If you’re curious to know who the season’s breakout star will
be, then lay your eyes on the beautifully creative
”
Ugly Betty
”
headliner America Ferrera.
If you’re curious to know who the season’s breakout star will be, then lay your eyes on the beautifully creative “Ugly Betty” headliner America Ferrera.
Behind that “ugly” makeup – braces, big hair – is a gifted actress who turned heads in “Real Women Have Curves” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” She’s about to turn millions more in her heartwarming new ABC series (three stars out of four).
If “The Devil Wears Prada” crawled under the covers with a more youthful “Mary Tyler Moore Show,” they’d give birth to something like “Ugly Betty.” This delightful show is based on a popular telenova that attracted worldwide attention. Fresh, inventive and charming, the series’ premise chronicles Latina everywoman Betty Saurez in her first big-time job working as the assistant for the editor (Eric Mabius) of a glossy – if not pretentious – New York modeling mag dubbed Mode. Betty is a fish out of water, of course, and the writers have fun in the pilot episode with her lack of grace in a company that’s all about being graceful – and pretty.
Betty’s “awkwardness” and how much its played up is something that, in time, the series’ writers will have to contend with because, really, how long would Betty realistically remain a “plain Jane” when she’s surrounded by all the glam? One has to wonder if she wouldn’t at least simply style her hair differently after her very first week in her new gig. Betty’s an original, but she’s also human.
Braving snickers and stares at Mode, Betty meets a few potential enemies along the way, no one more alarming than the Mode’s creative director Wilhelmena Slater (a deliciously venomous Vanessa Williams). Slater manages to communicate more with just an arch of her powerful eyebrow than anything that comes out of her mouth.
Needless to say, not many people at Mode are rooting for Betty. They find her clumsy, out-of-shape and far too truthful than anything they’ve become accustomed to, which, we viewers discover, is why Betty’s there in the first place. She can be the heart of an organization that’s heartless.
Watch for some of Betty’s resilient side characters, too – Michael Urie immediately comes to mind, playing Wilhelmina’s assistant. Overall, there’s some fine ensemble acting here, and underneath the show’s genuine and imagined premise, “Ugly Betty” is a touching reminder of what can happen when any of us take ourselves entirely too seriously. That it can do that to humorous ends is a terrific achievement.
Three words for “Ugly Betty”: pretty darn good. The show premieres at 8pm Thursday on ABC.
Ten, ‘Nine’ and ‘Friday’
They don’t look much older than when we first encountered them, but the kids of South Park are about to turn 10. Fans of the provocative and downright irascible animated series, take note: The 10th season premiere launches at 10pm Wednesday on Comedy Central.
The buzz is good on ABC’s new drama “The Nine” (three and a half stars). The premise revolves around the survivors of a hostage crisis spawned by an intricate bank robbery. Strong acting and an effective use of flashbacks keep things moving here – actually, it has the ability to move you. That’s good news for this freshman series.
But, in watching “Lost” unfold last year, I fear that the creative forces behind-the-scenes here may trap themselves with too many intricate storylines.
Still, this is a robust beginning for a promising new show – one of the brightest in the season thus far. “The Nine” premieres at 10:01pm Wednesday on ABC.
The other bright star shines a day before the premiere of “The Nine.” It’s NBC’s well-executed “Friday Night Lights” (three stars, 8pm Tuesday). With sports being so community-oriented, this series wins points from the get-go for the concept, which revolves around a small Texas town, a high school football coach (pitch-perfect Kyle Chandler), its star quarterback (Scott Porter) and the state championship everybody wants them to win. Well, more or less.
Watch the great balance that the series’ writers use to introduce all the prime players – both on and off the field – and how they play into each other’s lives.
Time to Get ‘Lost’
The wait is over. The new season of “Lost” unfolds at 9pm Wednesday on ABC. Forget the hatch. This season, it’s all about “the others.” Or so it seems.
In Wednesday’s outing, expect Jack, Kate and Sawyer to come to understand what they’re really up against with their nemeses. Wonder if we’ll ever see any flashbacks on them? But what about the smoke monster, polar bear, the numbers on the hatch and … so many questions left answered. Stay tuned …
Greg Archer is an entertainment writer based on the Central Coast. He writes about television, film and being human. E-mail him at ga*****@**********rs.com or visit www.greg-archer.com.
