Ugly Betty (season 3)
Encyclopedia
The third season of the American
dramedy
television series
Ugly Betty
was confirmed in the ABC
lineup, which was picked up for a full season on February 11, 2008. The season premiere aired on September 25, 2008 and ended with a special double-episode on May 21, 2009.
In Australia, Season 3 premiered on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. EDT. This took place as one of the first exclusive premieres on the new digital channel 7TWO
, after over two years of erratic screening of the first two seasons on the Seven Network
. In South Africa, Season 3 premiered on Tuesday January 13, 2009 in its normal 7:30.P.M CAT timeslot. Season 3 premiered in the UK on Channel 4
on Wednesday June 24, 2009 in the 10:00.P.M. slot, after Big Brother
. It changed from Wednesdays to Mondays from Monday October 12, 2009. Episodes finished airing December 2, 2009.
The season would be the first to be produced in the show's setting, New York City
in an attempt to take advantage of a credit change. However, the move would have side-effects as several cast and crew members prefer to stay in Los Angeles
where the first two seasons were produced which resulted in contributing less onto the show. For example, Ashley Jensen
, who plays Christina McKinney
, opted to stay in Los Angeles and eventually left the show.
returned for the third season, with the former main characters Alexis Meade
(played by Rebecca Romijn
) and Henry Grubstick
(played by Christopher Gorham
), becoming recurring characters.
onboard for a storyline were plans for the third season. The two proposed ideas were already in the planning stages during the second season, but were put on hold due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
. However, only Lindsay Lohan's storyline came to fruition. (The episode "Granny Pants
" involved a plot about a musical, but was not a musical episode.) Despite appearing uncredited in the season two finale "Jump
", Lohan appeared (credited) in the episodes "The Manhattan Project", "Granny Pants
" and "Ugly Berry
".
Shooting of the episodes moved from Los Angeles to on location shooting in New York City
, where the show is set. The last time the show was shot in New York was in the pilot episode. In addition, the season had more physical elements, especially for Betty.
After his ouster from Mode, Daniel was demoted to Editor-in-Chief of Player magazine, after Alexis decided to bring back Wilhelmina as Editor-in-Chief. Daniel then takes the decision to fight for custody of his son Daniel Jr., and for his job at Mode, which he takes back from Wilhelmina, whose sudden rise to the top and her means to lure Betty into her world - by offering her the job of her assistant - in her attempt to mold her. Of course, this doesn't last and when Betty helps Daniel to get his job back, she becomes his assistant again. Adding to Wilhelmina's downfall was Marc, whose jealousy over being passed over by Wilhelmina after she lured Betty back to Mode, became a move that prompted Marc to set his boss' downfall in motion, allowing him to get his job back. In addition, Claire stepped in to stop Wilhelmina from using the family and also to get Hot Flash ready.
Hilda continued to see Tony, who was still married, and when Ignacio found out, it caused a rift between the two. Unfortunately, thanks to his wife, Hilda ends the affair after talking to his wife who mistook her for the "other woman" (Betty). Meanwhile, Justin is getting ready to break into show business on Broadway, in what is said to be a "musical episode".
Christina is dealing with Stuart's drug problems and her pregnancy with the unborn Meade baby, which in turn would take a turn for the worse after she is pushed down a flight of stairs. Daniel is framed for it and Betty decides to prove he is being wrongly accused. After using some help from Marc and Amanda, they find out Daniel's sister pushed Christina. Alexis turns herself in afterwards. While in jail, Alexis reveals to Daniel that a paternity test for Daniel Jr. revealed that he is not the father. Alexis is the father, since she slept with DJ's mother when still being a man. As a result of this revelation, Daniel Jr's grandparents get custody of the boy.
In the meantime, Wilhelmina puts pressure on Alexis to give up her complete control of the Meade company, in exchange for Wilhelmina's help in getting Alexis' charges dropped. In the end, a compromise is reached, and control of the company is divided equally between Wilhelmina (in actuality, the unborn baby gets the share) and Daniel. The two become co-owners and co-editors of the publishing empire. This means Wilhelmina only has 50% to go until she controls the whole empire by herself. The baby, William Slater-Meade, was born during "Fashion Week 2009" in the middle of the catwalk. The question of Will's birthright also becomes an issue, after Christina starts bonding with the boy. Unfortunately, Baby Will in fact turns out to be Christina and Stuart's son, and after some convincing from Betty, Wilhelmina hands the boy over to the McKinneys, who then tell Betty that they were moving back to Scotland
to start a new life and for Christina, a new fashion business.
Amanda continues the quest to find her father and also moves in with Betty when her spending spirals out of control and her credit card bills sky-rocket. Her financial problems would result in Amanda taking on a second job at a pizza parlor in an effort to pay off her debts. Together they plan a "Mode Afterparty". Betty invites Jesse and his band to perform, and he agrees. At the party, he has a sudden case of stage-fright, which Betty helps him overcome. However after Betty catches Jesse kissing Amanda and later finds him to be boring, Betty gives up on him. She also moves out of the apartment and sublets it to Marc.
As Betty returns home, she finds herself and her family deal with Ignacio's heart attack and a new love interest (his nurse) Elena; Hilda's falling for New York City Councilman Archie Rodriguez, who wanted Hilda to apply for a license to operate her beauty shop and Justin's befriending—and rejection—of a bully named Randy. Ignacio later gets a new job at a restaurant owned by TV chef Frankie Burrata, whom Ignacio would challenge on his cooking show "Kitchen Rumble."
In the meantime, Wilhelmina falls in love with the new associate and Daniel's business partner Connor Owens, who turns out to be an embezzler after Betty discovers that he has been transferring money from the company to his own bank account. Surprisingly enough, Daniel would fall for Connor's fiancee Molly, a schoolteacher who later reveals to Daniel that she has cancer. Daniel and Molly marry before she dies.
Marc is invited to move in with Cliff, but he can't make up his mind and rejects the offer. This causes Marc to fret, and in the process would lead to a one-night stand with a guy he met at Betty's rooftop party. Marc then shocks Cliff with a wedding proposal, but would later confess the one-night stand to Cliff and the two break up.
Betty and Marc participate in the Young Editors Training Initiative (YETI) program. During the course, the two must deal with Jodi Papadakis (Bernadette Peters
), their professor who wants results from her students. However, it is revealed that Jodi has the hots for gay guys (she tries to flirt with Marc) and costs Betty the opportunity of an editor's job ... by taking the position herself. Upon graduating, she and Marc fight over the chance to replace the late Penny Meadows as features editor at Mode. Thanks to a coin toss by Daniel and Wilhelmina, Betty wins the job, leaving Marc devastated.
Still, nothing compared to Betty meeting a rival from Elle, Terri O'Shausseney (Nikki Blonsky), who succeeded by stealing a cover story idea from Mode. Then, Betty falls for aspiring sports reporter Matt Hartley, whom Betty discovers to actually stem from a wealthy family. Matt by the way tried to resist Betty because he had a sex addiction and was seeing a psychiatrist for treatment, then used his influence to bail out Betty's family. The two would later start dating but the friction between the two redefines itself when Henry returns. Matt thought Betty was over Henry, but after he saw the two kissing (for the last time before Henry left for good), Matt tells Betty it's over, and on top of that, reveals to her that he's going to be her new boss.
Speaking of the Hartleys, Matt's mother Victoria doesn't like Betty and would love to see them apart, while her estranged husband Calvin jumps in to rescue Meade Publications but buys along with it a secret past involving his affair with Claire (whom Victoria also has a dislike for) that produced an offspring that was supposed to have been aborted, only to be revealed that Claire actually had the baby and put their son up for adoption.
Finally, the truth about "Fashion Buzz" presenter Suzuki St. Pierre would be discovered by Betty and Daniel after a trip to New Jersey where they discover that Suzuki (whose viewers thought him to be gay) lives as Byron Wu, a straight guy who's married with two sons. It turns out that Byron used the Suzuki alter ego because he could not find work as a serious journalist. Both Betty and Daniel agree not to expose him.
As the series continues, we see Betty and Matt’s relationship grow as Betty meets his mother who is not too fond of Betty. We later learn that Matt has had impulsive sexual issues and had slept with several women over the years to counteract his loneliness. It isn’t until Betty that he finds someone he truly loves for the first time.
Meanwhile, things at Mode are not going well. Connor stole the company’s money and took off. Daniel decides to avoid layoffs and cut backs by liquidating his assets as does Wilhelmina eventually. The company, however, continues to slide downhill and eventually people get fired (like Amanda). It isn’t until Betty and Daniel see inspiration in the form of Matt’s father, Cal Hartley who is interested in helping struggling publications.
While things are gradually improving for Mode, Wilhelmina soon becomes invested in discovering the true identity of "her" baby, Will. She is concerned that the baby was actually Christina’s hence the lack of resemblance with Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina quickly learns that the child is not hers but to keep her stake at the Meade empire, she fakes a DNA test. Christina is shocked and does not believe Wilhelmina. She ends up stealing baby Will. Eventually, Wilhelmina admits the child is not her own but only does it to show Cal the power she has and therefore is not fired from Meade once Cal signs the contracts. As a result however, Christina and Stuart along with their child decide to return to Scotland to have the child closer to family (Note: this was done due to Ashley Jensen’s desire to leave the show due to the move to New York and the complications that arose from this decision).
The situation of Meade becomes relaxed when Daniel decides to make Molly’s dreams come true by marrying her. Also, Ignacio decides to take his relationship with Elena to the next level. However, once a job opportunity arises for her, Ignacio decides to let her go to follow her dreams.
At YETI, Betty and Marc have their final interviews and wait for job call backs. Marc is offered a job at Vogue. As Betty gets an offer to the New York Review, Henry creeps back into her life as well as an offer from Matt to move in together. Betty, unable to hide her past with Henry, is seen kissing him off goodbye by Matt. Betty’s New York Review job ends up being taken by Jodie in a surprising twist.
Claire takes up the position of Senior Vice President to Wilhelmina’s discontent. Wilhelmina decides to ruin Claire's reputation. Wilhelmina learns that Victoria Hartley despises Claire and seeks information. Willie learns that Claire had an affair with Victoria’s ex-husband Cal which resulted in an offspring! When confronted with the accusation, Claire tells Wilhelmina that she decided to abort the child but had to take a year off to deal with the emotional trauma. Wilhelmina asks Claire to resign her position as Senior VP in exchange for keeping her discretion.
In the finale episode, we see a struggling and sick Molly fighting for her life as Daniel is nominated for a Mama Award for the Wedding Issue. As the features editor of Mode dies, Betty and Marc fight for the vacant position and ask Daniel and Wilhelmina to ultimately decide who gets the position. Meanwhile, Matt confronts Betty about kissing Henry and their relationship comes to a halt.
The final few moments of the finale involve Mode winning the Mama Award for the Wedding Issue where Daniel makes a speech and sees Molly standing behind Betty. He tells her he loves her. Once off the stage, Betty congratulates Daniel but says she did not see Molly at all. We also see that Betty is eventually hired as the features editor, not Marc. This was decided over a coin-toss since Daniel and Wilhelmina both decided they were equally qualified. As Betty is getting her new office ready, Matt enters and the couple splits up. Matt reveals that he will be Betty’s new boss since his father offered him a new position at Mode.
Wilhelmina’s position at Meade is being threatened when Cal and Claire both agree that their past is none of Wilhelmina’s business. We see Wilhelmina taking to a privately hired hitman whom she asks to find Connor in order to get the money back and push Cal out with that money. As Wilhelmina leaves the meeting with the hitman, she enters a room in her house, drops her glass and exclaims “What are you doing here?” to an unknown character.
We also see Claire burning an adoption notice meaning Claire in fact did have the child and lied to Wilhelmina about the abortion. Daniel returns home only to find Molly dead and being carried out into an ambulance. Heart-broken and upset, he calls his friend, Betty, for support. The show ends with the two hugging over Molly’s death.
In an interview about the new direction the series would be taking, Silvio Horta told E!
's Kristin Dos Santos at a ABC press meeting for its show runners, "This season is going to be about growing up. We aren't going to be doing anymore child-like storylines. It's going to be about moving Betty forward." He then added more details to MediaWeek about the changes: "On Ugly Betty I think we started to veer a little too much into the romantic storyline, where it started to really become the show. And it started to just get away from what I originally wanted to do and where we originally started, which was about a girl making it in the city and her work life. So we're trying to refocus that back. But there's always temptation and you want to explore it. You want to have the opportunity to explore it. And the second you start getting too involved in it, it's like any plot line. You go in; it's very hard to get out and it takes a little longer." He later revealed that the audience would see a more evolving Betty: "Betty will solve a crime. Inject Botox. Get attacked by an animal. Throw a Wilhelmina mannequin down a flight of stairs. And that's just the first three episodes."
's character of Alexis Meade
, Daniel's male-to-female transsexual sister, would be demoted to a recurring character because of Romijn's dissatisfaction with the direction the writers had taken her character. It was speculated that this was in part due to Romijn's then-impending pregnancy. There was also speculation that the move might also have resulted in another regular opting to stay in California because of family and/or other personal commitments, although TV Guide
' s Michael Ausiello
reported that it might be a ploy to ask for a salary increase.
The season opener featured Regis Philbin
and Kelly Ripa
making a cameo in which Wilhelmina and Alexis appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly
, which in turn comes on the heels of Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos
having signed up for a multi-episode run in which he played a police detective. Ralph Macchio
had a recurring stint beyond his appearance in the fifth episode, where he played a city official. Also, Nikki Blonsky signed on for a guest stint that aired on January 8, 2009.
Christopher Gorham (Henry Grubstick
) revealed to TV Guide, in his own words, "The show is moving, I am not." But several days later after Gorham made those comments, TV Guide' s Matt Webb, in his video blog, said that he had a different version of the story coming from ABC, which claimed that Gorham would still be part of the cast. On July 11, 2008, TV Guide confirmed that Gorham and Rodriguez would be moving on from Betty as the two actors would be making their last appearances due to other commitments, especially Gorham, who began working on CBS
' Harper's Island. However, in a Q&A submitted to Ausiello at his webpage at Entertainment Weekly
, he asked Ferrera about the absence of the two actors after they were no-shows at the Season 3 premiere party in New York City on September 12, 2008: "Betty's decision at the beginning of this season is not an ending to anything," Ferrera insisted. "It's more about huge beginnings for her. Christopher [Gorham], who we love and adore, and Freddy [Rodriguez], who is wonderful and so great on our show, are not gone [forever]. You'll never know when they'll pop in or pop out, but they'll be around."
(Michael Urie
) and Amanda Tanen
(Becki Newton
) having fun around the Mode offices when they were not working. There are thirteen lasting 5 minutes in length. Here are the scheduled listings:
. All 24 episodes were included in the set, along with additional "Betty Bloopers", alternative takes, deleted scenes and a featurette, "Coming Home to New York City", detailing the show's return to the Big Apple after having filmed the pilot there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dramedy
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
was confirmed in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
lineup, which was picked up for a full season on February 11, 2008. The season premiere aired on September 25, 2008 and ended with a special double-episode on May 21, 2009.
In Australia, Season 3 premiered on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. EDT. This took place as one of the first exclusive premieres on the new digital channel 7TWO
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, after over two years of erratic screening of the first two seasons on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. In South Africa, Season 3 premiered on Tuesday January 13, 2009 in its normal 7:30.P.M CAT timeslot. Season 3 premiered in the UK on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
on Wednesday June 24, 2009 in the 10:00.P.M. slot, after Big Brother
Big Brother 2009 (UK)
Big Brother 2009, occasionally referred to as Big Brother 10, was the tenth series of the British reality television series Big Brother. It began on 4 June 2009 and was aired on Channel 4 and E4 for 93 days, concluding on 4 September when Sophie "Dogface" Reade was crowned the winner with 74.4% of...
. It changed from Wednesdays to Mondays from Monday October 12, 2009. Episodes finished airing December 2, 2009.
The season would be the first to be produced in the show's setting, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in an attempt to take advantage of a credit change. However, the move would have side-effects as several cast and crew members prefer to stay in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where the first two seasons were produced which resulted in contributing less onto the show. For example, Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
, who plays Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip....
, opted to stay in Los Angeles and eventually left the show.
Cast
Most of the main cast from the show's second seasonUgly Betty (season 2)
The second season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty started on September 27, 2007 in the United States and Canada and including a long, mid-season hiatus ran until May 22, 2008...
returned for the third season, with the former main characters Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
(played by Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
) and Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...
(played by Christopher Gorham
Christopher Gorham
Christopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
), becoming recurring characters.
Starring
- America FerreraAmerica FerreraAmerica Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
as Betty SuarezBetty SuarezBeatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role... - Eric MabiusEric MabiusEric Harry Timothy Mabius is an American actor known for his work as Daniel Meade on the ABC television series Ugly Betty. He also worked on the Showtime series The L Word and in the films Resident Evil and Cruel Intentions....
as Daniel MeadeDaniel MeadeDaniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974... - Judith LightJudith LightJudith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek on the soap opera One Life to Live, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Claire Meade on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.-Early life:Light...
as Claire MeadeClaire MeadeClaire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season... - Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
as Wilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress... - Becki NewtonBecki NewtonRebecca Sara "Becki" Newton is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
as Amanda TanenAmanda TanenAmanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation... - Ana OrtizAna OrtizAna Ortíz is an American actress and singer. She is a native of Manhattan, but was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a regular cast-member on the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, in which she plays the title character's older sister, Hilda Suarez...
as Hilda SuarezHilda SuarezHilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older... - Ashley JensenAshley JensenAshley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
as Christina McKinneyChristina McKinneyChristina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip.... - Tony PlanaTony PlanaTony Plana is a Cuban-American actor and director. He is well known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC show Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
as Ignacio SuarezIgnacio SuarezIgnacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:... - Michael UrieMichael UrieMichael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor, television producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
as Marc St. JamesMarc St. JamesMarcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie... - Mark IndelicatoMark IndelicatoMark Indelicato is an American actor, singer, fashion blogger, and photographer best known for his role in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty, as Justin Suarez, the fashion-obsessed nephew of series protagonist Betty Suarez....
as Justin SuarezJustin SuarezJustin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty which is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Betty la fea. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato. Justin lives with his mother Hilda, his aunt Betty, and his grandfather Ignacio... - Rebecca RomijnRebecca RomijnRebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
as Alexis MeadeAlexis MeadeAlexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
Recurring guest stars
- Bernadette PetersBernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
as Jodi Papadakis - Sarah LafleurSarah LafleurSarah Lafleur is a Canadian-born actress, most recognizable for her roles in Ugly Betty , The Mentalist , Grey's Anatomy , CSI: NY , Crossing Jordan , Without a Trace , Playmakers ; and the films Shall We Dance? , Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story and Daydream Believers: The Monkees Story...
as Molly - Christopher GorhamChristopher GorhamChristopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
as Henry GrubstickHenry GrubstickHenry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses... - Daniel Eric GoldDaniel Eric GoldDaniel Eric Gold is an American theater, TV and movie actor. He attended Lee Strasberg's Theater Institute as a teenager, and went on to graduate from Penn State in 1996, with a degree in Theater Arts....
as Matt Hartley - Val EmmichVal EmmichVal Matthew Emmich is a pop rock singer-songwriter and actor from New Jersey. In 2001 he became the first unsigned artist to be featured on MTV's Total Request Live. As an actor he has appeared in such television shows as 30 Rock and Ugly Betty.-Early life:Emmich was born in Manalapan Township,...
as Jesse - David BlueDavid Blue (actor)David Blue is an American actor, writer, producer and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Cliff St. Paul on Ugly Betty and Eli Wallace on the Syfy series Stargate Universe.-Early life:...
as Cliff St. Paul - Lindsay LohanLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
as Kimmie Keegan - Darin Cleary as Ricky
- Julian De La CelleJulian De La CelleJulian De La Celle is an American actor of French descent. He played Daniel Meade, Jr. -- Alexis Meade's son in ABC's Ugly Betty. De La Celle first appeared in Ugly Betty in the Season 2 finale, "Jump"...
as DJ - Eddie CibrianEddie CibrianEdward Carl "Eddie" Cibrian is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cole Deschanel on Sunset Beach, Jesse Cardoza in CSI: Miami, Jimmy Doherty on Third Watch and Russell Varon in Invasion.-Early life and career:...
as Coach Tony Diaz - Max EhrichMax EhrichMax Ehrich is an American actor singer and dancer. He made his film debut starring in One Easy Job , then had a supporting role as principal dancer in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Breaking into television, Ehrich was a recurring guest star in Ugly Betty's Season 3, playing the role of Randy...
as Randy - Grant BowlerGrant BowlerGrant Bowler is a New Zealand actor who has worked in American, Australian and New Zealand films and television.He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson in Blue Heelers and also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty.In November 2010, he was...
as Connor Owens - Ralph MacchioRalph MacchioRalph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
as Archie Rodriguez - Alec MapaAlec Mapa-Personal life:Mapa, a Filipino American, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School . Mapa is openly gay and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities...
as Suzuki St. Pierre - Kevin KilnerKevin KilnerKevin Kilner is an American television and film actor.Kilner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothea, a kindergarten teacher, and Edward Kilner, who worked in advertising sales and insurance. He made his first television appearance on an episode of The Cosby Show in 1989...
as Dr. Mervin Farber - Alexander ChaplinAlexander ChaplinAlexander Chaplin is an American actor. Chaplin's most prominent role was that of speechwriter James Hobert on the sitcom Spin City...
as Fabian - Freddy RodriguezFreddy RodriguezFreddy Rodriguez is an American actor known for playing the characters Hector Federico "Rico" Diaz on HBO's Six Feet Under and El Wray in Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror...
as Gio Rossi - David RascheDavid Rasche-Early life and career:Rasche was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a minister and farmer. Rasche started in theatre, but also has appeared on numerous movies and television series. He became a member of the Chicago Second City, after John Belushi moved on to Saturday Night Live...
as Calvin Hartley - Christine BaranskiChristine BaranskiChristine Jane Baranski is an American stage and screen actress, and is perhaps best known for her Emmy Award winning portrayal as "Maryanne Thorpe" in the sitcom Cybill, and her Emmy nominated portrayal of "Diane Lockhart" in The Good Wife...
as Victoria Hartley
Music
- ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
released a promotional video featuring the cast singing "New York, New YorkTheme from New York, New York"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
". - Australian songstress LenkaLenkaLenka is a village and municipality in the Rimavská Sobota District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia.- Demographics :As of 2001, Lenka had 202 inhabitants of whom 129 were Hungarians and 72 Slovakians.-External links:...
made a music video of "The ShowThe Show (Lenka song)"The Show" is the debut single by Australian singer/songwriter Lenka that was released in December 2008 - June 2009. The song is featured on her eponymous debut album Lenka, released in 2008. The single was successful in Vietnam, where it peaked as #1 in Radio Vietnam...
" showing never before seen footage from the third season of Ugly Betty. - iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
provided a free music download of both of these features. - In episode 10, "Bad Amanda", an unreleased track titled "Fashion" by Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
can be heard. - In the episode, "When Betty Met YETI", Lady Gaga's "Poker FacePoker Face (Lady Gaga song)"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
" can be heard. - In the episode "Curveball", another Lady Gaga song, "The Fame", can be heard.
Production
Plans for a musical episode and having Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
onboard for a storyline were plans for the third season. The two proposed ideas were already in the planning stages during the second season, but were put on hold due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
. However, only Lindsay Lohan's storyline came to fruition. (The episode "Granny Pants
Granny Pants
"Granny Pants" is the fifth episode in the third season, the 46th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on October 23, 2008...
" involved a plot about a musical, but was not a musical episode.) Despite appearing uncredited in the season two finale "Jump
Jump (Ugly Betty)
"Jump" is the eighteenth episode in the second season, the 41st episode overall, and the second season finale of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on May 22, 2008, the same day as Naomi Campbell's 38th Bithday...
", Lohan appeared (credited) in the episodes "The Manhattan Project", "Granny Pants
Granny Pants
"Granny Pants" is the fifth episode in the third season, the 46th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on October 23, 2008...
" and "Ugly Berry
Ugly Berry
"Ugly Berry" is the sixth episode in the third season, the 47th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on October 30, 2008. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by Ron Underwood.-Plot:...
".
Shooting of the episodes moved from Los Angeles to on location shooting in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where the show is set. The last time the show was shot in New York was in the pilot episode. In addition, the season had more physical elements, especially for Betty.
Plot
In this season, Betty decides to move on from Henry and Gio, and after a cross-country trip around the United States, decides to move out of Casa Suarez and into an apartment of her own, hoping that this will help her advance in her quest to move up in the publishing business. Betty also attracts the interest of a musician named Jesse who is living in the apartment across from hers. In addition, she buries the hatchet with Kimberly "Kimmie" Keegan, her childhood nemesis and manager of Flushing Burger, where Ignacio works. Unfortunately, the truce between Betty and Kimmie would be broken after Betty helped Kimmie land a job at Mode and Kimmie reverted to her old patronizing ways after being promoted to associate editor. This promotion would also infuriate Amanda and Marc after Kimmie befriended and then turned on them. But it would be Wilhelmina who would fire Kimmie after she insulted her during a photo shoot with model Adriana Lima.After his ouster from Mode, Daniel was demoted to Editor-in-Chief of Player magazine, after Alexis decided to bring back Wilhelmina as Editor-in-Chief. Daniel then takes the decision to fight for custody of his son Daniel Jr., and for his job at Mode, which he takes back from Wilhelmina, whose sudden rise to the top and her means to lure Betty into her world - by offering her the job of her assistant - in her attempt to mold her. Of course, this doesn't last and when Betty helps Daniel to get his job back, she becomes his assistant again. Adding to Wilhelmina's downfall was Marc, whose jealousy over being passed over by Wilhelmina after she lured Betty back to Mode, became a move that prompted Marc to set his boss' downfall in motion, allowing him to get his job back. In addition, Claire stepped in to stop Wilhelmina from using the family and also to get Hot Flash ready.
Hilda continued to see Tony, who was still married, and when Ignacio found out, it caused a rift between the two. Unfortunately, thanks to his wife, Hilda ends the affair after talking to his wife who mistook her for the "other woman" (Betty). Meanwhile, Justin is getting ready to break into show business on Broadway, in what is said to be a "musical episode".
Christina is dealing with Stuart's drug problems and her pregnancy with the unborn Meade baby, which in turn would take a turn for the worse after she is pushed down a flight of stairs. Daniel is framed for it and Betty decides to prove he is being wrongly accused. After using some help from Marc and Amanda, they find out Daniel's sister pushed Christina. Alexis turns herself in afterwards. While in jail, Alexis reveals to Daniel that a paternity test for Daniel Jr. revealed that he is not the father. Alexis is the father, since she slept with DJ's mother when still being a man. As a result of this revelation, Daniel Jr's grandparents get custody of the boy.
In the meantime, Wilhelmina puts pressure on Alexis to give up her complete control of the Meade company, in exchange for Wilhelmina's help in getting Alexis' charges dropped. In the end, a compromise is reached, and control of the company is divided equally between Wilhelmina (in actuality, the unborn baby gets the share) and Daniel. The two become co-owners and co-editors of the publishing empire. This means Wilhelmina only has 50% to go until she controls the whole empire by herself. The baby, William Slater-Meade, was born during "Fashion Week 2009" in the middle of the catwalk. The question of Will's birthright also becomes an issue, after Christina starts bonding with the boy. Unfortunately, Baby Will in fact turns out to be Christina and Stuart's son, and after some convincing from Betty, Wilhelmina hands the boy over to the McKinneys, who then tell Betty that they were moving back to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to start a new life and for Christina, a new fashion business.
Amanda continues the quest to find her father and also moves in with Betty when her spending spirals out of control and her credit card bills sky-rocket. Her financial problems would result in Amanda taking on a second job at a pizza parlor in an effort to pay off her debts. Together they plan a "Mode Afterparty". Betty invites Jesse and his band to perform, and he agrees. At the party, he has a sudden case of stage-fright, which Betty helps him overcome. However after Betty catches Jesse kissing Amanda and later finds him to be boring, Betty gives up on him. She also moves out of the apartment and sublets it to Marc.
As Betty returns home, she finds herself and her family deal with Ignacio's heart attack and a new love interest (his nurse) Elena; Hilda's falling for New York City Councilman Archie Rodriguez, who wanted Hilda to apply for a license to operate her beauty shop and Justin's befriending—and rejection—of a bully named Randy. Ignacio later gets a new job at a restaurant owned by TV chef Frankie Burrata, whom Ignacio would challenge on his cooking show "Kitchen Rumble."
In the meantime, Wilhelmina falls in love with the new associate and Daniel's business partner Connor Owens, who turns out to be an embezzler after Betty discovers that he has been transferring money from the company to his own bank account. Surprisingly enough, Daniel would fall for Connor's fiancee Molly, a schoolteacher who later reveals to Daniel that she has cancer. Daniel and Molly marry before she dies.
Marc is invited to move in with Cliff, but he can't make up his mind and rejects the offer. This causes Marc to fret, and in the process would lead to a one-night stand with a guy he met at Betty's rooftop party. Marc then shocks Cliff with a wedding proposal, but would later confess the one-night stand to Cliff and the two break up.
Betty and Marc participate in the Young Editors Training Initiative (YETI) program. During the course, the two must deal with Jodi Papadakis (Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
), their professor who wants results from her students. However, it is revealed that Jodi has the hots for gay guys (she tries to flirt with Marc) and costs Betty the opportunity of an editor's job ... by taking the position herself. Upon graduating, she and Marc fight over the chance to replace the late Penny Meadows as features editor at Mode. Thanks to a coin toss by Daniel and Wilhelmina, Betty wins the job, leaving Marc devastated.
Still, nothing compared to Betty meeting a rival from Elle, Terri O'Shausseney (Nikki Blonsky), who succeeded by stealing a cover story idea from Mode. Then, Betty falls for aspiring sports reporter Matt Hartley, whom Betty discovers to actually stem from a wealthy family. Matt by the way tried to resist Betty because he had a sex addiction and was seeing a psychiatrist for treatment, then used his influence to bail out Betty's family. The two would later start dating but the friction between the two redefines itself when Henry returns. Matt thought Betty was over Henry, but after he saw the two kissing (for the last time before Henry left for good), Matt tells Betty it's over, and on top of that, reveals to her that he's going to be her new boss.
Speaking of the Hartleys, Matt's mother Victoria doesn't like Betty and would love to see them apart, while her estranged husband Calvin jumps in to rescue Meade Publications but buys along with it a secret past involving his affair with Claire (whom Victoria also has a dislike for) that produced an offspring that was supposed to have been aborted, only to be revealed that Claire actually had the baby and put their son up for adoption.
Finally, the truth about "Fashion Buzz" presenter Suzuki St. Pierre would be discovered by Betty and Daniel after a trip to New Jersey where they discover that Suzuki (whose viewers thought him to be gay) lives as Byron Wu, a straight guy who's married with two sons. It turns out that Byron used the Suzuki alter ego because he could not find work as a serious journalist. Both Betty and Daniel agree not to expose him.
As the series continues, we see Betty and Matt’s relationship grow as Betty meets his mother who is not too fond of Betty. We later learn that Matt has had impulsive sexual issues and had slept with several women over the years to counteract his loneliness. It isn’t until Betty that he finds someone he truly loves for the first time.
Meanwhile, things at Mode are not going well. Connor stole the company’s money and took off. Daniel decides to avoid layoffs and cut backs by liquidating his assets as does Wilhelmina eventually. The company, however, continues to slide downhill and eventually people get fired (like Amanda). It isn’t until Betty and Daniel see inspiration in the form of Matt’s father, Cal Hartley who is interested in helping struggling publications.
While things are gradually improving for Mode, Wilhelmina soon becomes invested in discovering the true identity of "her" baby, Will. She is concerned that the baby was actually Christina’s hence the lack of resemblance with Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina quickly learns that the child is not hers but to keep her stake at the Meade empire, she fakes a DNA test. Christina is shocked and does not believe Wilhelmina. She ends up stealing baby Will. Eventually, Wilhelmina admits the child is not her own but only does it to show Cal the power she has and therefore is not fired from Meade once Cal signs the contracts. As a result however, Christina and Stuart along with their child decide to return to Scotland to have the child closer to family (Note: this was done due to Ashley Jensen’s desire to leave the show due to the move to New York and the complications that arose from this decision).
The situation of Meade becomes relaxed when Daniel decides to make Molly’s dreams come true by marrying her. Also, Ignacio decides to take his relationship with Elena to the next level. However, once a job opportunity arises for her, Ignacio decides to let her go to follow her dreams.
At YETI, Betty and Marc have their final interviews and wait for job call backs. Marc is offered a job at Vogue. As Betty gets an offer to the New York Review, Henry creeps back into her life as well as an offer from Matt to move in together. Betty, unable to hide her past with Henry, is seen kissing him off goodbye by Matt. Betty’s New York Review job ends up being taken by Jodie in a surprising twist.
Claire takes up the position of Senior Vice President to Wilhelmina’s discontent. Wilhelmina decides to ruin Claire's reputation. Wilhelmina learns that Victoria Hartley despises Claire and seeks information. Willie learns that Claire had an affair with Victoria’s ex-husband Cal which resulted in an offspring! When confronted with the accusation, Claire tells Wilhelmina that she decided to abort the child but had to take a year off to deal with the emotional trauma. Wilhelmina asks Claire to resign her position as Senior VP in exchange for keeping her discretion.
In the finale episode, we see a struggling and sick Molly fighting for her life as Daniel is nominated for a Mama Award for the Wedding Issue. As the features editor of Mode dies, Betty and Marc fight for the vacant position and ask Daniel and Wilhelmina to ultimately decide who gets the position. Meanwhile, Matt confronts Betty about kissing Henry and their relationship comes to a halt.
The final few moments of the finale involve Mode winning the Mama Award for the Wedding Issue where Daniel makes a speech and sees Molly standing behind Betty. He tells her he loves her. Once off the stage, Betty congratulates Daniel but says she did not see Molly at all. We also see that Betty is eventually hired as the features editor, not Marc. This was decided over a coin-toss since Daniel and Wilhelmina both decided they were equally qualified. As Betty is getting her new office ready, Matt enters and the couple splits up. Matt reveals that he will be Betty’s new boss since his father offered him a new position at Mode.
Wilhelmina’s position at Meade is being threatened when Cal and Claire both agree that their past is none of Wilhelmina’s business. We see Wilhelmina taking to a privately hired hitman whom she asks to find Connor in order to get the money back and push Cal out with that money. As Wilhelmina leaves the meeting with the hitman, she enters a room in her house, drops her glass and exclaims “What are you doing here?” to an unknown character.
We also see Claire burning an adoption notice meaning Claire in fact did have the child and lied to Wilhelmina about the abortion. Daniel returns home only to find Molly dead and being carried out into an ambulance. Heart-broken and upset, he calls his friend, Betty, for support. The show ends with the two hugging over Molly’s death.
Proposed storylines
Other proposed storyline hints before the season aired, in addition to the ones mentioned already, included Amanda's past and her continued search for her father and more romantic action for Marc and Cliff.In an interview about the new direction the series would be taking, Silvio Horta told E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
's Kristin Dos Santos at a ABC press meeting for its show runners, "This season is going to be about growing up. We aren't going to be doing anymore child-like storylines. It's going to be about moving Betty forward." He then added more details to MediaWeek about the changes: "On Ugly Betty I think we started to veer a little too much into the romantic storyline, where it started to really become the show. And it started to just get away from what I originally wanted to do and where we originally started, which was about a girl making it in the city and her work life. So we're trying to refocus that back. But there's always temptation and you want to explore it. You want to have the opportunity to explore it. And the second you start getting too involved in it, it's like any plot line. You go in; it's very hard to get out and it takes a little longer." He later revealed that the audience would see a more evolving Betty: "Betty will solve a crime. Inject Botox. Get attacked by an animal. Throw a Wilhelmina mannequin down a flight of stairs. And that's just the first three episodes."
Casting changes
It was announced before the season aired that Rebecca RomijnRebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
's character of Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
, Daniel's male-to-female transsexual sister, would be demoted to a recurring character because of Romijn's dissatisfaction with the direction the writers had taken her character. It was speculated that this was in part due to Romijn's then-impending pregnancy. There was also speculation that the move might also have resulted in another regular opting to stay in California because of family and/or other personal commitments, although TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
reported that it might be a ploy to ask for a salary increase.
The season opener featured Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
and Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa is an American actress and television host. Since February 2001, she has served as the co-host of talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, along with Regis Philbin and now solo host of Live! With Kelly...
making a cameo in which Wilhelmina and Alexis appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, which in turn comes on the heels of Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos
Mark Consuelos
Mark Andrew Consuelos is a Spanish-born American television and film actor.-Personal life:Consuelos was born in Zaragoza, Spain to a Mexican father and an Italian mother. He is the youngest of three children, he has a brother, who is a doctor, and a sister, who is a lawyer. Consuelos has lived in...
having signed up for a multi-episode run in which he played a police detective. Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
had a recurring stint beyond his appearance in the fifth episode, where he played a city official. Also, Nikki Blonsky signed on for a guest stint that aired on January 8, 2009.
Christopher Gorham (Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...
) revealed to TV Guide, in his own words, "The show is moving, I am not." But several days later after Gorham made those comments, TV Guide
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' Harper's Island. However, in a Q&A submitted to Ausiello at his webpage at Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, he asked Ferrera about the absence of the two actors after they were no-shows at the Season 3 premiere party in New York City on September 12, 2008: "Betty's decision at the beginning of this season is not an ending to anything," Ferrera insisted. "It's more about huge beginnings for her. Christopher [Gorham], who we love and adore, and Freddy [Rodriguez], who is wonderful and so great on our show, are not gone [forever]. You'll never know when they'll pop in or pop out, but they'll be around."
Episode summaries
| Series # |
Season # |
Episode title | Writer(s) | Director | U.S. viewers (millions) | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Webisodes
For the third season, a spin-off online series called Mode After Hours accompanied the main series. The program followed Marc St. JamesMarc St. James
Marcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...
(Michael Urie
Michael Urie
Michael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor, television producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
) and Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation...
(Becki Newton
Becki Newton
Rebecca Sara "Becki" Newton is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
) having fun around the Mode offices when they were not working. There are thirteen lasting 5 minutes in length. Here are the scheduled listings:
- September 23, "Guadalaharahh" - Amanda and Marc make fun of Betty and Daniel respectively
- September 25, "Friend-iversary VLOG" - It is the "friend-iversary" of when Marc first met Amanda, but Amanda completely forgot about it
- October 9, "Bowling for Cliff" - Amanda teaches Marc how to bowl before his bowling date with Cliff
- October 16, "Slumber Party Secrets" - Amanda and Marc sleep at Mode, and share some of their secrets.
- October 23, "Sommers Seance" - Marc and Amanda organize a seance trying to contact her dead mother Fey
- October 30, "Trapped in the Elevator" - Amanda and Marc get locked in the Mode elevator and share their darkest secrets.
- October 30, Behind the Scenes Extras and Making of Mode After Hours
- March 19, "Big Package" - Marc and Amanda have their own Christmas with unopened and undelivered office package.
- March 23, "April Fools" - Marc and Amanda think of clever ways to trick Betty on April Fools.
- March 30, "Roller Girlz" - Marc teaches Amanda how to skate in order to lose weight.
- April 8, "Breaking the Band" - Marc and Amanda compete to sing at a local karaoke bar.
- April 16, "London Calling" - Marc and Amanda call the Mode UK office for a YETI assignment and end up finding their British counterparts.
- April 23, "When Marc Met Mandy" - Marc and Amanda flash back to the first time they ever met.
- April 27, "I Spy" - Marc cancels dinner plans with Amanda to spy on his crush, Jake.
DVD release
On March 13, 2009 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced that the release date of Ugly Betty Season Three, subtitled "Start Spreading the News", would be September 22, 2009 in the United States and CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. All 24 episodes were included in the set, along with additional "Betty Bloopers", alternative takes, deleted scenes and a featurette, "Coming Home to New York City", detailing the show's return to the Big Apple after having filmed the pilot there.
Episodes
| Episode # | Title | Air Date | Rating | Share | 18–49 | Viewers | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | "The Manhattan Project" | September 25, 2008 | 6.6 | 11 | 3.3 | 9.77 | #26 |
| 43 | "Filing for the Enemy" | October 2, 2008 | 5.7 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.58 | #35 |
| 44 | "Crimes of Fashion" | October 9, 2008 | 5.8 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.48 | #35 |
| 45 | "Betty Suarez Land" | October 16, 2008 | 5.6 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.21 | #35 |
| 46 | "Granny Pants" | October 23, 2008 | 5.7 | 9 | 2.8 | 8.66 | #39 |
| 47 | "Ugly Berry" | October 30, 2008 | 5.6 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.55 | #45 |
| 48 | "Crush'd" | November 6, 2008 | 5.8 | 9 | 2.7 | 8.95 | #31 |
| 49 | "Tornado Girl" | November 13, 2008 | 6.3 | 10 | 2.8 | 9.20 | #41 |
| 50 | "When Betty Met YETI" | November 20, 2008 | 5.4 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.30 | #37 |
| 51 | "Bad Amanda" | December 4, 2008 | 5.8 | 9 | 2.6 | 8.47 | #38 |
| 52 | "Dress for Success" | January 8, 2009 | 5.0 | 8 | 2.4 | 7.51 | #43 |
| 53 | "Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" | January 22, 2009 | 5.1 | 8 | 2.4 | 7.54 | #42 |
| 54 | "Kissed Off" | February 5, 2009 | 5.0 | 8 | 2.4 | 7.27 | #44 |
| 55 | "The Courtship of Betty's Father" | February 12, 2009 | 4.9 | 8 | 2.3 | 7.44 | #40 |
| 56 | "There's No Place Like Mode" | February 19, 2009 | 5.1 | 8 | 2.3 | 7.65 | #35 |
| 57 | "Things Fall Apart" | February 26, 2009 | 4.6 | 7 | 1.9 | 6.78 | #41 |
| 58 | "Sugar Daddy" | March 5, 2009 | 4.3 | 7 | 1.8 | 6.35 | #50 |
| 59 | "A Mother of a Problem" | March 12, 2009 | 4.9 | 8 | 2.1 | 7.21 | #46 |
| 60 | "The Sex Issue" | March 19, 2009 | 5.2 | 9 | 2.2 | 7.82 | #41 |
| 61 | "Rabbit Test" | April 30, 2009 | 4.7 | 9 | 2.0 | 6.81 | TBA |
| 62 | "The Born Identity" | May 7, 2009 | 4.9 | 9 | 2.1 | 7.49 | TBA |
| 63 | "In the Stars" | May 14, 2009 | 4.7 | 8 | 2.0 | 6.83 | TBA |
| 64 | "Curveball" | May 21, 2009 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.8 | 6.16 | TBA |
| 65 | "The Fall Issue" | May 21, 2009 | 4.2 | 7 | 2.0 | 6.37 | TBA |
UK ratings
| Episode number | Title | Original airing on Channel 4 | Time of airing on Channel 4 | Original airing on E4 | Time of airing on E4 | Total viewers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | The Manhattan Project | Wednesday, June 24, 2009 | 10.00pm | |||||
| 2.36 million - #1 | ||||||||
| 2.36 million | ||||||||
| 43 | Filing for the Enemy | Wednesday, July 1, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.82 million - #8 | 482,000 - #3 | 2.302 million |
| 44 | Crimes of Fashion | Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.73 million - #19 | 250,000 - #11 | 1.98 million |
| 45 | Betty Suarez Land | Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday, July 14, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.18 million - #31 | 506,000 - #4 | 1.68 million |
| 46 | Granny Pants | Wednesday, July 22, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.64 million - #24 | 570,000* | 2.21 million |
| 47 | Ugly Berry | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday July 28, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.67 million - #22 | 523,000 - #4 | 2.19 million |
| 48 | Crush'd | Wednesday, August 5, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday August 4, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.69 milion - #21 | 486,000 - #7 | 2.18 million |
| 49 | Tornado Girl | Wednesday, August 12, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday August 11, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.56 million - #24 | 593,000 - #1 | 2.15 million |
| 50 | When Betty Met YETI | Wednesday, August 19, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday August 18, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.46 million - #27 | 539,000 - #2 | 2.0 million |
| 51 | Bad Amanda | Wednesday, August 26, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday August 25, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.57 million - #29 | 560,000 - #2 | 2.13 million |
| 52 | Dress for Success | Wednesday, September 2, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday September 1, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.08 million - #31 | 598,000 - #4 | 1.68 million |
| 53 | Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown |
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday September 8, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.09 million - #31 | 646,000 - #1 | 1.74 million |
| 54 | Kissed Off | Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday, September 15, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.20 million - #31 | 682,000 - #1 | 1.88 million |
| 55 | The Courtship of Betty's Father | Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday September 22, 2009 | 9.00pm | 1.11 million - #31 | 598,000 - #1 | 1.71 million |
| 56 | Monday, October 12, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday October 6, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.95 million - #31 | 426,000 - #8 | 1.51 million | |
| 57 | Things Fall Apart | Monday, October 19, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday October 13, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.93 million - #31 | 547,000 - #3 | 1.53 million |
| 58 | Sugar Daddy | Monday, October 26, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday October 20, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.71 million | 536,000 - #3 | 1.24 million |
| 59 | A Mother of a Problem | Monday, November 2, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday October 27, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.73 million | 580,000 - #5 | 1.31 million |
| 60 | The Sex Issue | Monday, November 9, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday November 3, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.59 million | 590,000 - #9 | 1.18 million |
| 61 | Rabbit Test | Monday November 16, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday November 10, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.77 million | 609,000 - #3 | 1.38 million |
| 62 | The Born Identity | Monday November 23, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday November 17, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.91 million | 474,000 - #8 | 1.38 million |
| 63 | In the Stars | Monday November 30, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday November 24, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.75 million | 568,000 - #5 | 1.32 million |
| 64 | Curveball | Monday December 7, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday December 1, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.65 million | 528,000 - #7 | 1.178 million |
| 65 | The Fall Issue | Monday December 14, 2009 | 10.00pm | Tuesday December 8, 2009 | 9.00pm | 0.80 million | 626,000 - #5 | 1.426 million |
- * Overnight ratingsRanks are for Channel 4 and E4 weekly, not for overall TV.
- Note: Season 3 of Ugly Betty episodes have now started airing on Wednesday nights on Channel 4 at 10:00pm instead of the normal Friday night 9:00pm airing and because of this the E4 first look airing has been moved from Wednesday nights to Tuesday nights. Ugly Betty episodes will not affect or be affected by Big Brother shows/evictions.
- Note: As of Monday 12, October 2009 Channel 4's airing of Ugly Betty will now be shown on Monday evenings at the normal time of 10:00pm instead of Wednesday evenings.