Thursday night TV… Not exactly like the exciting, action-packed Monday nights on Fox (a la “Prison Break” and “24“). I just happened to stumble on the series premiere of ABC’s “Ugly Betty” (Stumbled may be the wrong word.. I lost control of the remote to a certain someone when I hit the fridge for snacks). Any who, let me give credit where it’s due…I was pleasantly surprised by the show. Betty Suarez (played by America Ferrera) is an inspiring heroine that stays true to her, uhhh, ugly self. From the nerdy glasses to the mouth full of metal, she’s a complete fish out of water at the stylish magazine “Mode”, where she’s just landed a job as the assistant to the executive editor.
Yeah, we’ve seen the ugly duckling story before, but the charm of this UB is undeniable and quite clever. Production on the show is stellar with some cool camera angles (successfully capturing each one of Betty’s awkward moments and subsequent facial expressions), a vibrant, trendy set and on-location shots that really bring the show to life. The dialogue is well written and the actors really bring their roles to life. Vanessa L. Williams couldn’t be better in her role as the “word that rhymes with ‘itch’” coworker.
The story itself is written to draw empathy from the viewers and to expose the vain, non-accepting culture that we live in today. It accomplishes both of these goals quite effectively and one is left feeling pretty good about themselves after rooting for Betty. I’m not gonna lie.. I almost screamed out “YOU GO GIRL” a few times…
Kudos goes out to Salma Hayek as the show’s executive producer (she also has a hilariously over-acted cameo). She brought the show concept to America from the wildly popular Columbian telenovela “Yo Soy Betty La Fea”. Given all of the self-important shows on the tube nowadays, I score UB a hit that has some serious spirit. You definitely need to check the full premiere out at ABC.com (Click [Here] to view the show).
Agreed, Salma Hayek did her thing with Ugly Betty. My only gripe is the story got off to a slow uninteresting start. The introduction had no real narrative hook to draw me in. Since it was a show premier and Salma Hayak was taking a stab at production I waited it out. Despite getting off to a slow start, the witty dialogue and character interaction held my attention. Though I did not feel compelled to yell “YOU GO GIRL” like the Doc, I have to say I did empathize with her plight. I’m sure no one can say they have never felt like the unappreciated underdog before.
Given the story line, environment and character stories introduced in episode 1, The Bag Man believes the women viewers will be more prone to be repeat watchers. I think this show has a lot of possibility, but unlike newer shows that are thematically connected from ep to ep, the writers will have their work cut out for them keeping the stories fresh and entertaining.