Written by: Ashtyn at 2:41 pm
I have watched Ugly Betty since it first premiered on ABC last year. I had heard about this show prior to the pilot and was looking forward to seeing a new concept on television. The show was produced and brought to the U.S. by Selma Hayek. Ugly Betty is based on a telenovela, Yo Soy Betty, le fea (I am Betty, the Ugly Girl), with a similar theme. The lead character of Betty le Fea is an ugly duckling that eventually turned into a beautiful swan. The Americanized version of Ugly Betty seems to focus on how beauty is more on the inside and what you see on the outside isn’t as important if you have a good and caring heart.
Ugly Betty stars America Ferrara as Betty Suarez. Betty lives in a small house in Queens, New York with her caring and nurturing father Ignacio (Tony Plana), her sexy older sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz), and her fashion conscious nephew, Justin (Mark Indelicato). At the beginning of the show, Betty has just graduated from Queens College, intent to enter the fashion world of Manhattan. One of the places where Betty tries to find a job is the pretentious, Mode Magazine.
While she is initially turned down for the job at Mode, Betty’s homely looks (which include an unusual fashion style, bushy eyebrows, geeky glasses, and bright, shiny braces) gain the attention of the head of Mode, Bradford Meade (Alan Dale). Bradford is tired of his playboy son, who he has made the editor of Mode, bopping all of his attractive administrative assistants. Once he is done with them, they usually end up quitting, causing Mode to constantly have to hire on new women. Bradford is sure that his son, Daniel (Eric Mabius) won’t be attracted to Betty and work can actually get done at the magazine.
Betty’s life isn’t easy as someone who is viewed as “unattractive” enters a world filled with supposed beauty, thinness, and eating disorders. She has to deal with Daniel, who initially doesn’t take his job seriously. He’d rather be schmoozing the ladies and getting drunk. She also has to deal with a bunch of mean yet pretty Mode employees including the front desk secretary, Amanda (Becki Newton) and her partner in crime, administrative assistant Marc (Michael Urie). To add to the mix is the deceptive creative director of Mode (who will do anything to be the Editor), Wilhelmina Slater (Vaness Williams), the costume designer and Betty’s best friend at Mode, Christina (Ashley Jensen), Daniel’s Brother turned Sister, Alexis (Rebecca Romjin) and Bradford’s crazy, alcoholic wife, Claire (Judith Light).
Ugly Betty has turned into one of the most popular shows on network television. While still retaining the dramatic nature a telenovela is known for, it also has a great storyline and a heartfelt message. Fans of all ages can relate to Betty. In the meantime, America Ferrera has become a positive role model for women and girls across the world. She was incredibly deserving of the ALMA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Image Award, and Golden Globe she won, as the Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Television series.
I had the chance to review Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season – The Bettyfied Edition. This included all of the episodes from the first season of the show as well as several special features. Having watched the entire series I was certain I’d enjoy watching the show again, on this DVD. It helped that the video and audio quality of the DVD was similar to what you would see if you were watching the show on television.
Some of the episodes on the DVD include the Halloween episode, “The Lyin’, the Watch, and the Wardrobe, where Betty shows up in costume in hopes of winning the prize for a non-existent costume contest at Mode, “Swag”, where most of Mode (including Amanda) fight over the goodies in Christina’s costume closet, and “I’m Coming Out”, where it is revealed that Daniel’s brother Alex has had a sex change and is now known as Alexis.
The special features are plentiful on this DVD set. There is a feature called ‘Becoming Ugly’ where the cast of the show (including America Ferrera) explores what goes into being Bettyfied. ‘A La Mode’ takes you behind the scenes of Mode magazine. ‘Green is the New Black’ explores the movie magic behind creating a New York world on a Hollywood set where Ugly Betty is filmed. The special features also include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and so much more!
If you like the show Ugly Betty, this is a must have DVD. Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season – The Bettyfied Edition is the perfect addition to any DVD collection. With so much Betty in one little package, you will have plenty of time to get Bettyfied yourself.
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Technorati Tags: TV Show, ABC, DVD, Box Set Review, Ugly Betty, The Complete First Season, The Bettyfied Edition
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
