(and foolishly, IMHO)

According to TV Guide Magazine, Horta wants to reunite Betty and Henry (Christopher Gorham), if indeed season four is the final season.  Guide says Horta believes Henry "is the true love of Betty’s life."

Hey, I’m just the messenger here. 

Let me first say this:  I don’t think a Benry pairing would be the worst ever ending for the show (that would be if they brought back Walter and Betty ran off with him   ). 

Even though Betty/Daniel is the pairing I’d most like to see, and that hookup has happened in every previous version of the show, I just think Horta shouldn’t have said anything about his Benry preference yet.

Why dash the hopes of Daniel, Gio, Matt, and Bobby fans so soon in this (most likely) final season?

The Ugly Betty writers have been wonderful this season with surprises (did anyone see Justin’s "I’m not gay" declaration coming?), so I have no idea why Horta would tip his hand in such an important area.

Now, for what it’s worth, the TV Guide article does not have a direct Horta quote, but this IS TV Guide, so we have no reason not to believe the gist of the story.  They DO, however, quote Chris Gorham:

“I’m certainly attached to the idea of Henry and Betty being together.”

I’m trying to figure out how this news fits in with EOnline’s Kristin’s story about a divided Ugly Betty writers team.

I’ve told you what I think.  So, tell me what you think of this (let’s play nice!).

Popping popcorn…

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

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• Alyson Hannigan
• America Ferrera
• Amy Poehler
• Eva Longoria Parker
• Tina Fey

If this were not the People’s Choice Awards, we could go ahead and crown Tina Fey, but when you get outside of NY/LA entertainment circles, things aren’t quite so one-sided.  Tina Fey is seen as smart, but not necessarily the genius who should automatically get every comedy award.  She’s funny, but she’s not any funnier than any of the other nominees.

(And yes, I think 30 Rock is a great show)

I think Amy Poehler is funny, but she’s stuck on a not so good, not particularly funny show.

I think Ferrera is due, especially if you count her work on Ugly Betty season four. 

So, Ugly Betty Fans, I urge you to go to The People’s Choice Awards site and vote for America!

Image: INF

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Ugly Betty

They talk about the character Marc’s beginnings, how Vanessa Williams made it possible for Urie to shape the character from a temporary throw-away into one of the show’s main characters.  Urie has told this story many times before, and still shows a great deal of humility and gratitude to Vanessa.

There is a great deal of discussion about Justin (and Marc’s mentor relationship with him).  They replay that wonderful scene with Patti LuPone in episode 1.18, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, in which Marc finally comes out in response to his mother scoffing at Justin. 

Then they talk about tonight’s episode, 4.06, Backseat Betty, where Marc gives Justin advice on how to handle bullies. 

"Marc’s advice is to befriend the cheerleaders, because the cheerleaders are the mean girls, and the mean girls lead to popularity," Urie says. "And if he’s with them, he won’t get messed with. And so that’s what he does."

There is also a fascinating exchange about Justin serving as a role model, and how the show treats gay characters in general. 

“And they’re not just a joke anymore," says Urie. "They deliver the punch lines, but they are not the punch lines."

Marc may oftentimes BE the punch line,  "but not for being gay, for being silly. We don’t make gay jokes on the show. … They’re smarter than that. And we’re not catering to an audience who thinks jokes like that are funny."

There is a video sneak preview on the interview page that I haven’t seen anywhere else (sorry, I can’t embed it) – it involves Marc and Justin in what will probably be the most interesting story line tonight (and strangely, the least hyped).

The page has some on the interview, but you really must listen to the audio – it goes in depth, and has that wonderful All Things Considered tone to it. (Click ‘Listen to the Story’)  Go check it out.

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

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Now, EOnline’s Kristin is reporting that ABC execs are seriously thinking about it. 

She says, “According to sources, ABC higher-ups are considering moving Ugly Betty to Wednesdays at 10 in January as part of a flashy relaunch of the show in an effort to save it. The thinking is that Betty would complement new hits Modern Family and Cougar Town nicely, and make ABC a solid destination for comedy on Wednesday night.”

Also:  “According to insiders, Betty also has a creative resurgence in the works, including an episode in the spirit of Run Lola Run in which Betty must race across town to deliver a diamond-encrusted bra, which sounds pretty exciting. ABC execs asked producers to move the episode up to an earlier date because they liked it so much, according to my mole.”

Hmmmmm.

First off, this move would be a godsend for the show.  It isn’t going to last much longer pulling a 1.2 or 1.3 in the demos on Fridays.  And, ironically, the show creatively has been better than we’ve seen in years.  Apparently, we haven’t even seen the best yet – ABC execs actually asked producers to move up an episode because they liked it so much?

Woot.

None of this is certain, of course.  If this were to happen, we don’t know where ABC is going to put Lost, which would normally air in that spot.  10p is pretty late for Betty’s usual demographic, but I can’t see how moving it there could possibly hurt.  I’m positive it could beat Jay Leno.

Methinks we Ugly Betty fans should let ABC execs know that we support the idea. 

UPDATE!!!!!  AfterElton confirms the move to Wednesdays!!!!!!!

Image: Newscom

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Her seven things?

• Writing for a magazine (which she did with this story)
• Gymnastics – she face-panted trying to do a handstand, but still had a blast.
• Be a real-life magazine assistant.  She hung up 3 times on The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels!  HA!
• Kayaking!  She did this on the Hudson with Self’s editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger.
• Learning the proper way to hold a paintbrush from her artist mom (awwww…)
• Having her husband photograph her first thing in the morning, sans makeup (Gutsy — awesome!)  Check it out here.
• Learning Salsa from choreographer Luis Salgado (I sense a Dancing With The Stars future for Becki)

This was a very endearing feature (but what’s not to love about the beautiful Becki Newton?).  Newton is a very good writer.  I like what she said about the view when kayaking:

“…And when I looked behind me, I saw my New York: beautiful, surreal, majestic. Who knew a kayak could give you such a fresh perspective on a city you thought you knew from all angles?”

Check out the whole thing!

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

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My apologies if this is restricted internationally.  I hope it isn’t, though.

Some of the feature is a kind of recap of the two characters for people who have not seen much of the show.  There are some neat behind-the-scenes snippets of on set filming (including a quick shot of Amanda and Matt).

Newton mentions that the writers have allowed their characters to evolve, showing their good sides.  They  say their favorite episodes are those in which Amanda, Marc, and Betty have to team up (what Urie calls the “Scooby Doo episodes”).  I have to agree.

They are both thankful that the writers put them together, because they get along so well in real life.  That also gets Amanda out of “the donut hole” and Mark from behind Wilhelmina’s shadow.

Urie walks about the fact that Marc will have more scenes with Justin in season 4.  Those are interesting to me, because Marc is simultaneously sabotaging Betty AND helping her family.

Newton talks about how Amanda is going to be wanting more out of her life, and puts and emphasis on AT MODE, so I guess she’s going to try to work her way into an assistant’s job (maybe Matt’s?  He has one already, but who knows?  She might fall out of a window )

The two also say how much fun it is to shoot in New York City, and make a joke about LA pigeons. 

Remember, TV Guide Network will be airing encore versions of each new episode of Ugly Betty the following Thursday after its original air date.

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Mark Indelicato

As far as Justin entering high school, Indelicato says, “Justin is a freshman in high school this year, and he’s not what the other kids are. The kids are superficial and don’t look at him for who he is. You’re new in a school, you’re around people you don’t know, you’re intimidated by kids who’ve been there longer than you. So that’s kind of the gist of his whole problem.”

[Me] – I’ve always loved how they’ve handled Justin’s “different-ness”.  Anyone who’s ever been to high school knows this was coming, and although the writers work around the edges of what makes Justin different, the effect is still the same.

Indelicato agrees, I think:  He says, “I am a sophomore in high school, so I know what it feels like. It’s a comedic show, but they’re not sugarcoating it at all — it’s real. The way they are portraying Justin is something, I think, that could change someone’s life. I’m trying to portray this as reality because I’ve seen this happen. I’m in it, so I know exactly what’s going on there.”

According to Mark, when the troubles start in high school, he will have an ally.  “Marc helps him out. I think he sees that Marc went through the same type of thing. He went to a public school and dealt with being different. I think he’s kind of a role model. [Justin] just loves fashion and is fascinated by Mode and the people who work there. And I think Marc is there to be a mentor and to say, "Look, it’s OK to be different, it’s OK to not be a jock and not do what everyone else is doing. Do your own thing because you’re going to be great no matter what." And that’s a big thing for Justin.”

[Me] – I’ve always though these scenes between Marc and Justin have worked well.  And, they kind of reflect reality, I think.  At Justin’s age, the last thing you want is your mother stepping in to save you when you get into troubles.  And for a young man, an older male mentor, who has been through what you are going through, carries more influence in your life.

About Hilda: “She wants to protect him [Justin] so much, but she can’t anymore because he’s growing up and she can’t really tell him what to do. It’s hard for her, but I think it’s something every mom goes through. She’s really trying to cope with him taking that step towards being a young adult and making his own decisions and fighting his own battles.”

Tonight is the night!  The Ugly Betty season 4 premiere begins at 8/7c on ABC.  I won’t be doing a live blog this season (those rarely attracted people who actually read here – they were…interesting), but I WILL be Twittering.  If you aren’t following UglyBettyNews on Twitter, now’s your chance!  And, of course, come back later for my quick thoughts and famous novel-sized recaps!

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

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TV Guide

The show cross-promotes the program in a very creative way, with Betty proposing a story about it in mode, complete with a mosquito-net-clothing photo shoot.  I would imagine some kind of (real) appeal is going to be aired during or immediately after the show as well.

The show’s stars recently appeared at the UN promoting the program (and the episode) in person.

"It’s really a perfect marriage," said Judith Light. "Betty Suarez is a person who has a great heart and a great soul. So in this story, it’s not a stretch at all that she comes from a place that wants to help other people. She’s trying to change hearts and minds about the way we all relate to each other."

Executive producer Silvio Horta wanted to feature the UN on the show, which led to a discussion about Nothing But Nets. 

"We took that back to the writers, and they said, ‘Mosquito netting [and] fashion — that’s very logical," producer Richard Heus joked. "But we put that together and it worked. The storyline resonated with pretty much every member of the cast and crew. It was something we all could easily support and feel is very important. We’re very grateful."

Tony Plana thinks Ugly Betty is the perfect show to highlight the program. 

"We represent inclusion," he said. "We’re already connecting with a set of issues because of our cultural identity, and we are passionate about that. … To know that we are able to extend that [passion] beyond culture and social economics to social awareness about issues of this nature just makes you feel so wonderful about the work that we do."

The season premiere of Ugly Betty is (finally) October 16th at 9/8c.

Image: Bauer Griffin

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We see the cast and crew filming at the UN, working on Betty’s feature article – which of course goes horribly wrong.  There are fisticuffs!

Daniel Eric Gold says that they have the “two nights here at the UN”, and Vanessa Williams, looking fresh as ever, is surprised that she is giving an interview at 3am.

Something about the quotes from the producers struck me, especially when Jim Klever-Weis says that for the first time we’ll see Betty as a leader.  I think that will add a new energy to the show, even more than Betty’s makeover.

Speaking of which, America Ferrera tells us that Betty’s physical transformation will be gradual (I had guessed it will be Nanny-Mcfee like).  Vanessa Williams says that it’s about time and that people want to see some changes in Betty.

Sheila Lawrence says they are taking the opportunity of Betty’s (practically) starting over, to reshape the character as the “loveable underdog” again.

I am so excited for the upcoming season premiere.  Hopefully, there will be heavy promotion on DWTS and the new hits Modern Family and Cougar Town.  With Dollhouse starting badly, there is an opening for Ugly Betty, I think.  Medium looks strong, though, so I’ll be very interested to see how Betty does on October 9.

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Anyway, Ugly Betty made the list.  Not surprisingly, the suggested hook up is a Detty hook up.  As their caption (submitted by a fan) to a photo of Daniel and Betty says, “I know [creator Silvio Horta] is saying no, but the fans say yes. I kind of thought it was the point of the show. She was hired by his father to be a competent assistant he was in no danger of sleeping with. In the end, they should absolutely get together and bring it full circle.”

Since every (or almost every) incarnation of this show has ended with the “Daniel” character getting together with the “Betty” character (SirLizard can verify), this discussion will always be there under the surface.

I also think that Silvio Horta, no matter what he says publicly, might be steering us in that direction.  EveryGirl Molly was a surrogate Betty, and sex addict Matt is a surrogate Daniel (especially with his new, slick look).

My thinking on this has evolved a little over the years.  When the show is winding down (and let’s face it, they’ll know this winter if season four will be the last for Ugly Betty), I’d like to see the two get together.  They could have several episodes exploring the excitement and confusion of this. Then in the series finale, I’d like to see Daniel propose.

Betty could accept, and that would surely be a fitting ending for the show.  Even better, Betty could turn him down.

The couple could then declare their eternal friendship, and Betty will have truly grown up before our eyes.

(There is the added benefit that such an ending would leave the Henry, Gio and Daniel love stories still possible in the dreams of the fans of each character).

But, I could also live with Betty and Daniel hooking up, too. 

Image: Zuma Press

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