Moving Wallpaper is a comedy-drama “documentary” about a fictional show (last year it was a soap opera called Echo Beach).  Wallpaper chronicles the adventures of the fictional producer of the show, Jonathan Pope (played by Ben Miller), as he tries to produce a show while dealing with crazy writers, actors and executive producers.  What’s really cool about the show is that ITV broadcast an episode of the “fictional” show after every episode of Wallpaper.  (It would be the equivalent of “Sins of the Heart” airing directly after Ugly Betty).

Echo Beach was canceled,  and this year it has been replaced (in Wallpaper context) by a zombie drama called Renaissance, which will star Alan Dale and the beautiful British actress Kelly Brook.  

It’s good to see Dale working in TV again (how about a pool for when his character dies of a heart attack?).  Those of you in the UK, tell us what it’s like when it airs!

Source

Image: Newscom

Post from: Ugly Betty News

First is the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In a past movies post, I told you that former cast member Alan Dale would be in the film. I’ll be honest with you: I forgot about it. So, here I am enjoying the movie, and early on, out walks Dale in full military dress. My wife and I both exclaimed “It’s Bradford Meade!”, before getting shushed by others who did not share our Ugly Betty infatuation. I told you Dale would land on his feet. Good for him.

Next, we rented 27 Dresses. I remember that during the live blog for episode 2.16, Betty’s Baby Bump, some of you commented that the yoga scene was right out of 27 Dresses. My goodness, you were right! I’ll say this to Silvio Horta: there’s a fine line between paying tribute to another artistic work and outright bootlegging. Yes, I realize that the movie had some serious product placement in Ugly Betty episodes after the strike, but…wow.

I wouldn’t feel so bad about it, except the whole time I was watching the love triangle in 27 Dresses, I kept thinking, “I’ve seen this before. George and Kevin are slightly better looking versions of Henry and Gio. Jane and Betty have some pretty striking personality similarities.”

I don’t want to make it sound like I think the post-strike version of Ugly Betty was an absolute rip-off; I don’t. I think there were many brilliant, original moments late this season. But there can be absolutely no doubt that Silvio Horta has seen 27 Dresses, and doing so influenced his writing this season.

Once again, I still think Ugly Betty is the most enjoyable, original show on television today. I was just taken aback by seeing many UB elements on the big screen in an unrelated film.

More Ugly Betty movie news is upcoming (Don’t forget America Ferrera!). I just had to share my Ugly Betty movie thoughts from this weekend.

Illustration: Newscom

Post from: Ugly Betty News

There are some interesting things afoot for our favorite Ugly Betty characters, and also for former cast member Alan Dale (Bradford) !

Chris Gorham, who plays TV’s hottest nerd, Henry, recently talked about the Betty/Henry relationship in an interview at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He said, “Well, I’m such a fan of Betty that I just want her to be happy. I think she’s very happy right now, but they have some tough times coming up, because that baby’s comin’ out, and it’s Henry’s baby.”

I wish someone would ask him why Henry doesn’t sue for custody, (it would make for great, soapish melodrama and many comedic moments!). But, that’s not where the writers seem to be going.

Will Henry be going back to Tucson? He says this: “That’s the plan. He didn’t really have a dad growing up, and so it’s really important for him to go do that.” So, it looks like we’ll have another Benry Cliffhanger when the WGA strike ends.

Speaking of upcoming possibilities – Alan Dale, who played the recently deceased Bradford Meade, will be in the London production of Spamalot! So much for preferring drama over comedy.

About coming back to Ugly Betty, Dale says, “I don’t think so. I think I’m finished. I think I’m going to go work on the stage now, and I’m going to get into the Guinness Book of World Records as the guy that died of a heart attack most often on television.”

See? The guy’s funny!

Source: EOnline’s Kristin

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Alan Dale’s run as Bradford Meade on Ugly Betty is coming to an end. But as the affable New Zealander put it, he has felt like a fish out of water anyway.

“Ugly Betty has changed, because originally it was to be a drama with humour, and in the end it has become an hour-long comedy,” said Dale, 60.

“So I won’t be with the show for very much longer, because my character doesn’t do comedy, really.”

Now, far be it from me to disagree with one of the founding cast members of a show, but I will anyway.  Ugly Betty was always a farce with drama advancing the storylines.  He was, indeed a “straight man” (in more ways than one) in a sea of crazy characters.

The article has much more on Dale himself, and his opinion of the show:

“They’re going to go a different way, so I’ll be moving on,” Dale said. “But it’s a fantastic show, breaking new ground, really. We’ll see what happens next pilot season, but I’m surprised there aren’t a lot more comedies just imitating it.”

About future prospects:

“I have a few jobs lined up,” Dale said. “But I’m fine, I’m an old guy, I’ve been around a while. And I’m a New Zealander, so I have a lot in common with you guys (Canadians).

“I spent a long time in Australia working there. So you know, this is my O.E., my overseas experience. I was in The O.C. before Ugly Betty, so I’m on a pretty good winning streak. I’ve been in North America only since 2000, so it’s really going great.”

About the show and America Ferrera: “You just had to know that the wedding (of Bradford and Wilhelmina) was not going to turn out like you’d expect,” Dale said. “But the success of the show starts with Betty. America (Ferrera) plays her beautifully. It’s about her and everyone else sort of zooms around that, I think.”

Now, the rest of the article is quite critical of the show this year; some of the criticisms I don’t disagree with: characters are jumping wildly in and out of their own personalities, for instance.  However, the writer of the piece, Bill Harris, overstates the “ratings trouble” her perceives Betty to be having.  The show is still a solid number 2 on Thursday nights, right behind Survivor.  It’s been averaging 10-11 million households, and more importantly, winning the key demographics.

But, I’ll join Harris in hoping that the time off the writers are having will help them to get on more solid footing as to who the characters are, and why we love them.  Forget realism – this is Ugly Betty!

Source: Toronto Sun

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Source: Celebutopia

Post from: Ugly Betty News

The actual promo can be watched here. It makes me quite psyched for season 2!

Pssst – notice there’s no Santos (Kevin Alejandro) . One more reason to think he’s dead.

As promised, here is the “Making Of” video for the promo:

Source: Betty A La Mode , ABC

Post from: Ugly Betty News