Yo soy Betty, la fea

Yo soy Betty, la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea
Also known as	Betty, la fea
Genre	Telenovela; Tragicomedy;
Created by	Fernando Gaitán
Directed by	Mario Ribero Ferreira
Starring	Organized by broadcast credit order, with new main cast added to the end of the list; Ana María Orozco; Jorge Enrique Abello;
Theme music composer	Francisco Canaro; Ivo Pellay;
Opening theme	"Se dice de mí" performed by Yolanda Rayo
Country of origin	Colombia
Original language	Spanish
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	335
Production
Executive producer	María del Pilar Fernández
Production locations	Bogotá, Colombia
Cinematography	Alirio Farfán
Editor	María Vásquez
Release
Original network	RCN Televisión
Original release	25 October 1999 –; 8 May 2001
Chronology
Related shows	(2002) Betty Toons (2002) I ♥ Betty La Fea

Yo soy Betty, la fea (transl. I am Betty, the Ugly one), often referred to simply as Betty, la fea, is a Colombian telenovela, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced from 25 October 1999 to 8 May 2001 by RCN (Radio Cadena Nacional) network. More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries due to the popularity of the plot. American comedy-drama hit Ugly Betty and Mexican series La fea más bella are both based on this Colombian soap opera.

Betty, la Fea re-aired on Spanish-language U.S. network TeleFutura in January 2009. Eight years after the telenovela's original run, the highly anticipated return of the original version of Yo Soy Betty, La Fea delivered impressive ratings for the network, attracting over one million viewers, more than half a million of which were adults aged 18–49. In addition, the premiere episode doubled and in some cases nearly tripled its prior audience among all key demographics.

Betty, la fea is one of the world's most acclaimed and popular television shows and is considered the most famous Latin telenovela in history. It is the first telenovela to have been remade worldwide and has been regarded as bringing the telenovela to new levels of success.^[1]

Plot[]

Taking place mainly in Bogotá, Colombia, Betty La Fea is essentially a Cinderella comedy about the rise of poor, ugly 'Betty' Pinzón and the fall of rich, handsome Armando Mendoza. Armando is a very incompetent playboy with a scheme to turn a huge profit as the new president of Eco Moda, a famous clothing manufacturing company. But his scheme is doomed for his faulty mathematics. Because Betty, his secretary (and economics wizard), is enamored with him, she helps Armando deceive the board of directors as he loses money and brings the company to ruin. The story has three movements: 1) Armando's foolish destruction of Eco Moda, 2) Betty's flight from the disgrace and her vacation in Cartagena where she is undergoes an emotional and physical transformation, and 3) Betty's return to Eco Moda, where she is installed as new president.

Production[]

One year after being released as a private channel, RCN had disastrous results against Caracol TV, so Carlos Ardila Lulle took direct control of the channel. The usual director and writer Fernando Gaitán was used, who prepared the telenovela, which would be low-budget; since it was shot in the industrial zone of Bogotá near the RCN studios where some scenes were also shot. The Pinzón Solano residence was filmed in a house in the Teusaquillo neighborhood of Bogotá.

Natalia Ramírez originally cast for the lead role, but she lost to Ana María Orozco, but because of Ramírez's career she was given the role of Marcela Valencia.

Awards[]

In 2001, Yo soy Betty, la fea won the New York Latin ACE Award for the Best Scenic Program (Mejor programa escénico) and International Female Personality of the Year (Figura internacional femenina del año) to Ana María Orozco, and, also in 2002, the TP de Oro for Best Soap Opera (Mejor telenovela), and the INTE Award for Best Soap Opera and Actress of the Year (Actriz del año) to Ana María Orozco.

Series evolution[]

Betty la fea was created, filmed, and produced in Colombia and originally aired on RCN and was released to air on Telemundo in 2000, and on TeleFutura nine years later, in the United States. Several similar programs were created in other countries, as well as its rebroadcast in other languages around the world. The success of Yo soy Betty, la fea led to its first sequel in 2002 with Univision's release of "Ecomoda". Some scenes from the first episode were filmed in Buenos Aires and some scenes for the opening sequence were filmed in Miami, Florida.^[2]

The phenomenal success of Betty la fea accounts for numerous adaptations and airings around the world. The story appeals to global audiences because it is centered around the life of an unattractive character rather than that of a typical attractive character.^[3]

Spinoffs include an animated series called Betty Toons, featuring Betty as a child with her friends. In the U.S., Betty Toons previously aired Saturday mornings on most affiliates of Telefutura (now UniMás), as part of the Toonturama block from 2006 to 2008.

Ugly Betty, the U.S. adaptation of Betty La Fea, aired on ABC from 2006 to 2010. The hour-long program was developed by Silvio Horta and co-produced by Salma Hayek and Ben Silverman. America Ferrera played the title role. The show has received a Golden Globe^[4] and Peabody Award.^[5]

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Ana María Orozco as Beatriz "Betty" Aurora Pinzón Solano, CEO assistant and economist. Apparently ugly woman but very skilled in economics with a good CV. She is the pride of her father. She is in love with Armando Mendoza.
Jorge Enrique Abello as Armando Mendoza Sáenz; Eco Moda's CEO. Inept playboy with only knowledge in industrial engineering who presents a risky and ambitious proposal with which he wins the presidency of Eco Moda. Managing it brings the company to the brink of bankruptcy.
as Mario Calderón, Armando's best friend and Eco Moda's commercial vice president. Playboy inveterate enemy of commitments and fatherhood. He is Armando's best friend.
Natalia Ramírez as Marcela Valencia, antagonist; Armando's fiancée and Eco Moda's stockholder and point-of-sale manager. She is not really bad but a woman full of dignity who loves Armando and hates lovers of men. She hates Betty as she covers up his constant infidelities.
Lorna Paz as Patricia Fernández de Brickman, antagonist; Marcela's best friend and secretary. Divorced woman, refined and superficial, as well as a materialist who is looking for a rich husband. Armando hates her because she is a silly blonde and knows that Marcela wants her as Armando's secretary to watch over her infidelities.
as Nicolás Flaminio Mora Cifuentes, Betty's best friend and economist. Like Betty he is unattractive. He is in love with Patricia and boasts of his position as president of Terramoda.
Celmira Luzardo (†) as Catalina Ángel, Betty's "fairy godmother" and public relationist. A dignified, loquacious, eloquent and recognized woman.
as Aura María Fuentes; recepcionist, member of the cartel. Single mother looking for a husband and stepfather for her son. She is usually promiscuous but with a big heart.
Dora Cadavid as Inés "Inesita" Peña de Gómez; seamstress, member of the cartel. Elderly assistant to Hugo Lombardi who loves her like a mother. She is the voice of reason and sane as Betty in the cartel.
as Sofía de Rodríguez; secretary, member of the cartel. Divorced woman who constantly fights with her ex-husband Efraín over their children's pension. She has a feud with Jenny, the current romantic partner of her ex-husband. Formerly Gustavo Olarte's secretary and after his dismissal, she temporarily becomes Betty's secretary.
as Bertha Muñoz de González; Gutiérrez' secretary, glutton, member of the cartel. She is married with children and deeply loves her husband. She occasionally imitates Patricia's way of dressing.
as Sandra Patiño; Calderón's secretary, member of the cartel. Known for her tall stature. She is usually aggressive with whoever is the enemy of the cartel.
as Mariana Valdéz; Marcela's secretary, member of the cartel. Known for reading tarot, she is very optimistic and a lover of rumba.
Luis Mesa as Daniel Valencia, antagonist, Marcela's brother. Male chauvinist and arrogant, shareholder of Eco Moda. He rivals and enemies with Armando and unlike him, he is realistic and the only one worried about his company. He has an affaire with Patricia.
Julián Arango as Hugo Lombardi; antagonist, Eco Moda's fashion designer. Openly gay and arrogant who despises ugliness. He hates Eco Moda's secretaries, whom he nicknames 'The Ugly Cartel', with the exception of Inesita. Curiously, Arango was married to Ana María Orozco.
as Freddy Stewart Contreras; messenger, infatuated Aura Maria.
as Hermes Pinzón Galarza; Betty's father and accountant. It's also in love of Jenny.
as Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Betty's mother.
as Roberto Mendoza; Armando's father, founder of the company.
as Margarita Sáenz de Mendoza; Armando's mother.
as Saúl Gutiérrez; Eco Moda's Director of Human Resources. Pedantic and smug man who also despises ugliness and is known for his "Spanglish".
as Jenny García; Efraín's lover. Attractive but quite hypocritical and interested woman who rivals Sofía.
David Ramírez as Wilson Zastoque; security guard.
as Michel Doinel; Betty's friend and suitor. In love with Betty to whom he offers a stable relationship without caring that she is virtually ugly.
Diego Cadavid as Román, street rat, antagonist.
as María Beatriz Valencia; Marcela's and Daniel's sister. Carefree woman who loves opulence.
as Efraín Rodríguez Merchán, "El Cheque," Sofia's ex-husband.

Occasional guests[]

Alberto Valdiri (†) as "Gordito" González, Bertha's husband.
Angeline Moncayo as Karina Larson. Former Eco Moda's model and former Armando's misstress.
as Gustavo Olarte, Eco Moda's ex-financial vice president. Daniel's right hand.
César Mora as Antonio Sánchez, Betty's lawyer.
Claudia Becerra as Mónica Agudelo.
as Rolando "el Chesito su mercé", Hugo's boyfriend. It's bisexual.
Germán Tóvar as José Ambrosio Rosales; lawyer, Antonio's colleague.
Hugo Perez as Rafael.
Iván Piñeros- as Jimmy Fuentes (Aura María's son).
as Diana Medina.
as Juan Manuel Santamaría, penalist Eco Moda's lawyer.
Miguel Ángel Báes- 2nd systems engineer.
Paulo Sánchez Neira as Miguel Ortíz, Eco Moda's ex-systems engineer at the service of Olarte.
as Miguel Robles. Corrupt president of Rag Tela.
as Miguel. (2001)
Scarlet Ortiz as Alejandra Zingg.
Yesenia Valencia as Susi.
Verónica Ocampo as Claudia Bosch, an atractive model obsessed with Armando since both had an affair.
as Maruja Bravo de Gutiérrez, Saul Gutiérrez's wife.

Special guests[]

Adriana Arboleda as herself.
Anasol as herself.
Andrea Serna as herself.
Andrés Pastrana Arango as himself.
Armando Manzanero as himself.
as herself.
as herself.
Catalina Maya as herself.
Cecilia Bolocco as herself.
Charlie Zaa as himself.
as herself.
Fanny Kertzmann (head of DIAN) as herself.
Franco De Vita as himself.
as himself.
Gisela Valcárcel as herself.
as herself.
as himself.
Kike Santander as himself.
Laura Flores as herself.
Lina Marulanda (†) as herself.
Olga Tañón as herself.
Patricia Velásquez as herself.
Paula Andrea Betancourt as herself.
Ricardo Montaner as himself.
Santiago Cruz as himself.
Silvia Tcherassi as herself.
Taís Araújo as herself.
Valeria Mazza as herself.

Original Colombian version in other countries[]

The original Colombian version of the show has been dubbed or subbed then broadcast in India, Lithuania, Indonesia, Poland (Brzydula), Bulgaria, Romania (Betty cea urâtă), Malaysia, Hungary (Betty, a csúnya lány), Czech Republic (Ošklivka Betty), Italy (Betty la cozza), Switzerland, Georgia (უშნო ბეტი), Japan – under the title Betty, Ai to uragiri no hishojitsu ("Betty, The Secretarial Office of Love and Betrayal ", ベティ愛と裏切りの秘書室)^[6]–, Turkey, Philippines and China. The show was also broadcast in virtually all of Latin America plus Spain, achieving record ratings in every single country, including those where Colombian soaps do not usually achieve high ratings, such as Brazil and Mexico. Later the cast went on tour to meet fans throughout the continent.

Sources[]

References[]

^ Bellos, Alex (7 January 2007). "Telenovelas: the story so far". The Daily Telegraph.
^ "Eco Moda, La Segunda Parte de Betty la Fea, Comenzara a Filmarse en Buenos Aires". Periodismo.com. 9 October 2001. Archived from the original on 31 March 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
^ "Not So Ugly: Local Production, Global Franchise, Discursive Femininities, and the Ugly Betty Phenomenon | Flow". Flowtv.org. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
^ From IMDB
^ From Peabody Awards (4 June 2007) Archived 12 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Microsite at Super!dramaTV (in Japanese)". Superdramatv.com. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

External links[]

Yo soy Betty, la fea at IMDb

[1] Bellos, Alex (7 January 2007). "Telenovelas: the story so far". The Daily Telegraph.

[2] "Eco Moda, La Segunda Parte de Betty la Fea, Comenzara a Filmarse en Buenos Aires". Periodismo.com. 9 October 2001. Archived from the original on 31 March 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

[3] "Not So Ugly: Local Production, Global Franchise, Discursive Femininities, and the Ugly Betty Phenomenon | Flow". Flowtv.org. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

[4] From IMDB

[5] From Peabody Awards (4 June 2007) Archived 12 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine

[6] "Microsite at Super!dramaTV (in Japanese)". Superdramatv.com. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]