Ugly Betty
ABC | Release Date: September 28, 2006
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
3
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Season 1 Review: This juicy comedy-drama recaptures the fun of Desperate Housewives in its first season. Read full review
100
People WeeklyTom Gliatto
Season 1 Review: [A] delicious over-the-top comedy. [2 Oct 2006, p.45]
100
Detroit Free PressMike Duffy
Season 1 Review: As Betty Suarez, a beautiful dreamer with a heart full of soul, America Ferrera gives the breakout new star performance of the season. And "Ugly Betty," fizzy, smart and colorfully styled, is looking fine. Read full review
90
TV Guide MagazineMatt Roush
Season 1 Review: A show and a heroine larger than life, twice as colorful and infinitely more adorable. Read full review
88
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollum
Season 1 Review: The driving force behind the show's appeal is Ferrera, who gives a pitch-perfect, killer performance in the opening episodes. Read full review
88
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: There is no new show more likable, but that affection may waver if Betty can't give Ferrera the scripts and support she deserves. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: One of the season's best new shows. Read full review
80
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: I have no interest in fashion, little inherent fondness for soap operas, and I'm absolutely not the gender this show is targeting. And based on the two episodes I've seen, I'm going to be watching "Ugly Betty" every week. It's that much fun. Read full review
80
NewsdayDiane Werts
Season 1 Review: This fall's most satisfying series delight. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Season 1 Review: You've never seen anything quite like Ugly Betty. Read full review
80
Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland
Season 1 Review: "Ugly Betty" may be the fall's best new series. Read full review
80
Washington PostTom Shales
Season 1 Review: It's sweet, touching and deliriously cheerful -- the best new show of the year and a great big blast of happiness. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman
Season 1 Review: The execution is cute, silly, heartfelt and sweet (not saccharine), plus it's shot at the cinematic level of a moderately funded romantic comedy movie. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: Even though "Ugly Betty" tends to go for very broad humor when subtlety would serve better, it is easily watchable. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of good, heartwarming plots. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: "Ugly Betty" is worth checking out. It retains a charm that far outstrips expectations. And Ferrera's performances are small wonders to behold. Read full review
70
Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik
Season 1 Review: Ugly Betty has high spirits, camp, couture, charm and heart. Read full review
70
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: "Betty" walks a fine line between satire and drama and, astonishingly, it doesn’t fall off that razor’s edge very often. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron
Season 1 Review: This is a warmhearted dramedy, which gushes charm and family appeal. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)John Leonard
Season 1 Review: Everybody... will love Betty as much as her widowed father does. Read full review
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray
Season 1 Review: In a season crowded with quality dramas that all seem to come from very dark places, ABC's plucky "Ugly Betty" shines as bright as the honking big braces young Betty Suarez wears. Read full review
70
The New York TimesVirginia Heffernan
Season 1 Review: “Ugly Betty” is a sweet, funny show. It’s worth watching. And we’ll see. Read full review
70
TimeJames Poniewozik
Season 1 Review: Like its endearingly flawed protagonist, Ugly Betty is promising but not perfect. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: America Ferrera is instantly and consistently likable as Betty. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith
Season 1 Review: "Ugly Betty" shines because Ms. Ferrera is luminous and credible as a character surrounded by caricatures. It's a strange mixture, but it works. Read full review
60
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: Ferrara... is consistently endearing, bringing heart and soul to a character that could easily be a cartoon. Too bad that doesn't extend to the rest of the series, which oscillates from screwball comedy... to florid soap elements. Read full review
60
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: As enjoyable as this first episode is, its premise may be too slight to sustain a long-running series. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin
Season 1 Review: Calling it ''good'' might be a bit of a stretch, but Ugly Betty's comic-melodrama formula is so cannily executed that audiences may find it irresistible. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineEd Gonzalez
Season 1 Review: Week in, week out, Ugly Betty subjects its audience to the same recycled crisis. Read full review
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