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’m an avid viewer from Philippines and i religiously follow the series anywhere I am in the world. I disagree with the cancellation of the show. I just love the show that i can’t let go of it.. It will be sadder and sadder.. I am most excited to see how Daniel & Betty would be together, i think it premature to just cut it that way! Its unfair! U owe your audience the real finale!!
For your my dear Betty, I would like to send u a gift out from my handcrafted butterflies.. Please email me..
Ugly Betty should not be cancelled! It’s the best series ever! You learn a lot from Betty!!!
Why cancel such an awesome show?
i have been watching ugly betty since day one and i have never missed an episode and when i heard it was finished i was devastated 🙁 ABC should consider to take off reality shows and bad story line shows and keep the good shows on. Cause what happens in ulgy betty, the story line behind the mode and everything, is true and happens to every single one of us at one stage or another. And the show motivates us to move on and that everything will be fine. so please put it back on i am begging you 🙂… Read more »
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! i love ugly betty! Tonight i just finished watching the season finale episode (hello goodbye) and i was so upset knowing it was the last episode EVER!! I just want to say how i really want to see more of Daniel and Betty and see them together. For ages i and many others have wanted to see them together and they didn’t even show us! They showed us them in England but nothing. Also this show isn’t just a show. Betty is like an icon. She (her character) shows to everyone that anyone can do anything when… Read more »
Please bring this show back! I don’t watch Ugly Betty off the TV but I always watch it off of my computer the next day from abc.com. Not only do I miss it but my other 3 roommates loved it too 🙁 I wish they would of kept Eastwick and especially Ugly Betty… get rid of Couger Town please or FlashFoward these shows never kept any of our interest.
I can’t believe that this is the last of Ugly Betty. My girlfireinds I use to make Wednesday night our hang out and indulge in a new epoisode of Ugly Betty I really can’t believe ABC is cancelling this show. Please consider having a season 5. It is important for us to see Daniel and Betty together , oh my gosh this is all what we where waiting for.
im soo upseat that this is the last season is it posible that they might reconcider .
what happened to MATT ? i like matt’s role, isn’t matt coming back ? altho it’s easy to get matt off the role because his so easy to get jealous ( obviously ) so as if there’s a fifth season, i assume that Matt would be back but Daniel might get more chances with Betty already. But matt did said that nothing can change his feeling. and Matt went to africa cause betty wants him to find other passion to deal with. not fair. 🙁 am sad that matt didnt get to be with daniel. Altho i dont mind daniel… Read more »
ugly betty is a part off me. i was done with season 4 and i was looking when the fifth was going on on air. it’s hot, i lurn a lot off it and see betty as someone i can look up too. please make more episodes. i really really need too lurn more from her. i love ugly betty.
Maybe the reason it slowed down is because it took 4 years to develop the Daniel-Betty love story. It was all very platonic throughout. In the start of season three at least, they should have started the spark already and maybe have them together, separate then back again. Like any novelas do. In remaking a telenovela from originating countries where the old love-conflict-love again formula worked since time immemorial, they should have retained at least that. Don’tfix what aint broke. In few episodes during season 4, they made Daniel realize he likes Betty then when the hype is there they… Read more »
noooooooo! I LOVE UGLY BETTY. i have watch every ep and now there cancelling it! i live in london so they show it later thn in america so i watched season 4 online! please please please dont its a part of my life! its so amazing
i am a huge fan of ugly betty. i saw all four seasons in a matter of two months or so. and i am really looking forward to a season 5.
please reconsider. there r lots of Ugly Betty fans out here
Thanks.
Hi, I am a huge Ugly Betty fan. I think the series tackled such a range of issues applicable to huge groupes of people. I found myself comparing to such similar situations throughout which I never bargained for. I think the actor’s deserve so much credit for their character’s hidden depths. Such a sad thing to see the series cut, I can only hope for a sister show to take it’s place. (eg: Pretty Betty, Betty in London, Betty’s Magazine, Betty’s Day Out…..they go on….) I think ABC should consider some of my useful input! Or, if not that, then… Read more »
I want betty to be with daniel. I have seen forward to it in many seasons.
i wanted betty to be with daniel!!! i hate that finale!
I m realy upset to read the news as well. I saw the 2 seasons last year, and in this year I saw the 3rd & 4th seasons. I realy dnt get that why ABC planned to stop Ugly Betty. This is realy a cool show, and this must go on… The article mentioned about some other shows which I never heard of, I know that they made the decisions based on some kind of research or works, but that does not mean everything. I think a large number of audience still watch the show, and love the show. I… Read more »