Channel 4 - Ugly Betty

Advantages: Brilliantly written, fantastic characters
Disadvantages: Can be a bit slow paced

...9pm on Wednesdays (first look) Channel 4 - 9pm on Friday Starring: America Ferrara (Betty Suarez) Eric Mabius (Daniel Meade) Alan Dale (Bradford Meade) Salma Hayek (Sofia Reyes) Vanessa Williams (Wilhemina Slater) Awards: 2 Golden Globes and 1 SAG award Plot Summary: Mode magazine is New York's hottest fashion magazine. The previous editor in chief, Fay Summers, was killed in a horrific car crash and everyone expected Bradford Meade to ...
...Meade has other ideas though and appoints his son, the millionaire playboy Daniel, who is as clueless as he is charming. Every assistant he hires is beautiful and falls into bed with him, so Bradford hires Queen's based Latina Betty to keep him in line. Betty is the smart, caring girl with huge eyebrows, braces and a fashion sense lost in the 80s, but her and Daniel become instant friends, much to the disgust of all the size zero superficial bimbos ... Read review

Advantages: great programme
Disadvantages: had to wait till series 2

...a bad day and she eats and eats, together they bounce off each other and come out with some of the greatest lines. Definitely worth a watch I think it's more of a girly programme, but none the less it's great. This is one to watch on Channel 4. ... Read review

Advantages: witty one liners, good acting and characters
Disadvantages: can get silly at times

...of Ugly Betty started on channel 4 on Friday, this is actually the second part of series two due to the writers strike in America earlier in the year. Ugly Betty is shown on both channel 4 and E4 throughout the week althought the main showing is at 9pm on Fridays on channel 4. Ugly Betty is set in the office of Mode Magazine and follows Betty who was hired as the assistant to the editor Daniel in series one. Betty is not a typical beauty but she ...
...The series follows the lives of Betty, Daniel and other mode employees such as Amanda the bitchy assistant along with Mark and Wilhemia who are trying to gain power in Mode magazine. Betty's extended family all feature in the show including her dad, older sister Hilda and her nephew Justin, Justin is one of the shows real gems as he is a slightly camp child who is in love with the world of fashion and cant understand his aunt care free attitude to ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, intelligent and moreish
Disadvantages: It's not on TV often enough

With a dubious title and sold as a Telenovella, Ugly Betty may not at a first glance appear to warrant a second look, but I'm so glad I watched this programme. The characters are well scripted and dialogues are extremely witty. The concept of beauty isn't skin deep runs heavily throughout this show. Betty's character as a simple living, intelligent, caring latino makes me laugh and at the same time often wants to make me cry for the abuse she receives ...
...herself thrown into when she become serial dater Daniel Meade's careworn assistant at MODE. I would recommend you watch this show as although it is a massive hit in the States it's soon going to be the same over here with an even bigger following than when "Friends" was actually good. Okay, so at the time of writing we're only on episode three in the UK and you might think it a little early to be proclaiming this an absolute hit, but in the states ... Read review

Advantages: Totally new show set in the fashion industry
Disadvantages: Another American 'comedy'?

Wow, am I glad I watched the first episode or what?! Ugly Betty has surprised me in many ways, while promoted as a comedy, I have to say that I don't find it all that funny. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments, but I certainly wouldn't say it was a comedy show. The characters are brilliant, and if you've ever felt picked on then you can certainly empathise with Betty. In fact, she strikes a chord with anyone who has ever felt that they perhaps ...
...she is slowly gaining the respect of her colleagues (and I mean slowly), and that her boss is starting to appreciate that she is actually very good at her job. It kind of gives you hope, and makes you think that there is no good reason you can't do just about anything you want to. I mean, if Ugly Betty can succeed in the fashion industry, then why can't we all? Its intelligently written, and thought provoking, definately worth the watch! ... Read review

Advantages: Good telly. Many American imports. First Look at shows before they get to Channel4
Disadvantages: Quite a lot of the same repeats

...E4 was launched way back in 2001. It was one of the first of Channel4's sister channels to be found on satellite/cable as a subscription service. E stands for Entertainment and that is exactly what this channel claims to do, Entertain. In 2004, E4 joined the subscription service 'Top UP TV' and then a year later in 2005, it became free, joining 'Freeview'. It's full of American TV shows, mainly from US giants 'NBC' and 'ABC'. If you like 'FRIENDS', you can find it on there almost everyday. Other shows that can be found there are 'Scrubs', 'Desperate Housewives', 'My Name is Earl', 'Smallville', 'Ugly Betty', the list goes on...It is also the home to the 'trendy' Channel4 (UK) shows such as 'Skins' and 'Hollyoaks'. If you don't know any of these shows, you will not know that they (and the channel as a whole) are aimed at teenagers... Read review

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