 million viewers, beating

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

's airing of ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

'' and

Ten Network Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...

's airing of ''

The Biggest Loser ''The Biggest Loser'' is a reality television format which started with the American TV show ''The Biggest Loser (American TV series), The Biggest Loser'' in 2004. The show centers on overweight and Obesity, obese contestants attempting to lose ...

'' in the same time period.

United Kingdom

The first season premiere on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

on January 5, 2007, attracted 4.89 million viewers. Two weeks later, ''Ugly Betty'' hit a new high with 5.5 million viewers watching the third episode. The figures and shares were similar each week, around 2–3 million viewers with 10–15% share; however, the finale rated less than the premiere episode, attracting 3.1 million viewers with 15% share.

Reception

American ratings

Cultural impact

The show's impact on issues and culture also attracted the attention of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

, where on January 17, 2007, California

congresswoman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

Hilda Solis Hilda Lucia Solis (; born October 20, 1957) is an American politician and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 1st district. Solis previously served as the 25th United States Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013, as pa ...

( D-32nd, El Monte) saluted Ferrera on both her Golden Globe win and for bringing a positive profile to the Latin and Hispanic communities. In addition to that recognition, on May 8, 2007, star America Ferrera was honored by ''TIME'' on the magazine's 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. Female education activist

Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai (; , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997) is a Pakistani female education activist, film and television producer, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, ...

has cited Ugly Betty as an early and important source on her development as a feminist. She was encouraged by her father to watch the show to improve her English and was struck by the freedom Betty and her friends had "as they walked freely down the streets of New York--with no veils covering their faces and no need for men to company them."

Awards and nominations

The series won two

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...

on January 15, 2007, for "Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series" (

) and Best Comedy Series. Ferrera also won a

SAG Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

on January 28, 2007, for "Best Actress in a Comedy Series". On June 4, 2007, the series was honored with a

"for demonstrating that wit and humanity never go out of style." ''Ugly Betty'' won the Outstanding Comedy Series award by the

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ex ...

in April 2007.

also won a Prism Award for her portrayal of Claire Meade. On July 19, 2007, the series received 11 nominations at the

59th Primetime Emmy Awards The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 16, 2007, honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ED ...

in the Comedy category (the most of any comedy series), including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Ferrera),

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series "Outstanding" is a song originally performed by the Gap Band and written by member Raymond Calhoun. The song originally appeared on the group's RIAA certification, platinum-selling 1982 album ''Gap Band IV''. It is one of their signature songs a ...

(Williams), and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Hayek for her role as Sofia; Light for her role as Claire. Both lost to

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, singer, and comedienne, known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, music ...

). It won three awards — Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (for the show's

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Ferrera).

Notes

References

External links

* * *

Reviews

*
''Ugly Betty'' reviews
at

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

first-look in
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' (August 15, 2006)
Review in
''

'' (September 28, 2006)
Comparisons between ''Ugly Betty''
and '' The Devil Wears Prada'' in ''

'' (September 26, 2006)
"It's a 'Bettification' project"
from ''

'' (October 4, 2006) *
from
''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'' (September 27, 2006)
from
''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. Th ...

'' (September 28, 2006)
"Ugly, The American"
from ''TIME'' (November 27, 2006)

in ''