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?
I know a lot of people use to watch it but, they got sick of it changing times.
Maybe if the network put it back on the same time slot they would get more viewers, What time is it on anyway?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason I haven’t been watching it is because we made a big move this winter and once we finally got settled at our new destination and got cable and DVR I thought they had already pulled the plug on UB since it wasn’t in it’s regular time slot anymore. By chance I saw it was on at some weird time and day as I was scrolling through my guide one evening and immediately set up a series recording. I still don’t know what day or time it’s on since it records on it’s own. That might be why nobody… Read more »
The reason I haven’t been watching it is because we made a big move this winter and once we finally got settled at our new destination and got cable and DVR I thought they had already pulled the plug on UB since it wasn’t in it’s regular time slot anymore. By chance I saw it was on at some weird time and day as I was scrolling through my guide one evening and immediately set up a series recording. I still don’t know what day or time it’s on since it records on it’s own. That might be why nobody… Read more »
I love the show Ugly Betty and hope they don’t cancel it. Nonetheless, if they do, I would like to see Betty end up in a serious relationship with Daniel.
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL UGLY BETTY WE LOVE IT !!! HATE ALL THE REALITY SHOWS TAKING THE PLACE OF FUNNY WONDERFUL TV SERIES !!
Ok if this good show must go…I hope they remove those horrible braces so we can see her true sweet face ( I know people who wear braces & none look this terrible in them) & do it before the last show. Also , she would have caught on to how to dress by the end of her 1st month at this place..tho I’m betting she wouldn’t have dressed as ‘out there’ as most of the other women dress . So lets see her wear the right clothes for her. Actually , the bad taste she shows in dressing as… Read more »
I have really enjoyed this show and have watched every episode over the last 4 years. There is not much that I watch on network TV and I always look forward to a new episode of Ugly Betty. I have noticed the writing change over this last season. Sorry to see the show go, but not surprised.
WHAT??? I can’t believe Ugly Betty is not coming back. Ugly Betty is seriously one of the BEST shows on t.v. You cant find good comedy and heart warming shows like Ugly Betty anywhere in television these days. If Ugly Betty is getting canceled it better have a good ending. I have loved this show from the beginning. The only show I look forward to each week. I hope someone will come up with something just as good that gets back to good clean, funny, heart warming and loving shows that we should have on t.v.
I am so sad to hear this. I do not watch much tv and I have watched this show faithfully from the beginning. It is funny, heart warming, endearing, and has it all! I will miss Ugly Betty and hope that they send it off properly!
What is the logic in canceling UGLY BETTY, a fun, funny, endearing, entertaining, engaging series. Millions of Americans are disappointed and distressed with the deluge of reality TV that passes for programming today. Wednesday night meant UGLY BETTY to me, an educated WASP who loved the diversity of cast and situation. The “heads” at ABC have misjudged the demographics of your viewing audience. Congratulations, ABC now tops NBC as the “BIGGEST LOSER.”
Please please don’t cancel Ugly Betty. I love the show. it is hilarious and the charactors are great.
I wish they wouldn’t cancel “Ugly Betty”. I love the show and the writing and I think if they were to bring back Matt it would help.
Ugly Betty has some of the best writing and comedy on television. It regularly makes me and my daughter laugh from the gut, and the episodes are so touching they almost always make me misty. It’s a great shame that they are canceling this excellent show.
Don”t pull the plug on ugly betty! This show is very inspiring to people who have low self esteem. Anyone, no matter how you look, how you dress, where you come from you can succeed to what you believe in. This is what the show is all about. yes the show haven’t had a good ratings, haven’t you heard of work, school or maybe internet. People like myself havent really have the time to follow my favorite shows like ugly betty on t.v. but i watched it ONLINE!!! thats how people catch up…
DON’T PULL THE PLUG ON UGLY BETTY!!!