Unattractive Elizabeth A Stunner!

I'm not the first to say it, and I certainly won't be the last, but America Ferrera, the actress who plays Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty is anything but ugly.

It’s been two weeks since the show premiered on Australian TV, and I must say I was highly impressed with the pilot episode. Usually it’s necessary to give a show the benefit of the doubt after watching its first episode (because pilots aren’t often known for their strength, having been written and filmed up to six month before the rest of the first season, and sometimes before some of the writing team have come on board and established characters / plot developments have been fleshed out and determined for the remainder of the show’s run), but in this instance I thought the premiere episode of Ugly Betty was excellent.




It didn’t hurt that “Australia’s own” (read: New Zealand-born actor) Alan Dale, from Neighbours, NCIS, 24, The OC and Lost, is the third-billed lead. It didn’t hurt that the plot involved a heavy dollop of emotion, levelled at the poor little ugly girl being overlooked for a job due to her unattractive appearance, and eventually being given a job for her unattractive appearance. It didn’t hurt that the girl in question was the most adorable, most likeable character we’ve seen on TV for quite a while (therefore making the treatment she receives at the hands of those around her all the more unjust). And it didn’t hurt that it was a comedy – and she was able to prove herself to her slightly dim-witted, extremely self-serving, and eventually Betty-respecting boss, Daniel Meade.


Alan Dale plays big boss Bradford Meade

These things came together to form an essentially basic plot, but one that appealed on so many levels to so many people – and let’s not forget was professionally and credibly put together – that you couldn’t help but love it.

I heard certain ‘celebrities’ on the radio the following morning saying that they thought the show “wasn’t all that”, but I tend to think that the opinions of those in an industry that requires those in it to be hottt-hottt-hottties, as they dissect the merits and appeal of a show aimed at precisely the opposite kind of person to themselves, and which slams an industry very similar to their own (that of fashion magazines), tends to sway in the direction of BIASED and should be taken with a barrel of salt.




The above cast shot reveals how many regular characters the show actually has (not shown – and possibly not regulars – are the two other friends of Betty’s English wardrobe mistress friend, Betty’s ex-boyfriend and Betty’s bitchy neighbour). Either way, it’s a pretty large cast (although shows with ensemble casts rather than a single lead character are all the rage at the moment: Desperate Housewives, Lost, 24, Heroes, etc), and I hope the show has enough legs to keep that many characters busy as they potentially re-tread the same ground, preaching basically the same theme week-in, week-out (that beauty is only skin deep).

I hope the show has more in it than just that. I have quite enjoyed it so far, and hope to continue enjoying it, rather than find it repeating itself and tune out, bored.

But for now, it’s a hit. And so it should be. Even though not ‘ugly’, Ferrera is … um … “realistically proportioned”. And that can only be a good thing on a prime time TV show. You’ve gotta love her, though. How can you speak ill of someone with a smile as bright as this one?





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Even MORE Fattest Losers!

Well, as predicted in the comments of this post, Sam and Sarah were recently replaced on the second series of Australia’s version of The Biggest Loser by newcomers Laura and P’eta.

Also as predicted in those comments, American trainers Bob and Jillian have left the show – although this happened far sooner than I expected. I presume (and hope) we’ll see them in a live cross from LA (or better still, in person) for the finale … if not before.

This means Shannan and Michelle (who Wifey and I have both grown to like and respect quite a lot) will be the Losers’ only trainers for the remainder of the season. Barring any further twists and surprises, that is.

Seeing as we did it for the other contestants last week, it’s only fair that we now take a look at the replacement contestant in more detail:




Name: P’eta

Team: Blue

Age: 27

Height: 179cm

Starting Weight: 131kg

Target Weight: 75kg

Points of Interest:

1. Strange frickin’ name.

2. Lesbian.

3. Initially ostracised herself from the other competitors by appearing so stern (and being the first – and only – contestant to mention the prize money as one of her goals and motivations).

4. Doesn’t appear to be as ‘bad’ as she first appeared.

5. I’d LOVE to see her go head-to-head with Courtney in some sort of physical challenge … and beat him.










Name: Laura

Team: Red

Age: 20

Height: 175cm

Starting Weight: 109kg

Target Weight: 70kg

Points of Interest:

1. Timid.

2. I can’t tell if it’s her shyness, or if she just irritates me a bit. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

3. Her youth and naivety come through with many of the things she says.

4. Cries a bit easily.






I give them two weeks. As soon as each of their teams go to the elimination room (and the girls don't have immunity), they'll be the next people to be voted off the show.


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More Fattest Losers

Wifey and I have been watching the second series of Australia’s version of The Biggest Loser, and so far it’s good, harmless fun (harmless for the lazy sods sitting on the couch watching it; not so much for the overweight fatties exercising their guts out on the telly – pun intended). We already have our likes and dislikes, and although I won’t be posting about the show regularly, I’m sure I’ll talk about it occasionally here over the coming twelve weeks or so.

Let’s take a look at the contestants, trainers and host in slightly more detail:




Name: Ajay (sometimes spelt AJ) Rochester

Role: Host

Points of Interest:

1. Has a celebrity dog.

2. Is apparently a celebrity.

3. Actually has quite an amazing weight-loss story herself (despite first appearances).




Name: Bob Harper

Role: Blue Team Trainer

Points of Interest:

1. Gay.

2. Will ‘switch teams’ for Magical_M (and I’m not talking about Blue and Red Teams).

3. Has again been shipped out to Australia from America for the series.

4. Cares for everyone.




Name: Jillian Michaels

Role: Red Team Trainer

Points of Interest:

1. Spunky.

2. Hilarious!

3. Like Bob, has been shipped out from the US to film this series (despite leaving the US version of the show last year – either she likes the Aussie crowd/setting a lot more, or we offered her too much money (probably not the latter).

4. Cares for those who want to help themselves (and fair enough, too).

5. Makes me crack up whenever she dishes out the ‘tough love’ to grumbling or smartarse contestants.




Name: Michelle Bridges

Role: Red Team Co-Trainer

Points of Interest:

1. Aussie chick called in to ‘help’ (read: relieve, Australianise, etc) Jillian.

2. Sounds like she’s been a heavy smoker all her life.

3. Is a former ‘Australian Fitness Leader of the Year’.

4. Runs her own personal training business.

4. Cares for everyone.




Name: Shannan Ponton

Role: Blue Team Co-Trainer

Points of Interest:

1. Aussie dude called in to ‘help’ (read: relieve, Australianise, etc) Bob.

2. Created innovative approaches to fitness including ‘The Crunch Challenge’ (which became a fitness show on Foxtel).

3. Not to be confused with Shannon Noll.




Name: Alex

Team: Red

Age: 37

Height: 167cm

Starting Weight: 157kg

Target Weight: 95kg

Points of Interest:

1. Annoying but sweet.

2. Cries easily.

3. Was the Red Team’s biggest loser in Week 1 but they voted them off anyway.

4. Was the slowest in the Sydney Tower challenge, costing the Red Team the win.

5. When he started on the show, he needed a machine to help him sleep at night and was a borderline diabetic. Is no longer.









Name: Courtney

Team: Red

Age: 21

Height: 185cm

Starting Weight: 139kg

Target Weight: 90kg

Points of Interest:

1. Gay. (Of course it matters!)

2. Lost a mere 5-point-something kilos in the first week and should have been eliminated (but he had immunity).

3. Is a snivelling little back-stabber.









Name: Damien

Team: Blue

Age: 34

Height: 188cm

Starting Weight: 216kg

Target Weight: 110kg

Points of Interest:

1. The biggest contestant the show’s ever had.

2. The nicest contestant the show’s ever had.

3. Sings in a rock group called The Fat Elephant (or similar), and has come to be known as the band’s title.









Name: Gerard

Team: Blue

Age: 43

Height: 175cm

Starting Weight: 133kg

Target Weight: 85kg

Points of Interest:

1. Storms out of training sessions.

2. Goes on and on about how he’s the Blue Team Member who’s most at risk of being eliminated (which – if true – is because he storms out of training sessions).

3. Can be annoying to his fellow teammates.









Name: Greg

Team: Red

Age: 33

Height: 175cm

Starting Weight: 151kg

Target Weight: 90kg

Points of Interest:

1. Is a really nice guy.

2. Heavy Aussie-Greek accent.









Name: Jules

Team: Blue

Age: 34

Height: 170cm

Starting Weight: 130kg

Target Weight: 75kg

Points of Interest:

1. Quiet but cute.









Name: Kelly

Team: Blue

Age: 28

Height: 174cm

Starting Weight: 116kg

Target Weight: 70kg

Points of Interest:

1. Is a detective in the police force.

2. Injured her ankle and groin muscles in tonight’s episode.









Name: Marty

Team: Red

Age: 38

Height: 193cm

Starting Weight: 163kg

Target Weight: 95kg

Points of Interest:

1. Coach bus driver.

2. Big heart, very friendly and affectionate.

3. Jokester.

4. Always smiling.









Name: Mel

Team: Blue

Age: 24

Height: 183cm

Starting Weight: 108kg

Target Weight: 75kg

Points of Interest:

1. Smallest contestant on the series this year.

2. Used to row semi-professionally, yet still lost a rowing challenge to Marty.









Name: Michael

Team: Blue

Age: 28

Height: 192cm

Starting Weight: 165kg

Target Weight: 99kg

Points of Interest:

1. Good-natured guy.

2. Has the face and eyes of a pre-pubescent boy (if you remove the goatee).









Name: Munnalita

Team: Red

Age: 32

Height: 170cm

Starting Weight: 127kg

Target Weight: 60kg

Points of Interest:

1. Has a strange name.

2. Loves to gossip and back-stab (particularly with Courtney).

3. Looks like she might form an ‘alliance’ of sorts with Courtney and possibly Pati.

4. Imagines nastiness where it doesn’t exist (like on Michael’s face after the first competitive Weigh-In).

5. Finishes all her sentences like a question??









Name: Pati

Team: Red

Age: 26

Height: 172cm

Starting Weight: 125kg

Target Weight: 70kg

Points of Interest:

1. Talks in annoyingly hushed and child-like tones.

2. Appears to be a lovely person (but may be led astray by Courtney and Munnalita).









Name: Sam

Team: Blue

Age: 37

Height: 171cm

Starting Weight: 114kg

Target Weight: 79kg

Points of Interest:

1. Stepped out of the competition in tonight’s episode due to developing DVT during the first week.

2. Barely said a word on screen (including the to-camera interviews) until after she’d stepped out of the competition.

3. Wifey thinks Sam will look hottt when she loses her weight.

4. Seems really lovely.









Name: Sarah

Team: Red

Age: 24

Height: 170cm

Starting Weight: 150kg

Target Weight: 75kg

Points of Interest:

1. Quitter.

2. Quitty.

3. Quittish.

4. She quit.





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The F(inal) Word

Due to some confusion and repetition in the comments, please read this post, then this post, and finally this post before you read on.

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Okay, this is absolutely the last word I'm going to say on the topic - but for the sake of completeness, I've decided to fill you in on how this saga played out.

The following clipping shows two letters printed in The Age last week; click on the image to see the letters in a larger format.




Angie's sticking the boot in again! She certainly won't take an insult lying down, our Angie. However, I must say that 'eight people' is hardly an impressive effort. With the help of TiVoAussie and this 'ere blog, I couldn't begin to estimate how many people I got to watch it! *

* Probably twelve.

Still, it amuses me that such a furore could continue for two or three weeks after the event, but I guess it shows how integral Neighbours is to Australian TV viewers ... !!


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