No ‘Betty’ for Paula? Talks with ABC collapse

Two steps forward, two steps back: Turns out a role on "Ugly Betty" is not in Paula Abdul's future.

ABC confirmed exclusively to Showtracker on Sunday that talks between Abdul and the network have fallen apart and she will not be guest-starring on "Ugly Betty," as had been rumored.

The former "Idol" judge had been in talks to play a temp who befriends Becki Newton's Amanda at Mode magazine. The episode had been scheduled to shoot in the coming week. That story leaked to the press early last week -- much like Abdul's "American Idol" negotiations -- and it now seems that she may not be working with ABC at all.

TMZ reported that part of the reason might be because Abdul is holding out on an offer to return to "American Idol" and that Abdul is also not likely to be among ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" contestants.

That lineup will be announced on the network's "Good Morning America" on Monday.

-- Denise Martin

Photo credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Will Paula Abdul compete on ABC's 'Dancing With the Stars'?

On Tuesday, Paula Abdul was merely going to guest star on "Ugly Betty." Today, word is she might also find herself competing on "Dancing With the Stars."

Yes, ABC has it bad for Abdul.

According to TMZ, she met with ABC Entertainment chief Steve McPherson yesterday to discuss her possible involvement as a contestant on the show. McPherson said last week during TCA press tour that he thinks Abdul is "a huge talent" and would "love to have" the former "American Idol" judge on "Dancing" in any capacity -- as a judge or a participant. (But since "Dancing" doesn't typically employ guest judges...)

If they can make a deal, we'll find out soon enough: Contestants for the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" will be announced Monday on "Good Morning America."

McPherson is not the only one who wants Abdul back in her dancing shoes: Nigel Lythgoe, a former "Idol" producer and now an executive producer of "So You Think You Can Dance," told The Times last week that he planned to talk with Abdul about opportunities for her on "SYTYCD."

"With Paula's background as a dancer, choreographer and reality judge now, I don't know anyone more qualified than Paula Abdul," he said. 

Abdul has already shot a guest-starring role on Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" this summer, though that deal was signed before her decision to leave "Idol."

And there are also reports that Abdul could still return to "American Idol" should Fox decide to back up the money truck.

-- Denise Martin

Paula Abdul wastes no time: 'Ugly Betty' could be next on her horizon

We can just hear Paula Abdul going "Idol, Schmidol" as her career turns from reality TV to the world of scripted programming.

Abdul, who has a recurring turn on Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva," a gig that began before she quit-tweeted her judging gig on "American Idol" last week, now might have a role on "Ugly Betty" next season, reports Entertainment Weekly.

ABC confirmed Monday that the network is in talks with Abdul, just days after ABC President of Entertainment Steve McPherson said publicly he'd love for her to appear on "Dancing With The Stars."

Abdul also is being courted by her former "Idol" boss Nigel Lythgoe to become a choreographer and guest judge on the sixth season of "So You Think You Can Dance."

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Photo Credit: Anne Cusack/Los Angeles TImes

'Ugly Betty's' life is in the balance

With the show's ratings down 15% in Season 3, producers want to bring back the focus to America Ferrera's title character and tone down the outrageousness. But some fans are already grumbling.

At some point during the second season of "Ugly Betty," creator-executive producer Silvio Horta felt the show's operatic shenanigans had gotten out of control. A little too telenovela, if you will.

"There was one episode where Betty was talking to a ghost in a fridge, there was this dwarf, and Betty and Daniel were trying to break someone out of rehab," he says. "And I just thought, 'Oh my God, what are we doing?' "An ugly-duckling story set in the fabulous, fantastical world of fashion journalism, "Ugly Betty" was the surprise success of ABC's 2007 fall lineup. In its Thursday night time slot, the show won an Emmy for star America Ferrera, became a ratings boon for the network, and created buzz for scaling new melodramatic heights week after week -- a transgender sibling returned from the dead, dark corporate secrets (including a hidden "love dungeon") infested the workplace, and one evil baby mama in Season 1 alone.

But the upkeep of the multiple story lines soon became overwhelming, and both Horta and ABC executives felt as though "Ugly Betty's" original conceit -- a Queens, N.Y. girl with journalism dreams works her way up from the bottom at cutthroat fashion-mag Mode -- had been lost in all the intrigue. Viewership began to slip.

Read more: 'Ugly Betty's' life is in the balance

-- Denise Martin

Photo: "Ugly Betty" creator-executive producer Silvio Horta (left), and America Ferrera as Betty in the ABC show. Los Angeles Times / ABC

Related:

- Exclusive: Christopher Gorham talks up Henry's return

Christopher Gorham talks up Henry's return to 'Ugly Betty'

Watching Betty choose herself after getting offers from the lovably nerdy accountant Henry and impish sandwich boy Gio last season was, well, painful.

Nothing against her move to become an independent woman, but this season she followed them up with soft-rocker Jesse -- what an ill-conceived detour that was! -- and now rich nice guy Matt.

Boy, is he nice.

Too bad Henry's about to sweep the floor with him. OK, that's not exactly for sure, but Betty's first love -- and "Wicked"-loving soul mate -- returns to give Matt a run in Thursday's "Ugly Betty" season finale.

Christopher Gorham, who currently stars in CBS' horror anthology "Harper's Island," spoke with us about why Henry was written off the show in the first place, why's he back and why -- heaven help us -- the actor thinks Henry might not be the guy Betty should end up with. Let's just agree to disagree:

 

So Henry's back to win over Betty -- your appearance in the finale is just he beginning right?

Well I’m only coming back for one episode. One is all that I know about. I certainly could go back and do more, but for now it’s just that.

I'm still hopeful. How did Henry's return come together?
I got a call from creator Silvio Horta [who also worked with Gorham on "Jake 2.0"] When I left the show the first time, he made it clear to me that he was hoping that I would be able to come back at some point. So it wasn’t a totally unexpected phone call. He wanted me to come back and do an episode near the end of the season and, of course, I was happy to do it.

Whose decision was it to have Henry exit the show?
It was the writers. It was a story problem. I always felt that Henry was kind of accidentally written off the show.

How did it happen?
Everybody got so excited about America Ferrera and I together, so the writers immediately tried to save that relationship for the long term on the show, and their way of doing that was to start throwing obstacles in the way to keep us apart. I think what they underestimated was deciding to give him a baby. I don’t think that they realized what that really meant.

ABC renews 'Ugly Betty' for Season 4

This just in: ABC confirms that "Ugly Betty" will be back for another season.

News comes from actor Michael Urie -- the ever-fabulous Marc St. James -- via his official Twitter on Thursday morning: "Ugly Betty gets official season 4 pick up!!! Whohoo!"

This follows the most excellent news that Christopher Gorham will be reprising his role as Henry before the third season ends. Sorry Matt, we're Team Henry all the way.

Will sparks fly once more? Perhaps. Henry comes back to New York with a new lady friend, Chloe ("Gossip Girl's" Dream Walker). But executive producer Silvio Horta tells EW.com that he and Betty may not have entirely moved on. "As Henry and Betty reconnect, it could potentially threaten her relationship with Matt," he said. "Chris has always been, and will always be, part of the 'Ugly Betty' family."

-- Denise Martin

Photo credit: ABC

 

'Ugly Betty' returns; 'Samantha Who?' and 'In the Motherhood' vanish

"Ugly Betty" fans will be happy to learn that ABC has decided to bring it back to its lineup one week earlier than had been planned.

The show will return April 30 with Betty (America Ferrera, pictured) still having a crush on Matt, and Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) wondering if William is her biological son.

The move means that "Samantha Who?"-- which has been struggling in the ratings since the writers strike -- will go off the air indefinitely, along with new comedy "In the Motherhood," which has been plagued with behind-the-scenes problems for months, according to sources.

In other announcements ABC issued today: The 100th episode of "Grey's Anatomy"-- the big Meredith and Derek nuptials -- will air May 7, and the season finale -- probably series finale -- of "Scrubs" airs May 6.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Photo: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times

‘Ugly Betty’ preview: The boys are coming to blows

By now, it’s pretty clear that there’s a fistfight brewing between Connor Owens, the strapping Australian chief financial officer of Meade Publications, and Daniel Meade, his long-time rival and fiancée thief.

The actor who plays Connor (Grant Bowler, whom some might remember as the ill-fated freighter captain from the previous season of “Lost”) says it’s all coming to a head tonight. While hipster neighbor Jamie comes back into Betty’s life, Connor will find out whom Molly, the former fiancée, ditched him for. And it won’t be pretty.

Fans needn’t fret that this might mean the end of Wilhelmina’s most recent paramour — even Bowler doesn’t know his fate just yet.

What can you tell us about tonight’s episode?
There’s a bit of fire and brimstone, a few sparks and a lot of mounting tension with Daniel that starts to boil over.

Meaning . . .
There’s a showdown in Little China between Connor and Daniel, which Daniel’s not quite aware of until it happens. So his chickens come home to roost, that boy! Naughty boy. Boxing will be involved. I actually box, so I had a ball shooting it. I got to go to work and do my hobby at the same time.

Oh, Daniel won’t stand a chance!
Eric Mabius, who plays Daniel, was fantastic. It’s more to do with telling the story and a bit of comedy than shooting “Rocky 6,” but it was a lot of fun to kick his butt.

Whom do you think Connor truly prefers? Molly or Willy?
I think definitely Wilhelmina. He’s just wrestling with that alpha male inability to let go. He’s allowed to move on, but she’s not. It doesn’t make any sense, but we all feel that a bit.

True. It’s not like Connor and Willy waited long to get it on, either.
Well, the fact that Daniel and Molly hooked up six and a half minutes after Connor and her had broken up doesn’t help matters. Since Daniel and Conner are supposed to have been friends for years and years, there’s the duplicity and secrecy that also feeds into Connor’s anger.

Bernadette Peters Guests On 'Ugly Betty'

Watch out Wilhelmina Slater, there's a new divanista in town and her name is Jodie Papadakis!

Bernadette Peters is guest-starring on "Ugly Betty" in at least one episode (possibly more) as a magazine mogul with a mouthful for a name. But Jodie - -can we call her that so we don't have to keep typing Papadakis? -- is a kinder, gentler diva. She has worked her way up the ladder, breaking glass ceilings along the way, to become the hotshot magazine editor that she is.

As if this wasn't juicy enough, guess who's going to be vying for her attention? Betty (America Ferrera)  and Marc (Michael Urie)! Wait. What? We always knew Betty's dreams were bigger than helping Daniel (Eric Mabius) solve all his personal problems, but apparently Marc also wants to get out of Assistant Hell.  The rub: They have to compete against each other in a young editor-in-training program headed by Jodie. It all goes down in Episode 11, which will probably air in January.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

'Ugly Betty': An uneven ending

Let's see who got what during last night's "Ugly Betty" season finale:

Daniel got a French son who inexplicably wears eye makeup. At least he thinks the kid is his son. (More on that later.)

Wilhelmina got her revenge, unseating Daniel and finally clinching the title of Mode editor in chief.

Hilda got herself a new (albeit married) man.

And so did Betty.

At least, we think Betty chose a man. If she did, we won't know whom she picked until the fall. (We noticed, however, that she was not sporting an engagement ring, which points to a Gio victory. She can't move to Tucson, right? Then again, maybe she packed those bags for a solo trip somewhere to figure things out.)

All in all, we were disappointed. But because "Ugly Betty" has never disappointed us before, we choose to believe that the finale could have and would have been stronger had it not been interrupted by the writers strike. In spite of a bangin' soundtrack, composed entirely of Madonna's new dance-happy album, "Hard Candy," the whole affair felt somehow slapped together.