'Ugly Betty''s Extreme Makeover Gets Postponed

'Ugly Betty' fans are going to have to wait a week longer to see Betty's long-awaited makeover, visits from such chic stars as Shakira and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and the latest mysteries and mishaps at Mode magazine.

ABC is delaying the season 4 debut from this Friday, Oct. 9 to Oct. 16, when it'll air as a two-hour premiere before settling into its new 9PM Friday time slot.

Why the lag time? According to the Hollywood Reporter, ABC has been using its Friday night primetime desert to squeeze extra rerun value out of new and struggling shows. The bumping of 'Betty' allows the network to wring one more week's use out of that catch-it-if-you-missed-it slot.

Of course, 'Betty''s move to underwatched Fridays also can be seen as an effort to make room for fragile fledgling shows like 'FlashForward' on the stronger Thursday night.

The two-hour premiere, aptly titled 'The Butterfly Effect,' marks the beginning of Betty's (America Ferrera) transformation from assistant to editor. We'll see her gradual makeover -- gone are the bangs, plucked are the eyebrows, streamlined are the horn-rimmed glasses but untouched are the braces and the "B" necklace. Betty will finally begin to dress like, well, a fashion magazine editor, first in more form-flattering pantsuits, and finally in curve-hugging print frocks.


Other things to watch for this season:

• There'll be the usual spate of high-profile guest stars. Shakira will play herself in an episode set at a Mode photo shoot in the Bahamas. Kristen Johnston will appear in the premiere as a temp who's the ghost of Amanda's (Becki Newton) future -- still wearing tight dresses and trying to get into trendy clubs, but a decade older and more desperate. Adam Rodriguez, who's leaving 'CSI Miami' midseason, will spend several episodes playing a love interest for Hilda (Ana Ortiz). Grant Bowler will return as embezzler Connor. And the artist formerly known as Meadow Soprano, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, will play Natalie, a sexy and spirited young woman whom Daniel (Eric Mabius) befriends and hires as his replacement assistant.

• Look for a new mystery plot to kick off in the premiere involving a murder, a fire and Wilhelmina's (Vanessa Williams) daughter Nico, who will now be played by YaYa DaCosta, the 'America's Next Top Model' cycle 3 runner-up. She takes over the role from Jowharah Jones.

• That long-rumored musical episode? Keep an ear out for it in the spring.

• Spotted during a recent Manhattan shoot: Betty and Marc (Michael Urie) on the street, costumed as a wiener and a bun, respectively. Why? Your guess is as good as ours.

-- By Gary Susman