October 2012 A South Korean "Betty" adaptation is rumored to premiere
It was rumored on the English-language Wikipedia page for "Yo soy Betty, la fea" that a South Korean adaptation, "Nan Chuaghan Betty Ojeon" (literally: I Am Ugly Betty), would supposedly premiere in October 2012 and would reportedly star Park Shin-hye as Cho Betty Jae and Jang Geun Suk as Betty's boss, Jung Arman Woo, the president of a fashion house called Che'l. The two lead actors had previously appeared in a 2009 TV series called "Minami Shineyo" (literally: He is a Handsome Man; commonly known as: You're Beautiful). It appears that the few other pages on the internet all based their reporting on the Wikipedia page. As we all know (or should know), Wikipedia pages are updated by individuals who are often anonymous, so much of the information to be found on Wikipedia pages is often inaccurate or is based on outright fabrications. This story appears to be the latter. As of October 2012, Jang Geun Suk was embarking on a concert tour in Japan, so it appeared to be highly unlikely that this "Betty" remake would really be happening, at least it wouldn't be happening with his participation.
2010? Plans for an Italian "Betty" are supposedly underway
At Roma Fiction Fest in July 2008, Roberto Sessa, the General Executive Manager of Grundy Italia, a company that bought the rights to the original Colombian Betty format for adapting in Europe, is in advanced negotiations with Rai Fiction to make an Italian version of the Betty story as a daily afternoon comedic soap opera to air on Raiuno in 2008. Sessa has stated that over 60 scripts have already been written for the adaptation, with a total of 334 episodes being planned, but the difficult task now will be to find a beautiful, young, Italian actress who will be willing to get ugly for the lead role. A casting call for "Betty la Brutta" has been posted at castingnews.eu. The project is being overseen by Paul Terracciano, head writer, and Alberto Bader, creative producer. Grundy Italia previously produced "Yo soy Bea" for Spain's Telecinco network.
2010? A sequel to India's "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin"!?
India's "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin" (2003-2006), which was the very first official adaptation of Colombia's "Yo soy Betty, la fea", will supposedly be getting a follow-up series entitled "Jassi Aageyi!" The spin-off is rumored to be in development and is expected to debut at some point during the year. The series, if it indeed comes to fruition, will reunite "Jassi" stars Mona Singh (Jassi) and Apurva Agnihotri (Armaan). "Jassi" producers Deeya and Tony Singh spoke about their definite plans to create a sequel in a September 2009 interview, and in a June 2010 interview, "Jassi" star Apurva Agnihotri (Armaan) mentioned that he intended to participate in the sequel, if it were indeed to make it into production.
2010? Will there be a Venezuelan "Betty" soon?
September 13, 2010: Reruns of Mexico's "La fea más bella" begin on Univision
Mexico's "La fea más bella" can be seen in its entirety on Univision. Episodes are being shown in two-hour blocks, starting at noon (EST) every weekday, so if they continue showing two back-to-back episodes each day, the run should last a little over six months and should conclude at the end of March or the beginning of April. Check your local listings to verify the time in your area.
June 2, 2010: Brazil's "Bela, a Feia" ends after 217 episodes
Brazil's "Bela, a Feia" will have her happy ending tonight, so as of tomorrow (June 3, 2010), the only adaptation of "Yo soy Betty, la fea" that is still in production anywhere in the world is Georgia's "Gogona Gareubnidan".
May 24, 2010: "Gogona Gareubnidan" premieres in Georgia
Although I thought that Brazil's "Bela, a Feia" would be the last of the international Bettys still on the air after the series finale of "Ugly Betty", I just learned that the first of the world's Betty adaptations to be based directly on "Ugly Betty" and not on "Yo soy Betty, la fea" would debut tonight at 10:00pm in Georgia. In case you couldn't tell by the foreign title of the series, I'm referring to Georgia the country, not Georgia the state. This dramedy, the first "Ugly Betty" clone, premieres just a month and a half after the American series aired its last episode.
April 20, 2010: "Ugly Betty" writers sued for plagiarism
Just days after the final episode of "Ugly Betty" aired, screenwriter Azita Zendel filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Federal Court claiming that the producers of "Ugly Betty", including ABC and Touchstone, based specific details in various episodes of the series on her screenplay for the film Controlled Chaos, in which she fictionalized her experiences as assistant to world-famous film director Oliver Stone. Zendel claimed that the producers of the ABC series culled material from her script, which she'd submitted to them for a possible distribution deal, and then used parts of her work in the series. [Note: In August 2011, a California federal judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick, threw out this lawsuit against Walt Disney Co., ABC Inc., Touchstone, and others. Eick ruled that Azita Zendel had repeatedly refused to follow discovery orders, ignored warnings, and failed to appear on numerous occasions, justifying dismissal of the case.]
April 14, 2010: The "Ugly Betty" finale airs tonight!
The 85th and final episode of "Ugly Betty" is scheduled to air on this date.
March 7, 2010: Two former "Ugly Betty" guest stars win Oscars
Congratulations to Mo'nique (L'Amanda) for winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (honoring her performance in Precious), and to Fisher Stevens (Mr. Zee) for winning the award for Best Feature Documentary (he produced The Cove).
February 19, 2010: Mark Indelicato (Justin) gets his first post-Betty gig
Life will imitate art when sixteen year old Mark Indelicato (Justin Suarez) starts a trainee internship at Teen MODE, I mean Teen VOGUE, shortly after filming of the final episode of "Ugly Betty" wraps in the spring. Indelicato is reportedly shopping the idea around to TV executives that his experience should be documented as a reality series, because he believes that the potential for laughs and drama could make for some good TV.
January 27, 2010: Bad News!!! ABC cancels "Ugly Betty"!
ABC's shifting of "Ugly Betty" from its original Thursday, 8:00 PM time slot to Fridays at 9:00 PM, then to Wednesdays at 10:00 PM has taken its irreparable toll on the show's ratings. Rather than allow fans to find "Ugly Betty" in its current Wednesday slot, they have decided that the ratings will probably not recover. To add insult to injury, ABC is also cutting back the fourth season's episode order from 22 to 20, so when the series ends there will be a total of 85 episodes, which is only 15 episodes shy of the 100 episode mark (100 is usually the magic number that increases the amount of money a series can earn per episode in syndication). The only good thing about the announcement being made at this time is that this will give the writers enough time to plot a final story arc in order to give loyal fans some closure.
[Interesting note: When "Ugly Betty" airs its final episode on April 14, Betty Suarez will be the second-to-last of all the international Bettys (China's "Chou Nu Wu Di" ended on March 5, and Brazil's "Bela, a Feia" will not conclude until the beginning of June). The finales of the last three adaptations will effectively put an end to the almost continuous 10-year string of Betty productions that have been created since the original telenovela premiered in Colombia in 1999. I'm sure that some other country will eventually do another adaptation (maybe Italy, France, Dubai, Portugal, Japan... who knows?), but right now it seems that the world's Betty saturation level has peaked and the Betty craze is now waning. In early 2009, there were seven different versions in production around the world. What a difference a year can make!]
December 22, 2009: Poland's "BrzydUla" ends after 235 episodes
Poland's enormously popular "BrzydUla" airs its final episode this evening at 5:55 pm.
December 2, 2009: Save "Ugly Betty"!!!
As many "Ugly Betty" fans know, the series has been struggling ever since it was moved to its Friday night time slot. It is well-known that being moved to Friday is usually a death sentence to a series. "Ugly Betty" was the first series to be able to pull in respectable and consistent ratings for ABC against the CBS juggernaut, "Survivor", and it did so for three seasons. Unfortunately, ABC did "Ugly Betty" the disservice of moving the series to TV's notorious Friday night graveyard for its fourth season, and the experiment turned out exactly as most fans feared it would. Although ABC has since shown a degree of commitment to "Ugly Betty" by announcing that they intend to move it to Wednesday's 10:00 pm slot, which is soon to be vacated by the canceled "Eastwick", the show's future is still far from secure. Although this new time slot is better than outright cancellation, it still doesn't exactly seem like a natural fit for what was formerly an 8:00 pm kind of program. Please go to saveuglybetty.com to show your support for "Ugly Betty" by signing the petition. You'll also find links to the campaign's Twitter and Facebook pages.
November 25, 2009: Series finale of "EcoModa" on Telefutura
After mutilating "EcoModa" with their heavy-handed editing (I could have done a better editing job with a chainsaw and Scotch tape), Telefutura airs the last episode of the 2001 sequel to Colombia's "Yo soy Betty, la fea". It is far from being the best birthday gift that I have ever received.
October 25, 2009: Happy 10th Betty-versary!!!
Colombia's "Yo soy Betty, la fea", the telenovela that started the international Betty phenomenon, premiered on this date in 1999 and quickly became a national obsession in its homeland.
October 22, 2009: Encore telecasts of "Ugly Betty" Season Four episodes begin on TV Guide Network
Tonight at 7:00 pm ET/PT, TV Guide Network begins airing encore telecasts of Season Four episodes of "Ugly Betty". TV Guide is also organizing the following promotions:• YouTube Video Uploads: Fans are encouraged to visit our newly created "Ugly Betty" YouTube fan channel, www.youtube.com/uglybettyfans, and upload video comments with reactions to the new season, rants and raves about characters, or shout-outs to cast members. We’ll select our favorites, and air on TV Guide Network leading up to each Thursday "Ugly Betty" encore telecast.
• Hollywood On-Camera Opportunity: We’ll be filming fans live in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 17 between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. at the Hollywood & Highland Center (second floor courtyard area). We’re looking for devoted fans to come decked out in "Ugly Betty" costuming, and share what they love about the show – from episodes to its star-studded cast. Fan interviews will air on TV Guide Network Thursdays before encore airings of "Ugly Betty."
More info »
October 16, 2009: Season Four of "Ugly Betty" premieres
The fourth season of "Ugly Betty" kicks off with a two-hour premiere, from 8:00 to 10:00 pm (EST).
October 7, 2009: Telefutura's reruns of "Yo soy Betty, la fea" end...
...but on Thursday, October 8, 2009, reruns of the sequel, "EcoModa", begin in the same time slot. The episodes are being packaged using the "Yo soy Betty, la fea" name. Check your local listings.
August 16, 2009: Spain's "Yo soy Bea" ends after 773 episodes
After just over three years on the air, and a little more than a year after the original protagonists (Bea and Álvaro) left the series, Spain's adaptation, "Yo soy Bea" has its happy ending today.
August 4, 2009: "Betty" goes Brazilian
Even though three versions of Betty have already aired in their country ("Yo soy Betty, la fea", "La fea más bella", and "Ugly Betty"), Brazil's own Portuguese-language version, "Bela, a Feia", is set to premiere on this date, after many delays. The story is being adapted by writer Gisele Joras for Brazil's second-largest TV network, Rede Record.
April 30, 2009: "Ugly Betty" returns from hiatus
It had been reported that the first of the final episodes of the third season of "Ugly Betty" would begin airing on May 7, but that date has now been moved up to April 30. Unfortunately, I won't be able to update this site until after May 5, because I will be in Italy (well, that part isn't unfortunate). The season will conclude with two back-to-back episodes on May 21. Most reports that I've read since the season began have stated that there would be a total of twenty-four episodes (which is two episodes more than the current twenty-two episode standard) in this season, but I've also read that there are supposed to be twenty-three. I guess we'll see how this all pans out in May.
April 24, 2009: "I ♥ Betty la Fea" ends after 163 episodes
March 12, 2009: Ashley Jensen (Christina) is leaving "Ugly Betty"
I am sorry to report that Ashley Jensen is leaving "Ugly Betty" at the end of the current season. She was reportedly unhappy about the production's big move from Los Angeles to New York, particularly because she had no intentions to sell her L.A. home and become a full-time resident of N.Y., so the commute mustn't be fun for her. She has just been cast in the CBS comedy pilot "Accidentally on Purpose" as a series regular, if the pilot is indeed picked up by the network. In other casting news, Rebecca Romijn (Alexis) has been given one of the starring roles in the ABC pilot "Eastwick", which is based on John Updike's "The Witches of Eastwick". Despite these other contractual obligations, "Ugly Betty" producers have stated that it is still possible that Christina and Alexis may pop up in Betty's life again at some point in the future.
February 9, 2009: "Yo soy Betty, la fea" reruns begin on Telefutura
The original Betty is back on TV in the United States. "Yo soy Betty, la fea", the series that started the Betty craze ten years ago, is being rerun on Telefutura at 10 pm EST (9 pm CST). Check your local listings.
January 26, 2009: ABC to put "Ugly Betty" on brief hiatus starting in March
ABC executives have announced that they will be temporarily benching "Ugly Betty" beginning March 26 so they can air the remainder of Christina Applegate's "Samantha Who?" episodes, teaming the half-hour sitcom back-to-back with the new Megan Mullally/Cheryl Hines comedy "In the Motherhood". The network's press release concluded by saying that "Ugly Betty" is supposed to return to it's Thursday time slot after the two replacements conclude their run, which will presumably be by May or June. An ABC spokesperson said, "Betty is a solid performer and there is no question that it will definitely be back to complete its season." This situation might not be as bad as I first thought it was, especially considering the fact that ABC has done similar things in the past so that other serialized programs ("Desperate Housewives", "Lost") can air consecutive episodes from week to week without occasionally being interrupted by having reruns thrown in between. Here's Michael Urie's (Marc) take on the matter:"At the end of March, we're going off the air for a while, at a time
when we would normally be on for a few weeks, off for a few, confusing and angering fans with repeats.
In June, we come back, and finish the last 6 episodes of the season without interruption!" Also according to Urie, the full-season order of 24 episodes has not been reduced, so that is encouraging. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello also reports that his sources have told him that it's very likely that "Ugly Betty" will be renewed for a fourth season.
October 14, 2008: New "Ugly Betty" fun online
October 6, 2008: "BrzydUla" premieres in Poland
Poland's adaptation of the Betty story, "BrzydUla" (Ugly), stars Julia Kamińska as Uli Cieplak and Marek Włodarczyk as her father, Józefa.
September 28, 2008: "Chou Nu Wu Di" premieres in China
China's adaptation of the Betty story, "Chou Nu Wu Di" (Ugly Girl Without Rival), will begin airing on this date, but the name of the actress who will portray Lin Wu Di still has not been revealed. Her boss, Fei De Nan, will be played by Liu Xiao Hu.
September 25, 2008: Betty's Choice [Season 3 SPOILERS]
SPOILER-ish Speculation: Technically, this might not be a spoiler, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. There might be people who don't already know what I'm about to reveal here and who also don't want to know yet whether Betty chose to go to Rome with Gio or to Tucson with Henry. I don't know whether Betty went to Rome with Gio or if she decided to go somewhere by herself, but I do know that she did not decide to marry Henry and she doesn't end up in a relationship with Gio. How do I know these things? Elementary deduction culled from the available facts.
One, if Betty were to marry Henry and go to Tucson there would be no show.
Two, it turns out that Christopher Gorham (Henry) is the cast member who will not be moving to New York along with the rest of the show's stars. When it was announced that the show's production would be moving from Los Angeles to New York it was rumored that one cast member wouldn't be making the big move. Sadly, it turns out that the rumor is true and the affable Mr. Gorham is that departing member of the cast. I guess it's possible that Henry might turn up for occasional guest appearances, perhaps when Betty is at her most vulnerable, but Henry will no longer be in Betty's day-to-day life.
Three, since I've read that Freddy Rodriguez (Gio) is only scheduled, so far, to do one episode in the third season, Betty apparently doesn't choose Gio either, although she might have gone to Rome with him. We'll probably see Henry and Gio in the season premiere, but after that... who knows?
Four, actor Val Emmich has been signed on for the recurring role of Jesse, who apparently has the potential to be a new love interest for Betty, who will be getting her own apartment in Manhattan. I guess we'll be getting some single-girl-in-the-city stories for our Betty. On another story front, it seems that Daniel—presumably with Betty by his side—gets reassigned to Editor-in-Chief of Player magazine. Daniel also has to fight Daniel Junior's French grandparents for custody. And now that the production is back in New York, where the pilot was filmed, the great Patricia Field ("Sex and the City") will once again be doing the costuming for the series. Betty's look will evolve, which is only normal for anyone who spends so much time surrounded by fashion-obsessed people, but fear not, she won't be getting "beautiful"; however, she will be a little more fashion-forward, yet with some Betty-fied touches.
September 24, 2008: America Ferrera "Look-A-Like" on TV Guide Network
Tonight's Season Four premiere of the TV Guide Network's show "Look-A-Like" will feature an America Ferrera look-alike makeover. Check your local listings.
September 8, 2008: The Philippine Betty
Regine Velasquez, the Filipina who is known as "Asia's Songbird," wanted to leave the GMA-7 network to star in a reported musical adaptation of "Betty, la fea" for rival network ABS-CBN, who bought the Philippine rights to the Colombian telenovela. Velasquez is a 38 year-old singer and star of television and films who has been in the public eye since childhood. Ultimately, though, she chose to stay with GMA-7, so the lead part was put up for grabs again.
The names of a handful of ABS-CBN stars were then mentioned for the plum role, including Valerie Concepcion, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzalez, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, and Toni Gonzaga. People in the know insisted that the plum part would most likely go to Anne Curtis, who had plenty of practice playing the Ugly Duckling in "Kampanerang Kuba," as a reward for not moving back to GMA-7, but it was then reported that the role of Betty went to actress, singer, and TV hostess Toni Gonzaga. These rumors were quickly disproved when it was officially announced that the role went to Bea Alonzo.
Other early rumors speculated that this Betty would be fatter and uglier than the other versions, that the title would be "Betty, Na Mas Pangit" (The Uglier Betty), and the story might be a mix of elements from the various other international adaptations. It turns out, though, that Alonzo's Betty isn't any uglier than any of her predecessors, and the title will actually be "I ♥ Betty la Fea". The series is set to debut in October 2008, but it will not be a musical after all.
July 10, 2008: Roma Fiction Fest celebrates all the Bettys
I wish that this had been going on when I was in Rome back in May, or when I was there in October... Roma Fiction Fest celebrates "Yo soy Betty, la fea" and all of its international incarnations. From what I've read elsewhere, all of the international Bettys were invited to attend the event. To read more details, click here.
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10/07/08 - "Fenomenale betty!"
Sala: Multisala Adriano
Ora: 18:30
Il fenomeno Betty la Fea nel corso della sua decennale storia televisiva. Dalla nascita in Colombia nel 1999 all'esportazione dei format, ai vari remake internazionali: cronistoria e fenomenologia di una delle serie televisive più rilevanti degli anni Duemila, alla presenza di attrici, produttori, broadcaster internazionali.
Coordina: MARCO SPAGNOLI.
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From its beginning in Columbia in 1999 to the exportation of the format, to the numerous international remakes, an in-depth look on the chronicle and phenomenology of one of the most relevant and "influential" television series of the new century that has become an integrated aspect of pop culture worldwide. An analysis and comparison of the many European "Bettys" with its original South American format and the development and adaptation adopted by different producers in the world and – particularly – Europe. The Conference is moderated by Marco Spagnoli, RFF expert commission, journalist and film critic, and among its international spokesmen, talents, producers and broadcasters, it hosts the presence of Fernando Gaitàn, creator and writer of the original series.
Participants:
• Veerle Baetens, Actress (Belgium) - protagonist of the local version of "Sara"
• Nyncke Beekhuizen, Actress (Holland) - protagonist of the local version of "Lotte"
• Alberto Carullo, Telecinco General Director (Spain) - "Yo soy Bea"
• Marianna Cortes McAllister,Head of Drama Grundy Espana (Spain) - responsible for the adaptation of "Betty la Fea" into "Yo soy Bea"
• Angeliki Daliani, Actress (Greece) - protagonist of the local version "Maria, I Asximi"
• Dieter Debruyn, Fremantle Managing Director (Belgium) - Producer of "Sara"
• Michael Esser, Screenwriter (Germany) Author of the local version "Verliebt in Berlin"
• Fernando Gaitan Salom, Creator (Colombia) - Creator of "Betty La Fea"
• Roberto Sessa, Grundy Italia Managing Director
• Francesca Tauriello, Walt Disney - ABC International Television Managing Director
Moderator: Marco Spagnoli
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May 7, 2008: "Ugly Betty" production moves to New York
Although the pilot was filmed on location in New York, and the series was originally intended to be produced there, the first two seasons were in fact filmed in Los Angeles. Exteriors were either shot on L.A. streets and soundstages, or were filmed using "green screen," with New York scenery added in during post-production. Well, all of that will be changing when the third season begins. It was reported by TV Guide today that this fall the role of New York will finally be played by New York. Perhaps producers were inspired by the beauty of the exterior scenes on "Gossip Girl", or perhaps those "green screen" shots were just getting too expensive. Whatever the reason, it's a great decision, in my not-so-humble opinion. Unfortunately, it is rumored that one of the show's stars, besides the departing Rebecca Romijn (Alexis), has decided not to make the big move east with the rest of his/her cast mates.
April 24, 2008: Season Two of "Ugly Betty" resumes
The first of the five remaining new Season Two episodes of "Ugly Betty" will air tonight. In this episode, Betty's 24th birthday is disrupted by the return of Charlie.
April 2008: China begins production of its "Betty" adaptation
A Chinese TV station has begun a co-production, along with Mexico's Grupo Televisa, of a new Betty adaptation. Representatives of Hunan Satellite TV announced that a woman with no prior acting experience had been cast as the female lead, but the lead male had still not been cast at the time of the statement. Like the Czech Republic's "Ošklivka Katka", China's production is expected to tell the story in 400 episodes, but this one will be divided into five seasons. Filming of the 150 million yuan ($21 million) series will take place at a new studio in the central city of Changsha. Originally, the Chinese title was translated into English as "Invincible Ugly Woman", but has since been reported to be "The Ugly Without Rival" ("Chou Nu Wu Di"). This series will be based on Televisa's "La fea más bella", but producer Chen Xiaodong has stated that the format needs adjustments to accommodate the cultural sensibilities of a Chinese audience.
March 3, 2008: The Czech Republic gets its own "Betty"
February 11, 2008: ABC renews "Ugly Betty" for the 2008-2009 season. Plus, the WGA strike is over!
Great news today as ABC announced that they've renewed "Ugly Betty", as well as my beloved "Pushing Daisies", for the 2008-2009 season. And the Writers Guild of America approved the latest offer from producers, so we'll probably be getting 4 to 7 new episodes of "Ugly Betty" before the 2007-2008 season ends in May.
November 21, 2007: Lindsay Lohan to appear on "Ugly Betty"?
It's been rumored for a while that Lindsay Lohan had been approached about appearing on "Ugly Betty" and the rumor was confirmed as fact earlier this week. Lohan has stated that she looks forward to playing the role, but until the writers' strike ends it will be impossible to determine when and if Lindsay's episode will be able to be written and filmed.
November 4, 2007: Slater-Meade wedding announcement (advertisement) in the New York Times
Wilhelmina Slater & Bradford Meade
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater, Creative Director of MODE magazine, will marry Bradford Emerson Meade, media mogul and Chairman of Meade Publications, on Thursday, November 8 at 8 pm. To prevent excessive press coverage, the location of the wedding is not being released, but it will be covered exclusively on the ABC Television Network.
Ms. Slater works in New York as the Creative Director of MODE magazine. She is a former supermodel who started in the fashion business as the assistant to former MODE editor-in-chief, Fey Sommers. Ms. Slater is the daughter of esteemed Senator Slater. She has one daughter, 17-year-old Nico Slater, who is currently attending boarding school in France. The bride will be wearing a custom-designed Vera Wang gown for the ceremony and will be attended to by close friend, global fashion icon and pop superstar Victoria Beckham.
Mr. Meade, 60, is the founder and CEO of Meade Publications. He has two children, eldest-son-turned-daughter Alexis and New York bachelor Daniel Meade, both currently co-editors-in-chief of MODE. Mr. Meade's previous marriage to Claire Meade, the co-founder and owner of MODE magazine, ended in divorce in May 2007.
All press requests should go through Ms. Slater's personal assistant, Marc St. James.
For all the nuptial details, visit abc.com
September 26, 2007: TVGuide Channel's "inFANity" goes behind the scenes of "Ugly Betty"
Tonight at 9:00 pm (EST), TVGuide Channel's "inFANity" goes behind the scenes of "Ugly Betty" for a full hour. This episode looks into the show's production design and costumes, plus it also features interviews with Vanessa Williams, Rebecca Romijn, and America Ferrera.
September 25, 2007: More new international "Betty" adaptations are in the works, and Belgium's version premieres tonight.
Belgium's version, "Sara," begins airing on September 25, 2007 on the VTM network and will be another telenovela format adaptation of the Colombian original, "Yo soy Betty, la fea," but it actually seems to resemble Germany's "Verliebt in Berlin" slightly more than YSBLF. "Sara" stars Veerle Baetens as Sara De Roose and Gert Winkelmans as her boss, Simon Van Wijck, at a prestigious Flemish fashion house in Antwerp.
Dubai Media Incorporated is in talks with Disney to create the first Arabic version for Middle East audiences. This one would be the first show to be based directly on ABC's "Ugly Betty," and not "Yo soy Betty, la fea."
"Ne daj se, Nina" ("Don't give up, Nina"), begins airing on October 30 in Croatia, Serbia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, and Macedonia. The show's lead actress, Lana Gojak, looks a bit like America Ferrera. Also in the cast of the 52-episode series are Kristina Krepela, Robert Kurbasa, and Edvin Livaric. "Ne daj se, Nina" is a co-production of RTL Televizije Hrvatska (Croatia) and FOX Televizija Srbija (Serbia).
France and China are still supposedly developing their own "Betty" shows, too.
September 2007: See some "Ugly Betty" stars in a PSA for GLAAD
Ana Ortiz (Hilda), Rebecca Romijn (Alexis), Eric Mabius (Daniel), Michael Urie (Marc), and Becki Newton (Amanda) are among the stars of ABC shows who appear in a new Public Service Announcment for GLAAD.
September 27, 2007: Season Two begins... Yay!!!
Plan on staying home tonight to catch the season premiere, or at least have your favorite and most dependable recording device (VCR, DVR, TiVo, or whatever) ready and set to record the show.
September 16, 2007: America Ferrera wins the Emmy!
Our very own Betty, aka America Ferrera, won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series. Unfortunately, the show didn't win the award for Best Comedy Series, but since I'm also a huge "30 Rock" fan I can't really complain (which I would have done if any other series had beaten "Ugly Betty"). It would have been great if "Ugly Betty" had won this award for its freshman season, but maybe the big win will help "30 Rock" to get some more viewers when the new season starts (even though being nominated and winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series didn't help my dearly departed "Arrested Development" to last beyond two and a half seasons).
Throw your own "Ugly Betty" second season premiere party
Just in time for the September 27 return of “Ugly Betty,” Simply Delicioso chef Ingrid Hoffmann gives all the ingredients one would need to create an “Ugly Betty” party! Check out the interactive menu at the People magazine website.
Blast from the past: An old e-mail from Becki Newton
I've been running my "Strangers With Candy" fan site, jerriblank.com, for eight years now and recently, while looking through some old e-mails that fans have sent to me over the years, I came across one of my early favorites... It's from none other than our very own Amanda Tanen, aka Becki Newton, whose brother Matt had given a remarkable performance as a blind student in a "Strangers" episode:Subj: BEHIND BLANK EYES
Date: 8/22/2000 7:19:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx
I am so glad that this SWC website exists! I'm Alan's (the blind guy) little sister. I started watching the show when Matt first appeared on it, and have been hooked ever since. I am also an aspiring actress, and would love nothing more than to work on such a great show. Thanks for supporting Matt!
— Becki Newton It looks like Matt's little sis got her wish! If Becki ever visits this site, I hope that she likes it as much as she liked my jerriblank.com site, because Ugly is the New Beautiful is another labor of my love and appreciation for the fabulous work that these talented people are doing on television to entertain us all.
Win a copy of the first season of "Ugly Betty" on DVD!!!
Entering the drawing is simple! All you need to do is link to Gossip Giants on your blog, Myspace, or Facebook page. Once you've put up a link, leave a comment at the Gossip Giants site to let them know that you've linked to them and tell them where they can find that link. They will be picking a winner, who will be notified by email, on September 1st. This contest is for people in the U.S. only. Find more details here.
Season Two: Freddy Rodriguez joins "Ugly Betty" cast
For those who hate spoilers, I won't give much away about what will be happening in the second season of "Ugly Betty," but I will say that Freddy Rodriguez (Federico, "Six Feet Under") will be playing Giovanni, a sandwich-cart guy at Mode who is interested in Betty. Will Henry have some competition after he straightens out his mess with Charlie?
August 21, 2007: The "Ugly Betty" First Season DVD is released
Buy the first season of "Ugly Betty" on DVD from amazon.com!!! All 23 episodes are contained in a six-disc DVD set. Plus, join executive producer Salma Hayek and actor Eric Mabius for exclusive show insights, and see what it takes for America Ferrera to get Bettyfied. Other features include an exhibit of the best and worst fashions of the season, a discussion with the cast about the show's origins, and a behind-the-scenes documentary with the costume, set, and production designers.
July 20, 2007: "Ugly Betty" gets 11 Emmy nominations!
"Ugly Betty" earned 11 nominations for this year's Emmy Awards, the most nominations of any series in the Comedy category. The "Ugly Betty" nominees are:
• Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-camera Series
(for The Box And The Bunny)
• Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series (Libby Goldstein, Casting By Junie Lowry)
• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Outstanding Costumes For A Series (for I'm Coming Out: Eduardo Castro-Costume Designer, Michael Chapman-Costume Supervisor)
• Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series (for Pilot: Richard Shepard)
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series (Judith Light as Claire Meade)
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series (Salma Hayek as Sofia Reyes)
• Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series (for I'm Coming Out: Mary Ann-Department Head Hairstylist, Lynda K-Key Hairstylist, Norma Lee-Additional Hairstylist)
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series (America Ferrera as Betty Suarez)
• Outstanding Main Title Design (Yolanda Santosa-Art Director, Garson Yu-Creative Director)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series (Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater)
June 5, 2007: "Ugly Betty" gets Television Critics Assn. nominations
The Television Critics Association has announced its nominees for the 2006-2007 season and although NBC leads the pack with the most nominations, ABC's top nomination-getter is "Ugly Betty," with nods in the following categories:
• Achievement in Comedy: "Ugly Betty" is up against one of my other favorite shows, "30 Rock" (NBC), plus "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central), "Entourage" (HBO), and "The Office" (NBC)
• New Program of the Year: "Ugly Betty" is up against "30 Rock" again, "Dexter" (Showtime), "Friday Night Lights" (NBC), and "Heroes" (NBC)
• Individual Achievement in Comedy: America Ferrara is up against my pal Stephen Colbert for "The Colbert Report," as well as Jon Stewart for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," and Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, both for "30 Rock"
June 2007: Three more international Bettys?
Sources tell me that new adaptations are being developed in France, Belgium, and Croatia. As soon as I learn anything else I will post the information here.
June 2007: "Ugly Betty" and "La Fea más bella" stars... Más Bellos
Numerous stars of "Ugly Betty" and "La fea más bella" have made the list of "Los 50 Más Bellos" (The 50 Most Beautiful People) in the current special edition of People en Español: Angélica Vale (Lety, LFMB), Salma Hayek (Sofia, UB), Ana Ortiz (Hilda, UB), America Ferrera (Betty, UB), Marlene Favela (Esmeralda/Sister Eva UB), Sergio Mayer (Luigi, LFMB), Jaime Camil (Fernando, LFMB), Ninel Conde (Sofia Rivera, UB)
April 16, 2007: Two Bettys meet on "Ugly Betty", sort of...
People en Español reported that the Mexican Betty, Angélica Vale's character Lety (the protagonist of "La fea más bella") would appear on the first season finale of "Ugly Betty," but they were slightly mistaken. In the episode, Betty meets a dental assistant named Angélica, who looks exactly like the way Lety looked before she had her makeover. Interesting to note, it had been rumored at one time that the original Betty, played by Ana Maria Orozco in Colombia's "Yo soy Betty, la fea," would make a guest appearance on "La fea más bella," but it never ended up happening, reportedly because of scheduling conflicts, so this "Ugly Betty" encounter will be the first time that two of the international Betty portrayers have appeared onscreen together.
April 4, 2007: "Ugly Betty" wins the prestigious Peabody Award
From peabody.uga.edu:
"Inspired by an internationally popular telenovela, this Americanized version defies category. It's part comedy, part drama, part soap opera, part fashion-industry satire—but is unmistakably graced with wry intelligence and heart."
March 22, 2007: "Ugly Betty" will return for a second season!
Although it's no big surprise, I've just read the great news that ABC has officially renewed "Ugly Betty" for the 2007-08 season.
March 20, 2007: Christopher Gorham (Henry) blogs for TV Guide
Christopher Gorham has begun a behind-the-scenes blog for "Ugly Betty" at tvguide.com.
March 15, 2007: Out Magazine Cover Story
Out magazine has a cover story on "Ugly Betty" that mentions this website and even contains a paragraph of quotes from yours truly, Tony Lagarto, webmaster of Ugly is the New Beautiful.
March 9, 2007: Entertainment Weekly Cover Story
January 28, 2007: Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Congratulations to America Ferrera for winning the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series!!!
January 17, 2007: I was just interviewed for Out magazine!
I was just interviewed by a writer from OUT magazine for their April issue's planned "Ugly Betty" cover story. America Ferrera and other cast members will be interviewed soon and they're scheduled to do their cover photo shoot next week.
January 15, 2007: Golden Globe Awards
Congratulations to producers Salma Hayek and Silvio Horta, as well as to the cast and crew of "Ugly Betty," for winning the much-deserved Golden Globe award for Best TV Comedy Series! And congratulations to America Ferrera for winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy!!!
December 7, 2006: Rebecca Romijn joins the cast
It has been reported by numerous sources that Rebecca Romijn will be joining the cast of "Ugly Betty" as the mysterious Masked Lady, after she gets unmasked, that is. She is currently filming her first episode, which will probably air in January 2007.
October 17, 2006: ABC picks up "Ugly Betty" for entire season!
from yahoonews (Reuters/Hollywood Reporter)
'Ugly Betty' sits pretty with full-season pickup
ABC has ordered a full season of its comedy-drama "Ugly Betty," the most-watched new series this season with an average of 14.8 million viewers.
While it has slipped a bit from its stellar premiere three weeks ago, "Betty" still ranks as a solid second to CBS' "Survivor" in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot among total viewers and adults 18-49, delivering ABC's best numbers in the hour with scripted programming in 13 years.
Based on popular telenovela "Yo Soy Betty La Fea," "Betty" stars America Ferrera as a sweet, intelligent assistant to the editor of a fashion magazine whose unglamorous look makes for an easy target in the superficial fashion world. The order for nine episodes brings the total order for the show to 22.
October 16, 2006: Salma Hayek guest stars on "Ugly Betty"
from "Access Hollywood"
Salma Hayek to Guest Star on 'Ugly Betty'
LOS ANGELES (October 16, 2006) — Salma Hayek will go in front of the cameras for a multi-episode story arc on "Ugly Betty," ABC's new hit comedy, the network announced on Monday.
Hayek, who executive produces the series, will make her first guest starring appearance in the November 2 episode called "Trust, Lust, and Must."
She'll appear in three more episodes throughout the month of November.
In her role, Hayek will play Sofia Reyes, a newcomer to the Mode scene who will leave a lasting impression on Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius) and Betty Suarez (America Ferrera).
The most-watched new TV show of the 2006-07 season, "Ugly Betty" was picked up for a full season order, Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment announced last week.
The show is based on the world's most popular telenovela, "Yo Soy Betty La Fea."
"Ugly Betty" airs Thursday nights on ABC.
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