After four years on the air, ABC has decided to pull the plug on Ugly Betty. There won’t be a fifth season but will longtime fans get a true series finale?
Ugly Betty debuted in 2006 and follows young Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) as she navigates her way through the world of high-fashion, working at the trendy magazine Mode. Others in the cast include Eric Mabius, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz, Becki Newton, Mark Indelicato, Michael Urie, Vanessa Williams, and Ashley Jensen.
After being a modest hit for its first two seasons, the series’ viewership dropped to an average of eight million viewers and a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demo last year. That would usually put a series “on the bubble” but ABC gave it an early renewal. It was pretty clear that the network wanted to try to keep it going to accumulate more episodes for the syndication package.
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The network assigned the series to a Friday night timeslot this season, hoping that the loyal fans would follow it there. Not many did. After cancelling Eastwick, they moved Ugly Betty to a better slot, on Wednesday nights. The ratings haven’t been very good there either.
The show’s fate seemed essentially sealed by Ugly Betty’s syndication deal. While episodes of The Mentalist and NCIS: Los Angeles sold for about $2.2 million each in syndication, Ugly Betty episodes have been licensed to the TV Guide Network for “a low six figures.”
Today, the network and production team made a joint statement, saying, “We’ve mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty’s final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion. We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell.”
What do you think? Are you surprised that the show’s been cancelled? What would you like to see happen before Ugly Betty goes off the air?
This is a pretty stupid decision to cancel this very popular show. I for one made sure that I watched this one every week. I don’t think that ABC gave it a good chance, since they changed the time slot several times, without much warning of their change. I hate that reality shows are taking out most of the real family quality shows. I could give a flip about watching other people loosing weight, dating, or raising kids who are clearly out of control with only the nanny to figure this out!! Come on, we need the funny family oriented… Read more »
Shame, Shame, Shame ABC. I always looked forward to Ugly Betty. I believe it was one of the most decent tv shows outthere. Perhaps, for once stop looking at what the numbers say and listen to what the fans have to say. I’m bummmmeeeed out.
I have no idea what ABC is thinking. They cancel shows that are creative, funny, and endearing for crap reality shows. Wife Swap renewed for a 6th season, come on ABC! What kind of morons are you? If you would have kept it on its regular timeslot, it would have been fine. You move to Fridays, which is death for shows on ABC. Then you move it to Wednesday, and only air one episode on that night before cancelling it. Same thing with another great show, Pushing Daisies. You moved it around and didnt even give it a chance before… Read more »
Betty gets her braces removed,Steals a Chanel Dress from Mode,gets a real makeover and cuts her hair into a long bob and looks prettier than even Amanda.Betty as the star needs to exit this show grown up,hot and ready to take on her new job in Paris. Justin should announce hes moving with Betty to go to school there and comes out of the closet. Marc and Amanda should get 2 minutes of airtime for the final episode because they have had enough of the scene stealing. Daniel will see Betty in a new light and follow her to Paris… Read more »
What do you people have against original entertainment? Stop moving the good shows around all the time and stop stacking them up against the competition on the opposing networks. I’m really tired of the Law and Orders, CSI’s, and all the other redundant crime shows found on every channel, every night of the week. A few more original, intelligent, humorous and just plain well-written entertaining shows would be a refreshing change. Keep Ugly Betty on. AND I’d sure like to see Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Eastwick brought back.
Ok, I got a great suggestion, ABC should replace Ugly Betty with Conan! Long live CoCo!
Another great show off the air,what is going on,what is with the networks? In the last year or so they have cancelled so many great shows I don’t understand it. Well now Betty is gone so they made room for what,another CSI another Law and Order cause we only have 100 of each of them. So stupid. ABC give your head a shake.!!!!!
Nooooooooooo! Esta serie me hace reir, llorar, es original, habla de la moda, pero también de relaciones humanas, los actores son fantásticos y también la producción. No se merece ser cancelada, te queremos Betty!
Nooooooooooo! This series makes me laugh, cry, is original, speaking of fashion, but also of human relations, the actors are fantastic and also production. It deserves to be canceled, we love you Betty!
ABC seems to be all about canceling shows the past few years…Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Eastwick, and now Betty. VERY disappointing.
First ABC Network cancells Eastwick now they have now decide to take Ugly Betty off the air because of low ratings the ratings were and are not that bad off I and others consider the ratings to be good but because they the tv networks are so only focus on the female viewers of the age 0f 18-49 they are quick to cancell tv shows once that demographic stops looking they the networks act like women 50 years and over don’t look at tv along with the men of the world also they the networks don’t realize that women the… Read more »
I absolutely love everything about Ugly Betty and i have nothing negative to say about it. I thought that season one was awesome and hilarious, then it got more inspiring and uplifting in season two and season three but it still turned to be hilarious. Season four turned out to be astounding. I have really high hopes for this show, it’s like one of the best shows on television lately, there’s nothing really good on anymore. I just really hoped that we could’ve seen Connor come back and see him marrying Wilhelmina, That Betty chooses to be with Tyler cause… Read more »
Emily,
I share your vision,I thought this Season was amazing and do hope some of your scenarios do happen, I be will sorry to see it go as well
ABC needed to stop moving the show around the week. If they’d kept it on Thursday and continued to let it build an audience, or renewed and left it on Wednesday, it would have done well. Once again, a program with intelligence and artistic feeling goes down the drain. I thought the quality held up every season.
Finally! Now ABC has room for the planned “Jake and the Fatman” remake
I loved the 1st 2 seasons. The 3rd and 4th weren’t as great, but they were still good and I still love the show. The last episode “Blackout” was great, it was funny and just a good episode. It’s not a shock that it’s been cancelled, but it didn’t lessen the hurt or the tears in my eyes when I saw the headline on ‘Watch With Kristin’ saying that it had been cancelled.
This was a great series in its first year. It was just phenomenal. And, it pretty much took a nose dive after that. The producers and writers just steered the show into a hole. Shame on them for taking what looked to be a classic show in its first year, and turning it into a real dud by season four.