Are those “Ugly Betty” teasers getting to you too?

It seems that every time I flip over to CityTV, they’re advertising that Ugly Betty show that will premiere in Fall 2006. The previews were starting to get to me and I wanted to know what the show was all about.

Here’s the description from the ABC website:

In the superficial world of high fashion, image is everything. Styles come and go and the only constants are wafer-thin beauties who wear it. Where could a girl who is less than pretty and a little bit pudgy possibly fit in?
If you knew Betty Suarez, you'd see how sweet, intelligent and hard-working she is. Few people ever get to know her because in the world of fashion, Betty is the oversized square peg, in the petite round hole. But finally, her looks and lack of fashion sense are going to be an asset. When publishing mogul Bradford Meade hands the reigns of his fashion magazine, Mode, over to his son Daniel, he specifically hires Betty as his son's new assistant - mostly because she's the only woman in NYC who Daniel won't sleep with. Repulsed at first, Betty will win him over with her efficiency. Neither of them really knows the ins and outs of the fashion world, but the two of them are a formidable team against the label-wearing sharks who will do anything to see them fail. That includes many couture co-workers with botoxed smiles on their faces and knives behind their Galliano backs.

Okay… sounds like it might be somewhat entertaining, but the reason it sounds promising, in my mind, is that it’s based on the Colombian telenovela "Yo soy Betty, la fea". That’s especially interesting when you take into account the importance of beauty in Colombian society. More than in any country I have ever visited, in Colombia, beauty is all-important. And, well… sure… the Colombian women are outstandingly gorgeous – but their plastic surgery industry is also exceptionally lucrative. (Would you believe there is a whole section of department stores in Colombia devoted to “after surgery lingerie”?)

It’ll be neat to see the American version of the show… but I’d be much more curious to see the original.

TAGS: Entertainment, General, Tv