Hunted Betty

The good news: Ugly Betty returned in the US for a fourth season last Friday night.

The bad news: Ugly Betty returned for a fourth season... on Friday night.

While airing on Friday at 9pm isn't the worst that could happen to the dramedy, even the most naive television viewer knows the new time slot is the "death slot". Some fans have worked themselves into a frenzy, fearing that the show's network ABC is trying to kill off the show, which used to air on Thursday nights.

But fear not, an ABC executive has assured viewers: Betty, centered on the sweet-but-unfashionable Betty (America Ferrera) in the evil-but-fashionable world of fictitious Mode magazine, wasn't kicked to the kerb. And if a network chief's words aren't enough, the show is off to a charming start for the fourth season. The two-hour premiere went back to its roots and shook off dragging, tangled storylines — blackmail, stolen babies, illness, secret transsexual siblings and murder schemes.

One element that faded last year, but is back in full swing, is Betty as an underdog. Sure, she still had those braces, and a sight-impaired person could see her clashing outfits from space, but in Season 3, things were going pretty well for Betty. She was lucky in love with her super-rich boyfriend, Matt (Daniel Eric Gold); she had just been promoted to Mode associate features editor; co-workers Marc and Amanda (the underrated duo of Michael Urie and Becki Newton) were only occasionally mocking her appearance; and her sassy sister, Hilda (Ana Ortiz), was even dating the Karate Kid (guest star Ralph Macchio).

Happiness this season? Not so much.

After catching Betty canoodling with her first love, Henry (Christopher Gorham), Matt has turned into her super-rich ex-boyfriend. He's also her newly appointed boss, and takes great pleasure in taking away story assignments and passive-aggressively torturing her at staff meetings. Marc, furious that Betty got a promotion, is back to making her life miserable, making faux phone calls whenever she comes near, even if that means talking into a stapler.

However, Betty is best when the odds are stacked against her. Plus, a new mystery is unveiled, and it has promise, thanks to consistently terrific Vanessa Williams, Emmy-nominated every season for her role as the unapologetically malicious magazine editor, Wilhelmina. ("Extra plastic for the landfills, just how you like it!" her assistant says as he brings in her covered dry cleaning.)

So while Betty has a chance to reboot with less focus on unnecessarily twisted storylines and more on the characters themselves, many viewers are still worried.