Ugly Betty

"Ugly Betty"

ABC Thursdays 8/7 c

By Anna Fry

Don’t call me on Thursday nights between eight and nine. For the rest of the fall television season, I’ll be busy watching “Ugly Betty.”

For those who have yet to discover the charms of America Ferrera’s loveable loser Betty Suarez, my advice is to tune in now. Although I missed the first three episodes, I’m hooked after watching only the fourth, “Fey’s Sleigh Ride,” which aired Oct. 19, 2006. Don’t worry, the writers generously sprinkle context clues throughout the witty dialogue that help new viewers understand the ongoing storylines of ABC’s comedy / drama / mystery hybrid.

On paper, “Ugly Betty” doesn’t look that promising. The fish-out-of-water premise is a familiar one—a naïve, good-hearted painfully unhip girl-next-door gets caught up in the bustling New York fashion scene (think Devil Wears Prada).

The expertly chosen cast is what makes this adaptation of the hit Columbian telenovela “Yo Soy Betty, La Fea” so entertaining and into appointment television; The actors are fully committed to their over-the-top characters.

Betty, with braces, thick red glasses, and unruly hair, is hired to be the assistant to handsome playboy Daniel Meade, who has taken over as the editor of Mode fashion magazine from his intimidating, secretive father Bradford Meade.

In the fourth episode, Betty runs into trouble because she is possibly the source of a leak that led to a hated rival fashion magazine stealing the concept for Mode’s holiday spread. Betty teams up with two snarky coworkers, Marc and Amanda, fellow loose-lipped guilty parties. Marc and Amanda delight in Betty’s missteps and embarrassments, whipping out camera phones to capture Betty clumsily spilling a drink on a party-goer.

Under orders from the show’s most villainous character, Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa L. Williams), the two try to undermine Betty. Marc, Amanda and Wilhelmina are just mean enough for you to root for Betty, but are so comic in their superficial, conniving meanness that it doesn’t alienate you. Williams in particular takes a character that is essentially every stereotype of a villain we’ve ever seen (her appearances are set to ominous music) and develops her into a scene-stealer by exaggerating her scheming ways.

The office scenes are equally as entertaining as the scenes revolving around Betty’s family. Mark Indelicato, 12, displays impressive comedic chops as Betty’s aspiring fashionista nephew who skips school to shadow her on the job.

Unfortunately, the storyline involving Betty’s ex-boyfriend Walter is irritating. He dumped Betty for another girl and then comes crawling back. Although their relationship status remains unresolved, it seems Betty is too full of goodness not to forgive him. The problem is that the audience hasn’t. Walter’s character stands out from the otherwise excellent cast as the sole weak, disposable character.

However, Walter plays a small enough role that it doesn’t detract too much from the overall strength of the show. So, if you do decide to call me on Thursday night, make sure it’s during a commercial break.