Ugly Betty (season 4)

Ugly Betty (season 4)

DVD cover
Country of origin  United States
No. of episodes 20
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Original run October 16, 2009 (2009-10-16) – April 14, 2010 (2010-04-14)
Home video release
DVD release date August 17, 2010
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 3
Next →

The fourth and final season of the American Comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on April 23, 2009.[1] The season premiered on October 16, 2009 and ended with the series finale on April 14, 2010.

Outside the United States, Season 4 began airing on digital channel 7TWO on Tuesdays at 7:30pm from April 13, 2010 in Australia. It also began airing in the UK on Wednesday 11 August at 9 pm. Unlike the previous 3 seasons, Ugly Betty is now being shown on the digital channel E4, while the repeat telecast can be watched on Channel 4 on the weekend. This move is said to be due to the decline in ratings of the previous season which was shown on Channel 4. Season 4 completed its 20-episode run by Wednesday 22 December 2010.

Ever since the season has been shifted to the Friday night death slot, ratings for the first 8 episodes have been extremely low (especially the seventh which became the all-time lowest rated episode) which caused panic amongst critics and fans that the show would be canceled. Ultimately, the low ratings have prompted ABC to make this season its final. On January 27, 2010, ABC finally announced the show would not be brought back for a fifth season.[2] Despite the poor ratings and eventual cancellation, the season received generally good reviews from critics, who claimed that the show was experiencing a creative revival.

On December 2, 2009, ABC confirmed that Ugly Betty would be moving to Wednesday nights after Christmas 2009, due to Eastwick's cancellation but despite this attempt to increase ratings, viewership continued turning south and brought in another series-low. This results in ABC cancelling the show and lowering the episode count from an original 22 to just 20.[3]

There is a possibility of an Ugly Betty movie, hinted by America Ferrera and Ana Ortiz, who are excited about the prospect of doing a movie, and it is being considered.

Contents

Cast

Most of the main cast from the show's third season returned for the fourth season, with the former main character Christina McKinney (played by Ashley Jensen) making a guest appearance near the end of the season. Daniel Eric Gold was promoted to the main cast as Matt Hartley, having appeared in a recurring capacity during Season 3. Yaya DaCosta took over the recurring role of Nico Slater, who was played in the first season by Jowharah Jones. Before the season began, Max Ehrich, who played Justin's classmate Randy, reported on his Twitter account[4] that he would return on a recurring basis, but this turned out not to be true.

Some guest stars gave hints to what viewers could expect. For example, Kristen Johnston revealed that she would be playing a character called Helen. She has said that she will be like Amanda in her later years in a tragic way. Johnston made three appearances in this role during this season.

Shakira played herself in a cameo role in "The Bahamas Triangle", in which she helped to get a Mode photo shoot back on track. Throughout the series' run, Shakira had been referred to on a number of occasions by various characters.

The fourth season saw guest appearances by the brothers of two of the show's stars. Becki Newton's brother Matt took on the recurring role of Marc's new boyfriend Troy, and Vanessa Williams's brother Chris landed an appearance as drag queen "Wilheldiva Hater", whom Wilhelmina enlisted for another one of her schemes.

Starring

Recurring stars

Featured guest stars

Plot

As the series enters the fourth season, Betty is finding her new job as Mode's associate features editor a challenge now that Matt is her new boss. At first, Matt treats Betty cruelly because of his jealousy of Henry and is upset that she still looks up to Daniel. After he ruins Betty's chances to land an interview, Matt begins to realize how unfairly he is treating Betty. At this point Betty decides that she wants to be friends with Matt. Unfortunately, some obstacles await them when Amanda also falls for Matt. Knowing that dating Matt could break Betty's heart, Amanda takes a risk to get Matt to notice her. When Betty finds out, she confronts Amanda, who confesses. After a short fling, Amanda realizes that Matt is still in love with Betty, so she drops him, leaving him free to return to Betty. When Matt begins to suspect that Betty is pregnant, he almost jumps at the chance to be a father, but Betty isn't ready to be a mother. After the pregnancy test turns out negative, they both feel relieved. However, Betty and Matt soon part ways, leaving Betty a single woman, especially after Henry fails to show up as Betty's date for Hilda and Bobby's wedding and finding out that Gio is engaged to another woman and has moved on. This paves the way for Betty to accept a job in London and resign from MODE. Although Daniel initially takes it hard by burning her release contract and refusing to go to her farewell party, he eventually lets Betty pursue her chance to move up by taking the London job.

Amanda also meets a temp named Helen, whose life seems to copy hers. After giving up Matt, Amanda also ends up sleeping with Daniel once again. Amanda buries the hatchet with Claire over Fey's death, and also discovers her desire to become a stylist, resulting in Amanda quittng her receptionist job. She also finally meets her father, Spencer Cannon, after she tries to set him up for a date with Marc.

At the start of this season, Wilhelmina searches for Conner across the globe. She first finds him in Bermuda, then learns that he died in Panama, only to discover that he is alive in the Bahamas. After a passionate and intimate time together, Conner is caught by the FBI and lets Wilhelmina take the credit for his arrest. The two continue their romance behind bars, thanks to Wili's secret visits, and the two come up with a scheme to retrieve the stolen money so Wilhelmina can buy the Hartleys out of Meade Publications. Wilhelmina faces bigger problems when Nico gets involved in a "murder mystery", only to eventually discover that Nico and her boyfriend Jonathan are trying to blackmail Wilhelmina out of revenge. A furious Wilhelmina throws Nico out and tells her not to return. Wilhelmina then turns her attention to Claire's illegitimate son, Tyler, by using him as a pawn against Claire. However, things do not go as planned, leading up to an emotional showdown resulting in Tyler accidentally shooting Wilhelmina, leaving her in a coma. Wilhelmina and Connor became a couple again and Wilhelmina is returned to Editor-In-Chief after Daniel's resignation to follow Betty to London.

The start of the season sees Daniel trying to come to terms with his feelings over the loss of Molly, usually manifesting in aggressive behaviors. Betty eventually intervenes and he seeks help at a bereavement group, where he meets a woman named Natalie. The relationship gets a lot stranger when Natalie invites Daniel to join the Community of the Phoenix, a cult-like group led by Dylan Bennett. Natalie manipulates Daniel into turning on Betty, Claire and Amanda by maintaining they are bad influences. This prompts Betty and Claire to take action to save Daniel after the group takes over the Mode offices. They get the break they need when Matt warns them about "Level 7" where the Community of the Phoenix helps people contact the dead, a process that has already resulted in the death of a former member who drank drugged tea. Although Betty and Claire save Daniel, his attempts to talk Natalie out of the group are unsuccessful. Daniel then turns his attentions toward getting Cal Hartley out of the way, now that he knows about Cal's affair with Claire and his risky decision-making behind Daniel's back. Daniel forms an unlikely partnership with Wilhelmina to retrieve the money Connor stole, but only on the condition that Claire never finds out. Daniel also learns that despite being friends with Betty, it is revealed that he has had feelings for her all along and becomes upset when Betty takes the London job. As a result, Daniel resigns his Editor-In-Chief job to follow Betty to London, where he contemplates submitting his resume for a position as Betty's assistant.

Claire's affair with Cal, and the fallout with Daniel after he walks in on the two, prompts Claire to find her son Tyler, whom she gave up for adoption. She buries the hatchet with Amanda, who is essential in helping her re-establish a bond with Tyler. Claire decides that it is best if Tyler were to never find out about her, however Tyler starts to become suspicious after Claire leaves a $2,000 tip and an envelope with her name on it. Tyler shows up in New York City and learns the truth, however it takes him a while to warm up to Daniel, especially since he begins to date Amanda who was formerly involved with Daniel. When Claire learns that Tyler is an alcoholic and plans to get his hands on the Meade-Hartley fortune, Claire tells him that she will cut him out of the fortune, prompting Tyler to steal Wilhelmina's gun and confront Claire. But Wilhelmina discovers his plan and races to warn Claire, though the situation culminates in Tyler shooting Wilhelmina, placing her in a coma. Upon her waking, Wilhelmina claims the gunshot as merely a self-inflicted accident, protecting both Claire and Tyler from the authorities and essentially burying the hatchet between Claire and herself.

After failing to get into performing arts school, Justin attends a public high school where he is teased for his flamboyant fashion. With Marc's help he gets in with the cheerleaders, where he finally seems to fit in until he falls victim to a prank at the school's homecoming, where he is crowned homecoming queen. He accepts the award, only to later stun his family and Marc by telling them he is simply playing along with the joke and is not gay. Justin does not reveal his sexual orientation until he becomes best friends with Austin, who kisses him after realizing his feelings for Justin. They soon after became an item.

Marc seeks revenge on Betty after being denied the job of features editor, but later gives up after the two learn about the coin toss. Marc also ends up being hired by Daniel after feeling mistreated by Wilhelmina. He also finds a new partner, Troy, who turns out to be a Mode employee with a long-standing crush on Marc, of which Betty knew about for a while. Although Cliff does appear briefly, Marc realizes that his heart is with Troy and ends his relationship with Cliff. He also eventually succeeds Betty as senior fashion editor after she leaves for the London job offer.

At the start of the season Hilda is still in a relationship with Archie, but not without some surprises. The first comes from her attempt to e-mail a private photo to Archie, only to hit "Reply To All." Archie has to play damage control, but at the same time thanks her for saving his campaign. Then a former flame, Bobby Talercio, returns to woo Hilda even though Betty also has feelings for him. Bobby's feelings for Hilda have her conflicted over her feelings for Archie. Unfortunately, Hilda ends up sleeping with Bobby and becomes pregnant. In the end Archie chooses to end the relationship, but only because he wants Hilda to find someone who will be there for her. While Hilda and Bobby end up becoming engaged and married, they have a setback when Hilda loses the baby. Hilda, Bobby and Justin move out of Ignacio's home and upgrade to a Manhattan apartment of their own.

Following Elena's departure, Ignacio finds another girlfriend, Jean, a pharmacist of Jewish descent. He invites her over for a multi-cultural Christmas/Hanukkah dinner, which she enjoys. Because of differences in their religious background (the Suarez are Catholic, while Jean is devoted to her Jewish faith), Jean has yet to tell her mother about the relationship. Unfortunately, this relationship does not survive, nor does his relationship with the returned Elena. The season closes with a single Ignacio with his house all to himself after Betty's move to London and Hilda's move to Manhattan with Justin and Bobby.

Episode summaries

Series
#
Season
#
Episode title Written by Directed by U.S. viewers
(millions)
Original air date
66 1 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 1)" Sheila Lawrence & Henry Alonso Myers John Terlensky 5.01 October 16, 2009 (2009-10-16)
Betty finds that everything is changing as she begins her new job as associate features editor, especially since her boss is her ex-boyfriend, Matt Hartley, who is still unhappy about their breakup. In addition, Betty's new officemate Megan openly resents her, while Marc is constantly undermining her because he felt he was more deserving of the promotion. Meanwhile, without Betty as his assistant, Daniel is adrift, still mourning the loss of his wife, Molly. Justin starts high school and is victimized by bullies but won't tell his mom, Hilda. Claire Meade is finding that her power struggle at the company has her sitting pretty -- for the moment -- opposite Wilhelmina, who lost her claim to the Meade throne last season. But Wilhelmina has perhaps an even bigger problem than job security - she is harboring a secret at home that is driving Marc to distraction. 
67 2 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 2)" Sheila Lawrence & Henry Alonso Myers Victor Nelli, Jr. 5.18 October 16, 2009 (2009-10-16)
After managing to turn her first editorial pitch into fruition, Betty struggles to balance her time between working on her United Nations photoshoot and helping Daniel cope with his loneliness under extremely short notice. When she fails at multi-tasking and as more frown upon her and Daniel, Betty decides to transform into a more fashionable and focused woman, causing people to slowly start accepting her. Finding out that Justin has been talking to Marc about his troubles and not her, Hilda bans him from talking to Marc again which causes their relationship to turn rocky. Wilhelmina struggles to keep her secret safe when Marc manages to find out as well as her concern for her job at Mode
68 3 "Blue on Blue" Abraham Higginbotham Victor Nelli, Jr 4.55 October 23, 2009 (2009-10-23)
Worrying that Matt will fire her both professionally and personally, Betty gets her big break concerning the sudden announcement of Gucci's new designer, Evan York (Hamish Linklater), with the help of Hilda's connected customer, Sammy (Adam Ferrara). But Marc plots to sabotage her, enlisting a clueless Amanda and Matt in his efforts, culminating in a showdown at the restaurant where Ignacio works. Meanwhile Daniel begins to attend a bereavement group, where he meets Natalie (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), a sexy girl who takes him out for an interesting night on the town, and Wilhelmina flies to Bermuda when she learns Connor may be there and when she meets him face-to-face, she gets torn between her real feelings for him and the fact that he almost endangered her job at Mode
69 4 "The Weiner, the Bun, and the Boob" Brian Tanen Wendey Stanzler 4.50 October 30, 2009 (2009-10-30)
Betty is overwhelmed with her editorial work, so Wilhelmina assigns Marc to be Betty's temporary assistant. Betty's story idea to cover the worst jobs in New York goes south when she has to dress up as a hot dog and do a Bollywood dance number. Meanwhile, Marc frets that he'll never be taken seriously by his idol at Vogue magazine, Hilda gets Archie's campaign in trouble, Daniel hires a gorgeous but inept assistant (supermodel Brooklyn Decker), and Natalie introduces Daniel to the Community -- a group whose charismatic leader (Dylan Baker) zeroes in on Daniel.[8] 
70 5 "Plus None" Cara DiPaolo Paul Holahan 4.76 November 6, 2009 (2009-11-06)
Wilhelmina is furious with Marc who secretly signs her up for a fund-raiser for Tibetan orphans but what makes matters worse is that the party will take place in her apartment, knowing that this could endanger Nico's safety but the truth behind Nico's dire straits is revealed. Betty tries to reconnect with Matt but is immediately saddened when Matt asks Amanda to be his "plus one" at Wilhelmina's fund-raiser but he shocks both her and Betty when they see Matt bringing in someone else. Daniel hires his new BFF Natalie as his assistant, making Betty feel obsolete. Amanda keeps a secret from Betty, and Daniel discovers that his mother, Claire, has history with Cal Hartley. 
71 6 "Backseat Betty" Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally John Putch 4.46 November 13, 2009 (2009-11-13)
Hilda's badboy high school flame and Betty's schoolgirl crush, Bobby Talercio (Adam Rodriguez), teaches at Justin's school, causing the sisters to both doubt their feelings for "nice guys". Justin is struggling to fit in at high school, so Marc advises him to befriend the mean girl type cheerleaders. When Justin is invited to Homecoming, he becomes the victim of another prank as he is jokingly awarded as "Homecoming Queen" but Justin takes Marc's advice and manages to turn the prank back at his bullies. Meanwhile Daniel introduces Amanda to the Community of the Phoenix, as he's lured deeper into its clutches by the leader, Bennett (Dylan Baker) and his teammate Natalie. Wilhemina takes a drastic step to find money for Nico's blackmail payment but when she finds out that Connor is dead, she cries, knowing that her life is slowly shutting down. 
72 7 "Level (7) with Me" Chris Black John Fortenberry 3.39 November 27, 2009 (2009-11-27)
Daniel lets the leaders from the Community of the Phoenix to take over and control Mode, and Bennett's promise on Daniel's reuniting with his dead wife prompt Betty to action. She schemes with Claire and with an ingenious plan and finding unlikely allies in Matt and Amanda, the four stage a rescue attempt. Saddened by Connor's recent death and trouble surrounding Nico's blackmailing, Wilhemina has let herself go, wearing sweats and garden clogs in public, prompting a tabloid feeding frenzy and forcing Marc to try to get her back in the fashion world, resulting in slapping some sense into her and inadvertently finds out the truth of Nico's mystery.[9] 
73 8 "The Bahamas Triangle" Sheila Lawrence Victor Neili, Jr. 4.23 December 4, 2009 (2009-12-04)
In the steamy Bahamas, the love triangle between Betty, Matt and Amanda explodes, and romantic pairings abound. Things should be dreamy at the Atlantis resort, where even Shakira (portraying herself) is staying. Betty finally discovers that Matt is into Amanda. Saddened that it's her last shoot in the Bahamas, Willie tries to find another job but learns her nemesis, Penelope Graybridge (Christie Brinkley), snagged it, and, even more importantly, discovers Connor is very much alive. Marc frets that there is no one on the island for him, but then meets the uber-hot Troy (portrayed by Matt Newton), and back home, Hilda draws closer to her old love, Bobby. 
74 9 "Be-Shure" Gail Lerner David Dworetzky 4.80 December 11, 2009 (2009-12-11)
Against the backdrop of Ignacio's multi-culti holiday dinner that he prepares for his new flame Jean (Faith Prince), who is Jewish, Betty and Hilda have pregnancy scares. Worse, they purchase their Be-Shure instant pregnancy tests from the local pharmacy -- where Jean works and Ignacio is shopping. Meanwhile, Hartley installs Willie's replacement, a clueless Hollywood mogul, Denise Ludwig (Nadia Dajani), whose claim to fame is a tacky movie, but Marc has a plan to get Willie back -- if only Daniel will agree. And Claire gets Amanda's help and tracks down Tyler (Neal Bledsoe), the son she long ago gave up for adoption. 
75 10 "The Passion of the Betty" David Grubstick & Chris Black S.J. Clarkson 5.13 January 6, 2010 (2010-01-06)
When Betty becomes concerned that she and Matt are spending too much time together, she tries to give him something else to be passionate about -- a surprise gallery showing of his art work -- with unintended results. Meanwhile, Marc is horrified that his one-night stand, Troy, is falling for him, since Marc was Troy's "first", Hilda grapples with whether or not to tell Bobby that he's the father of her unborn child, and Cal officially replaces Wilhelmina with Denise. Jesse Tyler Ferguson returns as Betty's orthodontist, Dr. Farkas, for a cameo, and Christine Ebersole guest stars as Frances, the gallery owner. 
76 11 "Back in Her Place" Abraham Higginbotham Richard Heus 4.67 January 13, 2010 (2010-01-13)
A battered but unbowed Betty recounts her worst week EVER to Mr. Z (guest star Fisher Stevens) as the show flashes back to her horrible last few days. Frustrated over the frivolous assignments Wilhelmina gives her at Mode, and inspired by Audrey Hepburn's memoir, Betty creates her own blog about amazing charitable ventures that inspire her. As her hobby enriches her, her job is nearly killing her, since Wilhemina tortures Betty with beauty experiments for future stories. Betty is also upset when Matt tells her that he will be participating in a 6-month trip in Africa. Meanwhile, Daniel fears Marc is sabotaging him while Bobby treats a hormonal Hilda to some pampering during "Hilda Week", which goes awry, and Wilhelmina makes a long-term commitment to the incarcerated Connor. 
77 12 "Blackout!" Cara DiPoulo John Putch 4.59 January 20, 2010 (2010-01-20)
Betty tries to be neighborly by planning a karaoke party in her apartment building, but before the big day, her building is robbed, and it's partly her fault. Marc is distraught since he lost something irreplaceable in the theft. Meanwhile, Daniel and Wilhelmina are back to being at each other's throats, so Amanda tricks them into attending couples counseling with Dr. Sparks (Frank Whaley), and Ignacio refuses to accept Bobby in Hilda's life. Then a citywide blackout ups the ante for everyone. 
78 13 "Chica and the Man" Gail Lerner Victor Nelli, Jr. 4.34 February 3, 2010 (2010-02-03)[11]
Wilhemina is furious when she discovers she has a drag queen impersonator - Wilhediva Hater (portrayed by Vanessa Williams's brother, Chris Williams). The fur flies with unexpected results amid guest stars who include RuPaul Charles as Rudolph, the emcee of the cabaret. Meanwhile Betty receives an award for her blog, which causes tension between her and Daniel. When she vents online, her fans in blogosphere escalate the feud, and the press hounds Daniel. Amanda rehires Helen (Kristen Johnston), but Willie orders Amanda to fire her -- which Amanda just can't bring herself to do. And Marc runs his own photo shoot with a famous director (played by Carlos Leon) [10] 
79 14 "Smokin' Hot" Brian Tanen John Scott 4.68 February 10, 2010 (2010-02-10)
Wilhemina marginalizes Betty during Fashion Week but Daniel intercedes, and she's assigned to cover a low-priority show. There, she discovers a new designer, Marisa, whom she promotes as one of the 10 Designers to Watch, but Marc steals all her thunder. Meanwhile, Amanda is impressed by Helen's sewing skills and teams up with her to start a new line, but cannot convince Marc or Betty to lobby Wilhemina on her behalf. Claire's son Tyler comes to New York to find her, and Daniel gets seduced into modeling. The fashion and the feelings are smoking hot, but the real flames are at the Suarez home, which mysteriously catches fire leaving peril and destruction behind. 
80 15 "Fire and Nice" Erika Johnson John Terlesky 4.10 March 10, 2010 (2010-03-10)[12]
To speed along the investigation into her house fire, Betty is pressured to date an annoying fireman, Jimmy (Rich Sommer). Wilhemina tries to prove to Don (Brian Stokes Mitchell), an old flame from her past, that she's just "Wanda from the block" instead of an uber-bitch. Amanda draws closer to Tyler, convincing Claire to hire him as an in-house model at Mode. Meanwhile, Hilda meets Bobby's parents for the first time (Lainie Kazan and Nestor Serrano). 
81 16 "All the World's a Stage" Abraham Higginbotham & David Grubstick Andy Wolk 3.33 March 17, 2010 (2010-03-17)[13]
Justin loves his acting class, helmed by the eccentric Lena Korvinka (Carol Kane), and finds himself in an unexpected triangle with his new pals, Austin (Ryan McGinnis) and Lily. When Betty drops by class, she's smitten with a cool young playwright, Zachary (Aaron Tveit), whom she will profile for Mode. But she challenges her own ethics when she starts dating him. And Wilhemina is hospitalized with a perforated ulcer, and can't help her type-A personality even when bedridden, but then her roommate, Roberta (Dana Ivey), prompts an epiphany. 
82 17 "Million Dollar Smile" Henry Alonso Myers & Chris Black Paul Holahan 4.56[14] March 24, 2010 (2010-03-24)
Betty is thrilled to get her braces off, courtesy of her chatty new orthodontist, Dr. Frankel (Kathy Najimy). But before this can happen, she gets knocked unconscious at a photo shoot of the "Million Dollar Bra" at the Guggenheim, spinning her into a dream sequence. An angelic Dr. Frankel shows her how different her life would have been had she never worn braces. She's the "pretty sister", while Hilda is homely, Ignacio is a compulsive gambler, Marc is a doting dad and Amanda is married to Daniel. But glam Betty is also mean - she's in cahoots with Wilhemina to terrify and overpower everyone at Mode
83 18 "London Calling" David Grubstick & Sheila Lawrence Mark Worthington 4.01[15] March 31, 2010 (2010-03-31)
Betty gets an assignment to cover London Fashion Week, accompanied by Amanda, and she brings Hilda along as a bachelorette party treat. She reconnects with Christina (Ashley Jensen) and also runs into Gio (Freddy Rodriguez) whilst thinking he was someone else & showing off her 'flags'. Willie joins AA to get closer to Tyler and to double-cross Claire and Daniel, and Bobby can't figure out why Justin is spending all his time with Austin. 
84 19 "The Past Presents the Future" Jon Kinnaly & Tracy Poust Paul Holahan 4.03[16] April 7, 2010 (2010-04-07)
The wedding day is approaching for Hilda. Betty asks Daniel to be her plus-one, Ignacio invites Elena, and Amanda is set on fixing up Marc with her new client, Spencer. Meanwhile, Justin weighs whether his own plus-one could be Austin, Betty considers unexpected offers in her personal and professional life, and Wilhelmina finds a way to fight the Meade empire by using Tyler as her pawn. 
85 20 "Hello Goodbye" Silvio Horta Victor Nelli Jr. 5.43[17] April 14, 2010 (2010-04-14)
In the award-winning series finale, which features appearances by familiar faces from the past, Betty finds it hard to tell Daniel that she has accepted a job in London. When Marc informs the entire company by email, Daniel's reaction surprises her, but not Claire. Justin and Bobby enthusiastically go apartment-hunting in Manhattan, but Hilda resists even the most amazing places. Amanda grapples with the death of her dog Halston, the last link to her mother. Marc wonders if he will ever have a successful relationship. Wilhelmina wakes from her coma, causing Claire much dread. 

US Ratings

Episode # Title Airdate Rating Share 18–49 sss Viewers (m) Rank Rank (timeslot) (viewers)
66 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 1)" October 16, 2009 3.1 6 1.3 5.01 TBA 3
67 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 2)" October 16, 2009 3.2 6 1.4 5.18 TBA 4
68 "Blue on Blue" October 23, 2009 3.0 5 1.2 4.55 TBA 3
69 "The Weiner, the Bun, and the Boob" October 30, 2009 3.0 5 1.2 4.50 TBA 3
70 "Plus None" November 7, 2009 3.2 6 1.3 4.76 TBA 3
71 "Backseat Betty" November 13, 2009 3.0 5 1.3 4.46 TBA 3
72 "Level (7) with Me" November 27, 2009 2.3 4 0.9 3.39[A] TBA 4
73 "The Bahamas Triangle" December 4, 2009 2.9 5 1.2 4.23 TBA 3
74 "Be-Shure" December 11, 2009 3.3 6 1.4 4.80[18] TBA 2
75 "The Passion of the Betty" January 6, 2010 3.5 5 1.8 5.13 TBA 2
76 "Back in Her Place" January 13, 2010 4.6 4 1.7[19] 4.67 TBA 2
77 "Blackout!" January 20, 2010 3.2 6 1.6 4.59 TBA 2
78 "Chica and the Man" February 3, 2010 2.9 5 1.5 4.34 TBA 3
79 "Smokin' Hot" February 10, 2010 3.2 5 1.7 4.68[20] TBA 3
80 "Fire and Nice" March 10, 2010 TBA 4 1.5 4.10[21] TBA TBA
81 "All the World's a Stage" March 17, 2010 TBA 3 1.0 3.33 TBA TBA
82 "Million Dollar Smile" March 24, 2010 3.2 5 1.7 4.63 TBA 3
83 "London Calling" March 31, 2010 2.7 5 1.3 4.01 TBA 3
84 "The Past Presents the Future" April 7, 2010 TBA 3
85 "Hello Goodbye" April 14, 2010 3.7[17] 7[17] 1.8[17] 5.43[22] TBA 2

UK Ratings

The fourth season was broadcast on Wednesday nights at 9 pm on E4, and an hour later on E4 +1.

Episode # Title Airdate E4 E4 +1 Total
viewersb (m)
Rank
cable
Viewersa Rank Viewersa Rank
66 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 1)" August 11, 2010 974 #1 233 #6 1.207 #5
67 "The Butterfly Effect (Part 2)" August 18, 2010 886 #1 267 #1 1.153 #13
68 "Blue on Blue" August 25, 2010 867 #1 188 #9 1.055 #11
69 "The Weiner, the Bun, and the Boob" September 1, 2010 968 #1 209 #5 1.177 #8
70 "Plus None" September 8, 2010 801 #1 200 #8 1.001 #16
71 "Backseat Betty" September 15, 2010 827 #2 N/A N/A 0.827 #18
72 "Level (7) with Me" September 22, 2010 842 #2 N/A N/A 0.842 #17
73 "The Bahamas Triangle" September 29, 2010 938 #2 268 5 1.206 #13
74 "Be-Shure" October 6, 2010 892 #2 316 #2 1.208 #12
75 "The Passion of the Betty" October 13, 2010 800 #2 316 #3 1.116 #20
76 "Back in Her Place" October 20, 2010 824 #2 247 #3 1.071 #20
77 "Blackout!" November 3, 2010 738 #2 338 #3 1.076 N/A
78 "Chica and the Man" November 10, 2010 650 #6 248 #4 0.898 N/A
79 "Smokin' Hot" November 17, 2010 655 #4 N/A N/A 0.655 N/A
80 "Fire and Nice" November 24, 2010 670 #4 212 #8 0.882 N/A
81 "All the World's a Stage" December 1, 2010 777 #2 341 #3 1.118 N/A
82 "Million Dollar Smile" December 8, 2010 984 #2 336 #2 1.320 #11
83 "London Calling" December 15, 2010 997 #3 255 #5 1.252 #8
84 "The Past Presents the Future" December 22, 2010 1,234 #1 265 #6 1.499 #3
85 "Hello Goodbye" December 22, 2010 1,130 #2 387 #1 1.517 #8

aViewers in thousands.
All viewer figures and weekly ranks are from BARB.[23]

Production

Production for the fourth season began in July 2009. The cast headed to The Bahamas in October 2009 to shoot the episode "The Bahamas Triangle" on location at the Atlantis Resort and Casino.[24] The series wrapped up filming in April 2010.[25]

Scheduling

ABC announced that starting with the fourth season, the show will move to Friday nights starting October 16, 2009 (pushed back from the original date, October 9). Citytv aired the fourth season to Canada at the same date and time slot as ABC when the show aired on Fridays. Once the Wednesday move was finalized, Citytv (in Ontario and Alberta) was unable to accommodate the show for Wednesdays (due to a scheduling conflict with The Jay Leno Show) but can still be seen on Omni Television (OMNI 1). In Winnipeg and Vancouver, its Citytv stations there continue to air the show, but at an earlier time slot than its ABC broadcast.

Due to the cancellation of The Jay Leno Show, Ugly Betty returned to Citytv in Canada in March 2010 and aired Wednesdays at 10 on Citytv, the same time as it did in the USA.[26] Rumors have come out that because Eastwick has been canceled, Ugly Betty may be moving to Wednesday nights after Christmas.[27] ABC says that moving Ugly Betty to Wednesdays will complement their hit sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town. On December 2, ABC confirmed that Ugly Betty would be moving to Wednesday nights after Christmas, due to Eastwick's cancellation.[3] But this move did not improve the ratings and on January 27, 2010 ABC announced that it was cancelling the series. However, it did allow the show's creators to give the series a proper ending. Although the series has finished its run on TV, there is the possibility that some of the completed storylines might have left hints that it might become a blueprint for a film.

References

  1. ^ /news/e3i202b681b4f137513e078e67f0d29aa46 "ABC Announces Several Renewals". Hollywood Reporter. April 23, 2009. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television /news/e3i202b681b4f137513e078e67f0d29aa46. 
  2. ^ "Ugly Betty" Cancelled by ABC, USA Today, January 27, 2010
  3. ^ a b http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/412823_tvgif2.html
  4. ^ Ehrich, Max (June 26, 2009). "is recurring back on ugly betty season 4 woohoo". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 28, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20091028032657/http://twitter.com/themaxehrich. Retrieved August 25, 2009. 
  5. ^ "Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/ugly-betty-scoo.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 
  6. ^ "Gold promoted to Ugly Betty regular". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a162002/gold-promoted-to-ugly-betty-regular.html. Retrieved 2009-06-25. 
  7. ^ 'Ugly Betty' recast: 'Top Model' alum is Willie's daughter! | Inside TV | EW.com
  8. ^ http://www.spoilertv.com/2009/10/ugly-betty-episode-404-wiener-bun-and.html
  9. ^ ABC’s November Sweeps programming to include Hank, The Forgotten and Eastwick
  10. ^ http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/01/ugly-betty-episode-413-chica-and-man.html
  11. ^ Ugly Betty: Chica and the Man Episode Summary on TV.com
  12. ^ "Fire and Nice". Zap2it. http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/ugly-betty-fire-and-nice/EP008487230085. Retrieved 19 February 2010. 
  13. ^ "All the World's a Stage". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/ugly-betty/all-the-worlds-a-stage/episode/1330374/summary.html?tag=episode_header;next. Retrieved 2 March 2010. 
  14. ^ Broadcast Finals: The Middle, Modern Family, Idol, Survivor, ANTM Rise
  15. ^ “The Middle,” “Modern Family,” and “American Idol” Rise In Wednesday Broadcast Finals
  16. ^ TV Ratings: Wednesday Overnight Nielsen Ratings, Human Target, American Idol ratings, Minute to Win It ratings, Law & Order: SVU ratings, Modern Family ratings, Cougar Town ra...
  17. ^ a b c d "Wednesday Broadcast Finals: The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town Adjusted Up; Ugly Betty Down". The Programming Insider. Mediaweek. April 15, 2010. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/15/wednesday-broadcast-finals-the-middle-modern-family-cougar-town-adjusted-up-ugly-betty-down/48734. Retrieved April 15, 2010. 
  18. ^ TV Ratings: Overnight Nielsen Ratings for Friday, December 11, 2009; 20/20 ratings, Dollhouse ratings, Yes. Virginia Ratings, The Big Bang Theory ratings, Medium ratings, Date...
  19. ^ http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/01/rating-news-13th-jan.html
  20. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 11, 2010). "roadcast Finals: ABC's Entire Lineup Drops By 1/10th with Adults 18-49; Criminal Minds, CSI: NY Drop". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/02/11/broadcast-finals-abcs-entire-lineup-drops-by-110th-with-adults-18-49-criminal-minds-csi-ny-drop/41810. Retrieved 2010-03-11. 
  21. ^ Gorman (February 10, 2010). "TV Ratings: American Idol Down, But Still Dominates; Modern Family Rebounds". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/03/11/tv-ratings-american-idol-down-but-still-dominate-modern-family-rebounds-human-target-still-on-the-bubble/44606. Retrieved 2010-02-10. 
  22. ^ "Wednesday Broadcast Finals: The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town Adjusted Up; Ugly Betty Down". The Programming Insider. Media Week. April 15, 2010. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/04/15/wednesday-broadcast-finals-the-middle-modern-family-cougar-town-adjusted-up-ugly-betty-down/48734. Retrieved April 14, 2010. 
  23. ^ BARB, scroll to relevant week.
  24. ^ Crushable - Crushable gives you the celebrity news, style and scoop on the stuff you care about
  25. ^ Major 'Ugly Betty' series finale spoiler: Does this mean what I THINK it means? | Inside TV | EW.com
  26. ^ CHANNEL CANADA :: Citytv announces changes to primetime programming line up
  27. ^ http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b152971_Ugly_Betty_May_Steal_Eastwick_Slot_From_Lost.html/