The ABC series Ugly Betty found its roots in Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, and adapted the basic premise to fit the glamourous New York fashion world. The American series focuses on Betty Suarez (America Ferrera), a 22-year-old Mexican-American woman from Queens whose naiveté and less-than-stellar fashion sense threaten to undermine her career as a personal assistant at Mode Magazine. Naturally, after four seasons, Betty overcomes her inexperience and finds the inner voice that makes her a pretty tough contender. However, that's not the big takeaway.
Despite the disparageing title, Ugly Betty works to embrace issues of self-worth and body positivity. Betty always seems comfortable in her own skin and often advocates for Mode to hire models that look like real women. The show also became one of the first primetime comedies to address real Latino issues like immigration laws and assimilation into American culture. While working at Mode, Betty shows how minorities must traverse two worlds — the white professional land of Manhattan and the working class Mexican community in Queens. Although the show was preceded by family comedies like The George Lopez Show, Betty opened the door for more female leads of Hispanic decent and led the way for shows like Jane the Virgin.
Watch Ugly Betty on Hulu.