# Aww. I wanted to see "Ugly Betty" too. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074 "2006-09-25T15:32:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/1 "2006-09-25T15:32:10Z")
But ABC’s going to have to do better than pitting it against “The Office” and “My Name is Earl”. Ah well. I’m sure they’ll figure something out, eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/2 "2006-09-25T15:52:39Z")
Kind of wryly humorous – running at 8:00 PM on Thursday, it’s also up against a show on the Spanish-language Univision, a cable channel… the show is “La Fea Más Bella.” It’s the show “Ugly Betty” is based on. 🙂 (Actually, strictly speaking, “La Fea Más Bella” is _also_ a clone; it’s a Mexican version of a Columbian telenovela called “Yo Soy Betty La Fea,” which was the original.) ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/3 "2006-09-25T16:39:24Z")
ABC Family is rerunning it at 7PM Eastern on Friday nights. That’s the only way we’re going to see it, since our Tivo already gets _My Name Is Earl_ and _The Office_ on one channel and \*Smallville \* on another. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/4 "2006-09-25T18:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=cbawlmer] ABC Family is rerunning it at 7PM Eastern on Friday nights. That’s the only way we’re going to see it, since our Tivo already gets _My Name Is Earl_ and _The Office_ on one channel and \*Smallville \* on another. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but… I can technically get the same effect by recording the NBC shows with my receiver’s over-the-air (OTA) DTV tuner and recording “Ugly Betty” with its satellite tuner off my provider’s “local channels” feed. But then, OTA is the only way I can get HDTV and 5.1 surround sound, and if I can’t get it that way, I don’t want it crippled. I’d rather wait for the DVD. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/5 "2006-09-25T20:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=cbawlmer] ABC Family is rerunning it at 7PM Eastern on Friday nights. [/QUOTE] Thanks! Until we hook up our DVR, that’s good to know. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/6 "2006-09-25T20:44:59Z")
Why does ABC hate America…Fererra? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/7 "2006-09-29T15:25:33Z")
Did anyone watch? I really enjoyed last night’s premiere, though the scene with the photographer made me hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/8 "2006-09-29T15:53:36Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Did anyone watch? I really enjoyed last night’s premiere, though the scene with the photographer made me hurt. [/QUOTE] I liked it, too, though I’m not sure about their going all _telenovela_ with faux-Anna Wintour not really being dead. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/9 "2006-09-29T16:01:13Z")
Darn it. I forgot to watch it. Can is there a synopsis anywhere? But I thought it was based on “Betty La Fea,” after all, they have the same name. (I haven’t seen “La fea as bella.”) After being forced to forced to watch so many normal telenovelas, “Betty La Fea” was a Godsend. (I have every episode on tape.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/10 "2006-09-29T16:33:09Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] Darn it. I forgot to watch it. Can is there a synopsis anywhere? [/QUOTE] I think Television Without Pity is going to be recapping. Go to: [www.televisionwithoutpity.com](http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com) and look on the front page for a recaplet. The longer one won’t be available for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/11 "2006-09-29T16:41:35Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] But I thought it was based on “Betty La Fea,” after all, they have the same name. (I haven’t seen “La fea as bella.”) [/QUOTE] I don’t know what the differences between the two shows are, or if the US version is closer to the original Colombian show (_Yo soy Betty la Fea_) or the Mexican one. However, when the original showed here in Panama its time slot was always the best time to go to the supermarket, because everyone else was home then watching it. Restaurants had to install TVs if they didn’t want to be empty then. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/12 "2006-09-29T17:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Did anyone watch? I really enjoyed last night’s premiere, though the scene with the photographer made me hurt. [/QUOTE] I loved it. I loved the over the topness, I loved the telenovela music, I liked the “but is she really dead?” subplot. And America Fererra is awesome. Yay for two tuner Tivo! ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/13 "2006-09-29T17:47:10Z")
Without having watched it, and just seeing the promos, I was kind of annoyed they went with the “ugly=hot girl with glasses and braces” formula like so many teen movies. How long before she takes them off and is suddenly hot? I recorded it on my DVR anyway, but haven’t watched it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/14 "2006-09-29T17:52:19Z")
[QUOTE=c\_goat] Without having watched it, and just seeing the promos, I was kind of annoyed they went with the “ugly=hot girl with glasses and braces” formula like so many teen movies. [/QUOTE] I’ve been referring to it as _“Hollywood Ugly” Betty_. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/15 "2006-09-29T17:55:26Z")
[QUOTE=c\_goat] Without having watched it, and just seeing the promos, I was kind of annoyed they went with the “ugly=hot girl with glasses and braces” formula like so many teen movies. How long before she takes them off and is suddenly hot? [/QUOTE] Ferrera is pretty, but probably few would consider her “hot.” I think the casting was inspired. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/16 "2006-09-29T17:59:42Z")
I TIVO’d it and tried to watch it last night. America Ferrera was great in “Real Women have Curves” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, and I thought her acting was fine in this – but I just couldn’t get in to this show. I watched about 15 - 20 minutes of it and said “nah”. J. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/17 "2006-09-29T18:13:27Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Ferrera is pretty, but probably few would consider her “hot.” I think the casting was inspired. [/QUOTE] Well, I was just going by her headshot at [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1065229). But going through the photo gallery, you’re right. I guess headshots are deceiving. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/18 "2006-09-29T18:13:43Z")
Yeah, nah. Insipid and predictable with no interesting takes on cliches to make it worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/19 "2006-09-29T18:23:40Z")
I think the “ugly” title is only a reference to the fashion-conscious twits at the publishing house where she works, and it’s how they probably see/refer to her. Whether you find the actress herself ugly or beautiful, in the eyes of the style snobs, she’s ugly. Regardless, she kind of sticks out like a sore thumb at work, even if only because she isn’t bone-thin, covered in makeup, and wearing high fashion. As far as the show, I found it ‘eh’. It’s been getting lots of press but I think it’s only because of the title, that it’s a crossover from Spanish telenovela, and its producer is Selma Hayek, not because it’s necessarily that great. I might give it another week. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074/20 "2006-09-29T18:37:14Z")
[QUOTE=c\_goat] Without having watched it, and just seeing the promos, I was kind of annoyed they went with the “ugly=hot girl with glasses and braces” formula like so many teen movies. How long before she takes them off and is suddenly hot? [/QUOTE] Nah - they managed to fug her up pretty good, actually. Also, she has the dorky, awkward walk down pat. I think it’s a bit like _The Truth About Cats and Dogs_ - Ferrera is a nice looking gal - it’s just compared to the 5’10" uber-glammed up supermodels on the rest of the staff she looks very plain. Also, she was wearing a “Guatemala” poncho, and if that’s not FUGLY, I don’t know what is. FWIW - I was surprised by and liked the fact that her boss winds up being her ally. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aww-i-wanted-to-see-ugly-betty-too/374074.md?page=2)