Betty

A dramedy with a lot of heart. The humor can be pretty subtle which makes it more effective and does not detract from the story line. It also has a moral point of view that shows that the consequences of behavior can be long lasting and far reaching, and that other people are affected even when you want to believe that no one else is being hurt. The fact that Salma Hayeck, who is one of the producers, is willing to make fun of herself by being shown in an over the top Latino soap opera on the TV in Betty's house that her father is hooked on also adds to the levity and fun of the show. The ongoing story thread about Fey is a good hook, since you keep watching to find out what is going on. You find out a little more about the plot line each episode, much like a good mystery.

I just watched "Ugly Betty" Thurs. night and I have to say that I think it is a wonderful new series.

Star America Ferrara makes the show completely worthwhile. I have seen most of the new show's that have premiered this season so far and, in my opinion, Ferrara gives hands-down the best new female performance out there. The portrait that she paint's as Betty is realistic, humorous, and makes you feel for her in everything that she does or wants to do. I doubt there is anybody that won't root for this lovely girl (and yes, she is lovely and MORE, even in the "Betty" get-up because she is such a sweet, intelligent, accomplished, and kind person).

The show as a whole is a bit formulaic, but what show isn't up to a certain degree? The rest of the characters are pretty well done (most especially the girls who become Betty's friends at the magazine), though it will take some time to make them as interesting as the main character.

My wife wanted to watch this first episode more than I did, but I'm very glad I watched with her. This will easily be classified as a "chick show" but I believe that anybody will like it once they give it half a chance. Everybody has felt the way Betty feels at some point in there life & that will be a drawing point into her world, I think.

All I can say is WATCH IT. It won't be for everyone but many will be pleasantly surprised. America Ferrara is brilliant. I think she should get her Emmy speech ready now.

In the superficial world of Mode fashion magazine, few if any of the staff do not fit in with the world they sell. However publisher Bradford Meade changes this when he decides to hire a secretary for his son Daniel that he feels confident will not just become another sexual conquest for his offspring. And so the anti-fashion character of Betty Suarez enters the world of Mode – much to the irritation of Daniel. However her hard work and cheerful outlook win Daniel over, even if her colleagues see her as out of place and out of her depth. Both finding their feet though, Betty helps Daniel find his way through the treacherous world of Mode whether it be Wilhelmina Slater or the unseen hands of the mysterious masked woman.

Arriving in the UK on a wave of hype from the US, I tuned into Ugly Betty hoped that it would be an imaginative and funny affair not too dissimilar from My Name is Earl. This was my mistake but I quickly got passed in and settled into the comic spoof of the fashion world. And for the most part that is how this series gets by – on the comic charm of Betty and the parody of the high fashion world with all the easy targets that fill it. All this is well and good and makes for a nice piece of light entertainment but the series started to run out of novelty value and started to need more and more story.

Now, from the start of the series I never really cared about the mystery woman or the secrets held by Bradford Meade and throughout the series I didn't even find it silly – just dull. It doesn't help that the series got more and more prone to melodrama and sentimentality. This is seen in the various character subplots that take away from the central silly and superficial antics of Betty within this world where she doesn't belong. The latter is really what makes the series enjoyable but the former are mostly poor because there is no depth to support them or characters to really care about. The performances are OK then when this light comic air is at the fore but mostly struggle when asked to do more. Ferrera is great in the lead, bringing out a great heart that is the core of the story in the middle of all the superficial "beauty" around her. Mabius is a lot weaker by comparison and shows nothing of the character that Betty seems to be able to see in his Daniel. Dale is a curious find for those of us in the UK who know him only from Neighbours. Williams is OK but she looks a lot older than she is which I suppose suits her character. Supporting turns from Jensen, Plana, Newton, Urie and others mostly are good value when the material gives them the chance to be.

Overall then a reasonably amusing comedy drama that is better when it aims at the countless targets in the fashion world for comedy rather than trying to bring out a melodrama from the weak narrative in the background. Nowhere near as good as the hype will have you believe but sporadically amusing enough to dip into here and there.

Ugly Betty is one of my all-time favorite shows, the first season is still one of my favorite seasons, and in my opinion one of the best seasons of television ever produced. The way it blended telenovela sensibilities with the American sitcom was genius. I think the show is extremely underrated, by audiences and critics alike. The user score here is a testament to that, and while Ugly Betty might not be everyone's cup of tea it accomplished most of what it set out to do, and it did it well.

Although I think the first season and a half are excellent, near perfect television, the show floundered a bit in its third season, where a new locale and crew changed the tone and a post-writers strike group of writers took the series into new, and sometimes bizarre territory. I must say that Patricia Field taking over costumes from Eduardo Castro was extremely noticeable, and the quality was still high, but the show never matched its soap opera antics of its first season, instead it become a lighter family comedy with some dramatic elements thrown in, and it still worked.

The thing that amazes me every time I rewatch the show is how timeless it feels, how groundbreaking it was, and how it paved the way for so many shows, and originated so many trends. I don't think Ugly Betty truly gets enough credit for what it did, blending comedy, drama, heartfelt storylines with grittier elements, transgender storylines and gay youth representation, in a show centered on a Mexican-American family no less.

Today there are shows like Pose, where the cast is made up of mainly transwomen, shows like Jane the Virgin that feature telenovela storytelling mixed with comedy, and a noticeable trend in sitcoms to feature more long arc story structure and greater continuity, all while including some more dramatic elements. At the time of its release, Ugly Betty was a contemporary to The Office, 30 Rock, Glee and other mainstream sitcoms that kept the tone light and the stakes lower. Meanwhile, Ugly Betty wasn't afraid to feature surreal moments and serious stories about coming out, murder and alcoholism.

Ugly Betty will forever be one of my favorite shows. And although it's never gotten the credit it deserves, its influence lives on in the risks taken by the shows that came after it, and the people who were touched by it.

Okay, so "wonderful" and "heartwarming" are typical clichés. I did not want to get addicted to another show because it always seems the shows I enjoy end up getting canceled (anyone remember that little gem "Arrested Development?").

Ugly Betty is a great show. I figured when I saw the teasers for it that all the funny scenes were in the commercial and there would be nothing left in the show, but I gave it a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Salma Hayeck was hilarious in her cameo. Vanessa Williams is E-V-I-L! She seemed to relish in her role! America is amazing as Betty. She plays the part with sensitivity and does not make Betty seem cartoonish, which would have been very easy given the "ugly girl" costume she's wearing.

I will definitely continue to watch Ugly Betty. I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of situations Betty gets into in the future!