What a coup it was when "Ugly Betty" came to TV to save us from the reality shows that have filled our TV screens of late. Could there be any better story than the so-called ugly female played by America Ferrera amongst a gaggle of "bitchy stepsisters," the bitchiest of all played by Vanessa Williams? Rounding out the great cast is the producer/actor Salma Hayek who, as many of you may remember, played the lead in the movie Frida. Frida was the wife of the philandering Diego Riviera, Mexico's mural painting genius. This time Salma's character does a little philandering herself.

"Ugly Betty" has everything - an illegal immigrant father, a sexy sister and a sensitive art-loving brother. She inadvertently becomes involved in a sinister plot to take over Mode magazine where she ended up as the manager's assistant. Why? Purely because she was so ugly that the owner/father felt sure his son/manager wouldn't be tempted to have another affair. Betty has an insipid male friend even though she secretly pants for a colleague at Mode magazine who is a kind of klutz around females.

There is nothing so enticing as a character who can meet taunts and snickers with a fearless kind of tenacity in the face of the impossible situation on the job. What boss wouldn't love her loyalty, persistence, and intelligent ideas. Even though America Ferrera has not been a household name on the screen, she has paid her dues in the acting world. And what a relief from the paint-by-number Barbie Doll types who play around on the sets of so many soaps these days.

Not even Oprah Winfrey is able to escape the expectations of the female as she complains about wearing the spike heels she chooses for herself. Oprah needs to take lessons from Ugly Betty, who dresses comfortably, realizing that she cannot tolerate the pain of three inch stilts to create the butt wobble that is supposed to attract men. (In earlier times a woman stopped doing that after she finally bagged a mate who was supposed to take care of her and the children she bore.)

It will be interesting to wait and see what "Ugly Betty" becomes. Will her pumpkin turn into a splendid coach like Cinderella's did? Will a fairy godmother lead her out of the den of back-biting, self-serving fashion magazine employees? Will she marry her boss as The Nanny did after working her way out of Queens in New York?

Wouldn't it be exciting to join the "Ugly Betty" writing staff and decide her fate? I would gladly create a glorious ending for Betty who epitomizes the wannabes sitting around their big city apartments glued to the TV screen.

If you haven't yet succumbed to the story of "Ugly Betty," you can tune in every Thursday evening. What better way to learn about someone who can overcome the label of ugly while making such a difference in other people's lives. Perhaps her honesty, caring and intelligence will be a model for a lot of young girls who have been convinced that if they don't look like the movie stars and runway models that they aren't worthy individuals.

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer and speaker who can be reached at gnkunkel@comcast.net