by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Everybody thinks that the new show Ugly Betty is a rip off of The Devil Wears Prada, but since the show is based on a Colombian, Spanish language telenovela produced in 1999 and Prada came out in 2003, some people are saying the reverse is true. The similarities to Prada are striking, with the-ugly-duckling among size 0’s at a Vogue-clone magazine. In this case it’s doubtful that the duckling will ever turn into a swan, but it’s far more likely that those around her will recognize her inner-beauty, sweetness and tenacity.
Although the pilot episode ended up having a Lifetime Movie/Hallmark feel, the series is on solid ground because of some of its inherent quirkiness, and the ability actress of America Ferrera to pull off those smarmy Hallmark moments. You’ll be emotionally manipulated, yes, but you’ll end up liking it. Ferrera’s acting talents were first widely recognized in the starring role of Real Women Have Curves, which won her awards as a Best Actress at Sundance and a number of other accolades.
The pilot episode lays out the unlikely (but fun) premise: smart-but-not so pretty Betty Suarez from Queens is looking for her first job after college. She applies for a job at a large publishing firm, only to be instantly rejected because of her appearance. Betty is spotted by the big boss Bradford Meade (Alan Dale) who decides she’d be perfect as his son Daniel‘s secretary. Bradford had just installed his son, Daniel Meade, (Eric Mabius) as the top editor of the fashion mag Mode, despite Daniel’s inexperience and tendency to bed every pretty woman within his radius. That tendency extends to his secretaries, so Bradford Meade hires ugly Betty because he knows his son won’t sleep with her (though I have a suspicion he might try before the end of the season). Keep watching.
Ugly Betty has been a boon to ABC as the highest rated new fall show so far this season. Among others, this show has made ABC a strong contender in the ratings game, especially on the highly coveted Thursday night. CBS still beat ABC out by about 2 million viewers overall, but ABC did rate higher in the 18-49 year-old category, a demographic advertisers crave. A staggering 16.1 million viewers tuned in to Ugly Betty according to the Nielsen ratings. Only Survivor captured more viewers at 16.6 million, and it’s a well established show. Plus, Betty managed to draw this large share of viewers without the advantage of a strongly rated show airing ahead of it. The second airing will be the real test, when ABC will find out if viewers liked the show enough to tune back in and hopefully be more viewers. It’s not too surprising that the first show got great ratings, since there’s been quite a buzz surrounding it. It’s broad enough to appeal to black and white Americans, but the heroine’s Latina background captures a growing Hispanic demographic. ABC’s The View had title actress America Ferrera and producer Selma Hayek on to promote the program, and the hosts all wore the ridiculous poncho Betty wears for her first day on job. I’m hoping executive producer Selma Hayek will see fit to show up in more cameos as the Spanish TV soap star that frequently over-acts on the family television set.
Some elements of Latin television are present in Betty, not so much that Middle-American viewers will be put off, but enough to make the show different and fresh. Mystery and behind-the-scenes manipulation might also keep viewers coming back, as the evil Wilhelmina (who was passed over in favor of Betty’s boss Daniel) maneuvers to take over the magazine with a mysterious woman cloaked in gause. The public’s appetite for a sneak peek in to the lives of the fabulously wealthy, fabulously thin fashion elite will also draw viewers.
In episode two, entitled “The Box and The Bunny,” Betty somehow loses the proof of the whole magazine, including un-retouched photos of a big-time actress. If the photos are published by someone else, the magazine will be in deep trouble with the celebrity’s publicist and embarrassed in front of the industry. Wilhelmina, of course, sees this as an opportunity to make Daniel look bad.
If you missed the first few episodes, visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index.html for synopsizes and the full episode of the pilot episode that you can watch on-line.
|
