ABC moves 'Ugly Betty' to Wednesdays at 10 -- but will it help?

Will ABC's move of "Ugly Betty" from the Friday-night dead zone to Wednesday be enough to save what was once a watercooler show?

The network is expected to announce today that "Betty" will begin airing Wednesdays at 10 in January, replacing the ill-fated "Eastwick."

But is the move too little too late?

On one hand, the Wednesday move does give the fourth-season show a strong lead-in with hit comedy "Cougar Town." Meanwhile, some critics are rallying behind what they've deemed a creative comeback this season, which has seen Betty undergo a makeover and become an editor at fashion magazine Mode.

On the flip side, "Betty's" most recent episode -- which concluded the major storylines revolving around Daniel joining a Scientology-esque cult and Wilhelmina's demonic daughter -- drew just 3.26 million viewers. Ten o'clock might also be too late for the "Betty" audience, which stuck with the show through three seasons Thursdays at 8 but did not all follow it to Fridays at 9. And "Betty" has lost more viewers in its new time slot than any other returning show.

Drawing viewers back to its heavily serialized stories, after many have already abandoned it, will be the show's real challenge -- one that will determine whether or not those braces come off in time to see Season 5.

-- Denise Martin

Photo: America Ferrera stars in "Ugly Betty." Credit: ABC

Comments

[anna]

the braces are coming off this year. the creator of the show saaid so in may

[BT]

I think this is a great move. And yes, Betty's braces will come off this season, hopefully during February sweeps.

If the ratings don't improve, then the story line has to be sped up to start the Daniel-Betty romance.

If they do improve, then expect a final 5th season of Ugly Betty.

[Bassbison]

I don't think so,in moving from friday 9pm to wednesday 10pm such time will not do to save this show. Why not move it back to the time and date where it started? 8pm thursday that would make us all happy, and work. 10pm is late for us Baby Boomers, and the news come on at 10PM.

We have followed the show from the start and when it moved to we were thinking why 9pm, why friday. It is a good show for thursday stay at home evenings.
Thank You

[WhatAreTheyThinking]

Ugly Betty is NOT a 10 pm type show and this latest move will kill it for sure. (The people I know who watch Betty can't stand Cougar Town.) And they shouldn't ditch Eastwick, which was starting to catch on by word of mouth. It gets better ratings than some other network shows, so one of the other networks should consider picking it up--maybe putting it on Friday along with Medium and Ghost Whisperer.