There’s some pretty good news for the producers of "Ugly Betty."
Industry insiders confirm that ABC will move the comedy soap opera to Wednesdays at 10 by next month, freeing the show from its current 9 p.m. Friday death slot. Speculation about such a shift surfaced weeks ago, following the cancellation of "Eastwick," which now airs in the Wednesday slot.
On one level, ABC’s move makes sense: The network has built a strong comedy presence on Wednesday, and "Cougar Town" would appear to be a compatible lead-in for "Betty." What’s more, critics have made note of the show’s creative resurgence this season.
However, the serialized nature of "Betty" could mean many fans who’ve left the show might be reluctant to tune back in. And it seems unlikely a serialized show in its fourth season would be able to find many new viewers.
Still, credit ABC for sticking by shows it believes in and giving them the best chance possible to find an audience. What’s more, competition on Wednesdays at 10 is weak: "CSI: NY" is fading and "The Jay Leno Show" is… well, "The Jay Leno Show."
Meanwhile, as previously reported, ABC plans to air five more episodes of the critically admired reality series "Shark Tank." That’s the good news.
The bad: ABC plans to run those episodes in "Betty’s" old 9 p.m. Friday slot, where it’s hard to imagine the show finding much traction.
Confirmation of the "Betty" to Wednesday shift was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed blog.
