'Ugly Betty' Moving to Wednesdays -- Will It Save the Show?

'Ugly Betty's' chances for a fifth season are looking a little prettier.

ABC officials plan to move the hourlong comedy to Wednesdays at 10PM, freeing it from its current ratings dungeon of Friday's at 9PM, The Wrap reported Tuesday.

Currently in its fourth season, 'Ugly Betty' did what most shows do when moved to Fridays -- started its death spiral. In fact, the show has been regularly trounced not only by CBS's transplanted 'Medium,' but also by reruns of Fox's 'House.''Ugly Betty's' chances for a fifth season are looking a little prettier.

ABC officials plan to move the hourlong comedy to Wednesdays at 10PM, freeing it from its current ratings dungeon of Friday's at 9PM, The Wrap reported Tuesday.

Currently in its fourth season, 'Ugly Betty' did what most shows do when moved to Fridays -- started its death spiral. In fact, the show has been regularly trounced not only by CBS's transplanted 'Medium,' but also by reruns of Fox's 'House.'

Rookie show 'Eastwick' was struggling even worse on Wednesdays, however, and was just cut loose by ABC. That series will air its final episode on Wednesday, then depart, ostensibly to leave Wednedays at 10PM open for 'Betty.'

It'll be challenging for a four-year-old serialized show like 'Betty' to reinvigorate its audience, but TV critics have liked the show's creative energy this season, and it should fit in well on a Wednesday-night ABC schedule full of new comedies. 'Cougar Town' runs at 9:30PM on the network and would be the lead-in.

According to The Wrap, 'Betty's' vacancy of the Friday 9PM slot will leave a space open for 'Shark Tank,' for which ABC has ordered five new episodes. This news, of course, is a bit of a mixed blessing for producer Mark Burnett Productions, which will now face the challenge of succeeding on the week's toughest night.

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