Why Ugly Betty Ended After Season 4 (Was It Canceled?)

Ugly Betty, starring America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, concluded in 2010 after four seasons and 85 episodes – why did the ABC comedy-drama series end?

Summary

• Ugly Betty ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010 and ended with the season 4 finale, disappointing fans who had to bid farewell to beloved characters.
• Despite its initial success, Ugly Betty's ratings declined in the fourth season, leading to its cancelation by ABC.
• Some former cast members, including America Ferrera, have expressed interest in an Ugly Betty reunion or movie, keeping hope alive for the show's fans.

Ugly Betty ran for four seasons, from 2006 to 2010, and ended following the season 4 finale. The comedy-drama series starred America Ferrera as the titular character, Betty Suarez, and included other cast members such as Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade, Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater, Tony Plana as Ignacio Suarez, Ana Ortiz as Hilda Suarez, Becki Newton as Amanda Tanen, Michael Urie as Marc St. James, and Mark Indelicato as Justin Suarez. The show was based on a Colombian telenovela called Yo soy Betty, la fea, and featured Ferrera's character trying to prove herself after she was hired to work at a fashion magazine for all the wrong reasons.

The ABC series was a massive success for the network when it premiered, thanks to Ferrera's performance in the role of Betty and the unique and inspiring storylines. However, it all came to an end with season 4. The Ugly Betty season 4 finale served as the series finale, and fans had to say goodbye to Betty, Daniel, Hilda, and the other characters forever.

ABC Canceled Ugly Betty After Season 4 Due To Ratings

Although the first couple of seasons of Ugly Betty brought in rave reviews and excellent ratings for ABC, by the fourth season, viewership had rapidly declined, resulting in the show's cancelation. While the third season averaged around 8 million viewers, the fourth season dropped to 5 million. After season 3's numbers continuously declined, ABC moved the comedy-drama series' timeslot from Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET to Fridays at 9:00 pm ET for the first half of season 4.

Not so surprisingly, Ugly Betty's ratings didn't get better by airing on Fridays (which is where most shows go to die). So the network tried to resuscitate the series by moving it to Wednesdays at 10:00 pm ET halfway through the fourth season. But the damage had already been done, and there was no going back for Ferrera's show. Ugly Betty couldn't recover from the poor ratings, and as a result, ABC canceled the television series in January 2010, four months before the season 4 finale.

The Ugly Betty Cast Still Have Hopes For A Reboot Or Movie

It has been more than 13 years since the Ugly Betty series finale, but some former cast members are still holding out hope for a reunion. Following the conclusion of season 4 in 2010, Ana Ortiz, America Ferrera, and Michael Urie expressed interest in making a movie featuring their characters. However, a film has never been in the works, but rumors and fan interest keep the idea of a possible reunion alive. Plus, in June 2023, Urie claimed, "It's time" for an Ugly Betty reboot (per TheWrap). So in a world where reboots, revivals, and reunion movies have become more trendy, perhaps fans haven't seen the last of Ugly Betty.

Source: TheWrap

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