Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #901 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-24
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Subtitled
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 945 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on the popular Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea, Ugly Betty is a biting comedy with plenty of heart. There are several ongoing plots, including murder, illegal immigration, infidelity, a vendetta, and death. And yes, this really is a comedy.

Golden Globe winner America Ferrera (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Real Women Have Curves) stars as Betty, a whip-smart assistant at a women's magazine who is clueless when it comes to fashion. While her size 0 colleagues parade around in haute couture and stiletto heels, Betty shows up for work in her mismatched outfits, complete with thick glasses and awkward braces.

The series, which made its debut during the 2006-2007 season on ABC, could've relied on physical humour for laughs. But the sharp writing and likeable cast bring the show to life. There's a lot going on in the first year. Besides setting Betty up as Mode magazine's ugly duckling overachiever, the first few episodes introduce viewers to a superb supporting cast that includes Betty's frenemies Amanda (Becki Newton) and Marc (Michael Urie), the hysterical duo that aligns themselves to whoever can best advance their careers. As for Betty's womanizing boss, Daniel (Eric Mabius), he's not the brightest bulb in the package. Recalling childhood outings with their mother, he says, "She used to like taking us to clothing museums." To which his sibling says, "Those were stores! She just called them museums to get us out of school." Salma Hayek--one of the show's producers--guest stars in an arc as a powerful editor who beds Daniel to prove a point. But it's her unexpected turn as an actress on Ignacio's favorite soap opera that is the real treat.

About halfway through the 23-episode series, it appears that the writers switched gears with one of their main plots revolving around a possibly undead fashion editor. But in a typical over-the-top Ugly Betty way, they make the plot switch work. The heart of the show is when Betty returns home from work. She still lives with her father, Ignacio (Tony Plana), older sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz), and nephew Justin (Mark Indelicato). Justin is one of TV's best kid characters. Not only is he equally adorable and wise, but he is most probably--or will grow up to be--gay. The way his family accepts him for who he is--rather than who they wish he was--is incredibly loving and thoughtful. Betty also is navigating a love life that she makes more complicated than it has to be. Instead of dumping a boyfriend who cheated on her, she allows her sister to manipulate her into staying with him. When she finally realizes she has strong feelings for Henry (Christopher Gorham), the adorable accountant at work who has a huge crush on her, it may be too late. The season finale will leaves viewers with several cliffhangers revolving around Ignacio, Justin's father, and (of course) Betty. For most fans, season 2 can't come fast enough. --Jae-Ha Kim

Synopsis
Equally smart and soapy, this dramedy starring America Ferrera picked up a pair of Golden Globes for its critically acclaimed freshman season. Based on Colombian telenovela YO SOY BETTY LA FEA, this show follows Betty Suarez (Ferrera, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS) in her career at a fashion magazine called Mode. Unlike Mode's staff of vacuous vamps and vixens, Betty relies on her strength of mind and heart to take her places, but her co-workers make fun of her for her lack of both fashion sense and a size-00 figure. Though Ferrera is a good enough actress to carry the show on her strong shoulders, she's surrounded by a great cast and characters. Michael Urie and Becki Newton play a pair of catty assistants, while Vanessa Williams (SHAFT) is Mode's witch-on-wheels with her eye on the job of the editor-in-chief, played by Eric Mabius. In addition to producing UGLY BETTY, Salma Hayek (FRIDA) makes several guest appearances. This release includes every episode of the first season, plus behind-the-scenes info from Hayek and Mabius. Fans can also see Ferrera's transformation into Betty: glasses, braces, and all.

Synopsis
Audiences are cheering for a vibrant overachiever with the spirit and the smarts to live her dream. America Ferrera stars as go-getter Betty Suarez, a true beauty in the skin-deep world of high fashion. Two very different cultures collide in this sexy and stylish series about believing in yourself regardless of the odds. Earning Golden Globe Awards® for Best Television Series and Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series in its very first season, Ugly Betty is a runaway hit with fans and critics. Experience every episode of Season One in this box set. Plus, join executive producer Salma Hayek and actor Eric Mabius for exclusive show insights, and see what it takes for America Ferrera to get Bettyfied – available only on DVD. You’ll find yourself falling in love with every minute of Ugly Betty.

Customer Reviews

Rose-Tinted Spectacles
Ugly Betty is based on the popular Colombian telenovela "Yo soy Betty, la fea" (I'm Betty, the Ugly), which has been dubbed and broadcast in numerous countries and adapted in many others. Due to the popularity of the show the American version inevitably followed, and is quite simply a breath of fresh air, although is not without its flaws.

The first few episodes of this quirky series really grabbed my attention due to the contemporary set designs, brilliant wardrobe choices and a cast of memorable characters from the award winning Betty Suarez to her troubled boss Daniel Meade. Even the secondary characters such as Amanda and Marc are given an arc of some depth to prevent them falling into the 'one-dimensional-comic-relief' category. A special mention should be made here for Betty's nephew Justin - in my opinion incredibly under-used as a camp, self-confessed lover of all things fashion and theatre, who steals every scene he's in.

However, with so many core and recurring characters throughout, none of which are neglected a story arc of some kind, the show gradually loses its focus as the series progresses.

What begins as the story of an naive outcast (cue the rose-tinted spectacles...) attempting to assimiliate herself into an alien environment and the troubles she faces due to the inherent prejudice in the industry turns, without spoiling plot details, into a bit of a soap-opera farce in the vein of other american 'dramedies' such as Desperate Housewives.

The real magic of the show, however, lies in the relationship between Betty and Daniel and the occasional scenes between them outside of office hours, such as when Daniel visits Betty's house at Christmas and the scene on the bridge after they've had dinner together, really stand out from other minor plot-lines. Perhaps this is why I became increasingly dismayed with the second half of the series when these minor plot-lines took precedence over the core relationship that glues the show together.

A more in-depth and sensitive look at the fashion industry is available in The Devil Wears Prada, which shows you both sides of the coin in the public stereotype of the industry and the sacrifices made from those who work in it, and Betty should in no way be compared to this, although initial comparisons are inevitable.

This box set will be going in my wish list as it is good fun and gives equal proportions of drama, comedy, mystery, farce, camp, soap opera, and satire. But in my opinion it tries to do too much (hence the 4 stars)

All in all a brilliant and hugely enjoyable series. Let's hope series two continues where the first series began.

Incredibly Funny and Charming Comedy Series
Ugly Betty is easily one of the best comedy shows of recent years and despite winning various awards including Emmys and Golden Globes, is criminally unwatched by many viewers.

America Ferrera stars as the title character, Betty Suarez, a frumpy and unfashionable young woman who is just out of college and has big dreams of working as a writer for a magazine. She logically sees that if she applies for a job as an assistant to the editor of one, then she will have a good chance of eventually being noticed and moving up the career ladder. There is just one problem. The magazine that she ends up working for is top fashion magazine - and obvious parody of Vogue - Mode, where everyone is skinny, fashionable and scarily hip.

Betty immediately feels like an outsider in the place - the first thing that anyone says to her is "Are you the before?" - and is unpopular from the beginning. However, she soon bumps into Christina (Ashley Jensen), the magazine's seamistress, who takes a shine to her and warns her about the general bitchiness of the magazine's employees and tells her not to take any notice of them.

The longer Betty stays at the magazine, the more she becomes accustomed to the place and is soon a permanent fixture and relied upon completely by the editor of Mode, her boss, Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius). Ferrera attacks the role of Betty with so much charm and appeal that it is hard not to love her. She portrays Betty as a Latino girl with a big heart - who has to look after her family, including her Father with his ailing health as well as a sassy sister and camp nephew - who is often misunderstood by the shallow people at Mode.

Ugly Betty is a bright, fun and extremely enjoyable comedy series that could be enjoyed by almost anyone with a good sense of humour. From the bitchy humour of the Mode building to the sarcastic wit of Christina and the sheer charm of Betty, the series is easy to love and very addictive.

A great achievement in television which saw Ferrera winning three different awards for her role - the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series - Comedy, the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series - this is not to be missed!

Loved it!
I don't like trashy American books but I do love trashy American TV such as this and Desperate Housewives. This is a great programme and very funny with good stories. Betty's style is just too ridiculous though; as if she would continue wearing those clothes and that hair! Betty can also be a bit annoying as she is quite self-righteous. But then I don't suppose the script writers are really going for realism! I love Mark and Amanda; they are hilarious.