Not only do we have a new character cast for Ugly Betty, a casting call has gone out for three guest starring roles on the show, all of them for episode 4.03.  SpoilerTV has the scoop.  A summary:

• [DETECTIVE CASTELAR] male, early-mid 30’s, very good looking, masculine, a crime investigator. RECURRING GUEST STAR
• [TRANSLATOR] male or female sptv050769, 30s-50s, Translator at United Nations. Must speak fluent Russian. 1 scene. CO-STAR.
• [BUILDING SUPER] male, 30-50’s, landlord of a New York City apartment building.  CO-STAR.

Each of these are intriguing in their own way.

Adding a recurring detective tells me the show will have either a mystery or a crime element (and how could Ugly Betty not?).  My guess is that it has to do with Hilda and the mobbed up contractor, but, who knows, maybe we’ll have another attempted murder!

The United Nations translator – what the heck could this be about?  Is Betty going to create an international incident?  Being in NY has its privileges, and apparently Ugly Betty is going to be doing at least one UN-based scene.  Cool.

Now, I’m trying not to make too much of the building superintendent.  Part of me thinks that Betty might be getting her own apartment again, but then, she still is technically the lessee on the apartment that Marc and Amanda currently live in (it was Betty’s for much of season 3).  Plus, the super character is not recurring.  So, my guess is he’ll provide information (or withhold it) concerning whatever mystery the detective is chasing down.

It’s really exciting that they’re already working on episode 4.03 – which will be the first episode after the 2 hour premiere.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

Casting is falling into place for season four of Ugly Betty, with several new characters (and plot twists).  I’ve been wondering who would get this part for a while now, and now it is cast.

According to TV Guide, actress Smith Cho has been pegged to play Megan, Betty’s “quirky new office mate.”  I’m going to go out on a limb to say that this is the same character we previously told you about – who at the time was called Amber.  If you’ll recall, Ausiello said she was “in her 20s, she’s Asian, and is a master at the backhanded compliment.”  If this is the same character, she’ll be a fellow editor. 

TV Guide says that Megan “is not sure what to make of Betty.”  It looks like Betty’s going to have a hard time making new friends because she and Daniel are so close.

Cho will make her Ugly Betty debut on the season four premiere, October 9th.

She had previously been a costar on the reboot of Knight Rider.  She was also in the comedy film Fired Up.

I never got around to seeing Knight Rider, and Fired Up is on my list to be viewed.  Have any of you seen either, and do you remember Cho?  How was she?

Megan looks like a fascinating character, kind of a non-threatening, non-crazy Charlie, who also had a knack at giving backhanded compliments.  Megan will be a recurring character.

Welcome to the cast, Smith Cho!

Image: Fame Pictures

It’s been no secret that Ugly Betty is planning to give its lead character, Betty Suarez, an updated look in the upcoming season four. Both executive producer Silvio Horta and costume designer Patricia Field have stated or hinted, for example, that Betty’s braces are going to come off. They’ve also hinted that her "getting there but not quite there" fashion sense was going to evolve.

According to Ausiello, how much that look evolves is going to depend on focus groups being conducted by ABC.

The executives are "showing test audiences two scenes from early in the season, both featuring a newly glamorized Betty working at her new job as Mode’s associate features editor. In one, she’s rocking a Chanel-esque pastel pink suit; in the other, she’s sporting a short-sleeved black dress with a ruffled V-neck."

According to one participant, “She looks a lot classier, but she’s still far from perfect.”

Hmmm.

The executives are worried that audiences might not think the transformation appropriate, or might not accept a new "awkwardly glam" (my words) Betty. Can Betty still be Betty if she becomes less "ugly"? (not my word).

They’re also asking for opinions about Betty’s new hair, styled eyebrows, and makeup.

This should get quite interesting. They could have asked me, I would have told them that they can’t win. The comments I’ve seen run about 50-50 about whether Betty should change and become more attractive.

One line of thinking says yes, because after Betty has worked for a fashion magazine all these years, it is very unrealistic for her not to learn a few things about superficial beauty. And of course, we’ve discussed the realism of her extremely long-term braces treatment.

The other line says that changing Betty would completely change the nature of the show, and would take away the loveable underdog appeal of her character. And if you want realism, why the heck are you watching Ugly Betty?

I used to be in the latter camp, but I’m starting to come around. I don’t think it should be overnight, but I don’t think the change automatically means Betty isn’t the underdog (the beautiful Anne Hathaway pulled it off, at least).

It’ll be fun to watch early in the season, and try to guess which way the focus groups steered ABC executives.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

Chris Gorham has another gig.  The Ugly Betty star, who showed his creepy side on Harper’s Island, is set to star opposite  Piper Perabo in USA Network’s spy thriller "Covert Affairs."

Now, this one looks like fun.

The show centers on Annie Walker (Perabo), a multilingual CIA trainee who joins the agency still reeling over a mysterious ex-boyfriend who appears to be of particular interest to her bosses.

Gorham will play Auggie Anderson, a CIA military intelligence/special-ops agent blinded years ago on an assignment who is helping Walker navigate her new job.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!  Chris will really get a chance to show off his skills.  The plot seems to have a touch of "The Bone Collector" to it.

USA handled the pre-production of Affairs interestingly.  Instead of giving the show a straight pilot order, USA last month hired a casting director and began quietly casting the two leads. It seems the casting of Gorham gave producers a green light to go ahead with the pilot.

The show is written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, and executive produced by Dave Bartis and Doug Liman, with Corman and Ord co-executive producers.

The events in Ugly Betty episodes 2.23 and 3.24, Curveball and The Fall Issue, seemed to close this book on the Henry character (IMHO), while, in typical Ugly Betty fashion, still leaving the door open for a return.  If Gorham is going to be busy with "Covert Affiars", I’d say any new UB guest appearance wouldn’t happen in season four.  But we’ll see.

Congratulations on the new pilot, Chris!

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

And the Ugly Betty baby boom continues.  Ashley Jensen, who has, at least for now, left Ugly Betty  and is soon to be starring in the Jenna Elfman sitcom Accidentally on Purpose, has announced that she is pregnant.

A representative for the actress tells People Magazine that she and her husband Terence Beesley are expecting their first child in the fall.

Speculation about Jensen’s pregnancy has been bouncing around the internet for a few weeks now (including some baby-bumpy photos).  We now have official confirmation!

As many have noted, this is a little bit of life imitating art, since Jensen’s Ugly Betty persona, Christina, gave birth to what turned out to be her own son (previously thought to be Wilhelmina’s) in episode 3.15, There’s No Place Like Mode.

Jensen is said to be “excited” about the pregnancy, but continues work on Accidentally. 

Just think, this child will have all sorts of playmates – Ana Ortiz’s daughter, Eric Mabius’ son, Rebecca Romijn’s twins.  If I were America Ferrera, I’d be a little nervous. 

Congratulations, Ashley and Terence!

Image: Fame Pictures

Ugly Betty season 3 is underway in the UK, and Diet Coke is a major sponsor.  They have launched a new, limited-edition Diet Coke bottle as a promotion, and recently had an exclusive photo shoot in Selfridges.

The photo shoot involved five Betty Suarez “look-a-likes”, and the video shows their transformations into Betty (time-shortened, of course).

The collector’s bottle was designed by Ugly Betty costume designer Patricia Field, and even comes with its own accessory collection so you can customize the bottle and put your own unique twist onto it.

Here is a close-up Twitpic of one of the bottles.

I’m having the hardest darned time finding news on Ugly Betty’s UK ratings this year, outside this article about the season 3 premier (down from last year but still pretty good, if my math is right).

As for this event, I guess I’m just too used to America Ferrera.  The look-a-likes all have a slighter body type, and are taller than what I’m used to.  Nevertheless, it’s still cool to see a publicity event, any publicity event, surrounding Ugly Betty.

In fact, I’m REALLY hoping Diet Coke runs the same promotion in the US for the beginning of Ugly Betty season four  I want to get my hands on one of those bottles!

Ralph Macchio on Friday posted on Twitter about his status with Ugly Betty:

“4 all inquiring about Ugly Betty. Just got official call that Archie will b back in Season 4. 4 how much, how long and when. Don’t know yet”

It actually surprised me that this had not happened yet.  Judging by (Macchio’s character) Archie’s story lines at the end of Ugly Betty season 3, it seemed a given that Macchio would be back.  Here you had a love interest who seemed to have good chemistry with one of the important characters, and really seemed to hit it off with the audience (at least those who post here at UBN).  A no brainer, right?

Then I remembered David Blue   (Not to mention Freddy Rodriguez and Chris Gorham).

Of course, we fans don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding their departures, but we can still be upset about them!

Speaking of Gorham, the Henry of both Ugly Betty and Harper’s Island responded with a tweet to Macchio, saying a hearty “Woohoo!”

Ralph replied, “Til they find the juicy way to dump the character ”

I guess nothing gold can stay, Johnny. 

As an aside, it’s interesting how more information seems to come through celebrities via Twitter and Facebook than from the trades.  In fact, hopefully Variety and Hollywood Reporter are actively monitoring social networking sites, or they may be bypassed altogether.

Anyway, it’s good to hear that Archie will be back, at least for a little while.  I like seeing him with Hilda, and Macchio has a way about him that makes him likeable even when he’s condoning kidnapping. 

Image: Bauer Griffin

This is just so awesome.  It’s an audition video of Ugly Betty’s Becki Newton for Clinique (I’m assuming for a television commercial?) from 2004.

Becki is absolutely radiant here.  Her hair is pinned back (it is a makeup audition, after all), and she just shines.  Newton was around 26 years old when she filmed this, and though it’s obvious she’s really making an attempt to be charming, she succeeds in spades.

The story she tells (about being excited about buying a cappuccino maker to put in her brand new, first  apartment), reminds me so much of Betty at the end of episode 3.01, The Manhattan Project.  There is something wonderfully appealing about a young woman’s excitement about striking out on her own.

I don’t know if Ugly Betty can recapture that spirit, although the writers have a wonderful opportunity with Betty finally getting promoted to editor in season four.  Please, Ugly Betty writers, do not make Betty’s new responsibilities a reason to make her more angsty and sulky.  I realize America Ferrera does that well, but we fans have already seen that.

We’d love to see Betty excited and full of life, almost bursting off the screen. 

Just like Becki Newton does in this video.

Move over America, there’s another Ferrera coming to Ugly Betty.  Actually, a Ferrara.

In Ausiello’s latest Ausiello FIles, hidden in some news those who read here already know, Ausiello tells us about another new casting (that at least I didn’t know about).

Rescue Me’s Adam Ferrara is going to guest star as a “Queens contractor who crosses paths with Hilda.”  I guess this character will introduce Hilda’s run-in with the mob that we’ve heard about.

Ferrara currently plays Chief “Needles” Nelson on FX’s highly acclaimed Rescue Me. He is also a stand-up comedian, performing at some of the top clubs around the country.  Ferrara is often a featured guest on The Opie and Anthony Show on XM.

Interestingly, Ferrara guest starred four different times on The King of Queens, each time playing a different character.  And, in my favorite role, he played Sergeant Howard in Paul Blart, Mall Cop.

It looks like the casting this summer for Ugly Betty has been first-rate so far.  Of course, with a few stumbles, it’s always been pretty good, guest star wise.

I’m looking forward to seeing Ferrara on Ugly Betty this fall!

Image: 2008 Fox Broadcasting Company

TV Guide Network has picked up the cable off-network rights to Ugly Betty.  The move comes as the Network is changing its programming direction under new ownership.

Under the deal inked with Disney-ABC, TV Guide network will begin airing new installments of Ugly Betty within two weeks of their run on ABC.  This will begin following the show’s October 9th 2-hour season premiere.

TV Guide will also run the show as a weekly strip beginning in fall 2010 when TVGuide.com will have rights to stream up to five Ugly Betty episodes at a time.  (Currently, new episodes are available at ABC.com and Hulu.com the next day after airing).

Sources say the license deal was at about $200,000 per episode.  Now it makes sense why this hasn’t already happened at ABC Family, where I expected Ugly Betty to land on cable.  That kind of moolah can turn a few executive heads.  (But then again, Spike TV paid 3 times that much for Entourage).

Ryan O’Hara, president of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com, said Betty “will become a cornerstone of TV Guide Network’s schedule.”

“It gives us really good stability,” he said. “We’ve had spikes with events but never a great amount of stability, and ‘Betty’ will give us that. It will be on every night of the week in primetime for years to come.”

Wow.

TV Guide has been moving toward acquiring shows to complement its in-house offerings.  It canceled TV Watercooler, turned Hollywood 411 into a weekly, rather than daily show, and changed weekly show Infanity into specials.

Next up for TV Guide?  Signing new people as anchors and stars of new unscripted series, and pursuing new original series.

So, if you can’t get enough Betty, check it out this fall on TV Guide Channel!

Image: Newscom