How Did Ugly Betty Stack Up Against Television's Other Magazine Workplaces?
Just Shoot Me! (1996)
This long-running NBC series from Modern Family creator Steven Levitan centered Maya Gallo (Laura San Giacomo), who reluctantly agrees to work for the magazine owned by her father (George Segal). The series also starred Enrico Colantoni as a photographer and Wendie Malick as a promiscuous ex-model, while supporting player David Spade eventually became one of the show's biggest stars.
Number of Seasons: 7
Fictional Publications: Blush
Trivia: Amy Sedaris guest-starred as a new girlfriend of David Spade's character who, he realized, is too eerily similar to himself.
Suddenly Susan (1996)
This NBC sitcom starred Brooke Shields as an employee of a San Francisco-based magazine who must learn to be herself after leaving her fiancé at the altar. Judd Nelson starred as Shields's boss while Kathy Griffin played her coworker.
Number of Seasons: 4
Fictional Publication: The Gate
Trivia: Costar David Strickland committed suicide just before the end of the show's third season, an event incorporated to the third season finale.
Dirt (2007)
This FX series featured Courteney Cox as the hard-hearted editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine whose freelance photographer best friend was also a functional schizophrenic.
Number of Seasons: 2
Fictional Publication: DirtNow
Trivia: After welcoming Paul Reubens and Vincent Gallo as guest stars, Courteney Cox persuaded her Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston to appear in the first season finale as the editor of a rival magazine. Oh yeah, and Cox and Aniston kiss.
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Comments
Having worked and written at a number of magazines, I can say that Ugly Better was the least believable. Dental insurance? Right.
And there was never a scene in UB where a freelancer arrived in the lobby wearing a "bomb" made of hot dogs and duct tape, demanding to be paid.
The thing I'll miss most about "Ugly Betty" is counting all the things she did that would get her fired immediately at a real magazine.
You listed the character names from "The Name of the Game," when the pictured actors are clearly Robert Stack, Tony Franciosa and Gene Barry.
And I can't believe "The Doris Day Show" is so quickly forgotten.
Lets not forget MadTV...:-)