All four seasons of the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty will be coming to Netflix on August 1st. Starring America Ferrera, it follows a young Mexican woman trying to break it in the magazine industry, and is considered the show that made her a household name.
Although the show premiered in 2006, it was consistently lauded for its progressive approach in covering on issues like LGBTQ+ identity, class divides, beauty standards and immigration – which won it several Golden Globes, Emmys and GLAAD awards.
Developed by Silvio Horta and executive produced by Salma Hayek, Ugly Betty is based on the 1999 Colombian telenovela ‘Yo soy Betty, la Fea,’ one of the most successful Latin American telenovelas in history.
The official synopsis reads: “The story follows a young Mexican American woman who lands a position at a high fashion magazine. During its run, Ugly Betty touched on issues around beauty standards, immigration, LGBTQ+ identity, and class disparity.”
Betty (Ferrera) is unwittingly hired by publishing titan Bradford Meade (played with Logan Roy-esque precision by Alan Dale) to stop his son Daniel (Eric Mabius) from continually sleeping with his assistants.
They both have a lot to teach each other across the four seasons, and unite in the face of stilettoed-enemy, Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams) and her crony Marc (Michael Urie).
Ugly Betty also stars Ana Ortiz, Becki Newton, Tony Plana and Mark Indelicato.
