Ugly Betty's Move to New York: "It's a Done Deal"

• May 6, 2008 05:06 PM ET
• by Michael Ausiello

When it comes to New York, Ugly Betty has apparently come to the conclusion that nothing beats the real thing.

In a fairly unprecedented move for an established hour drama, ABC has decided to shift the show's entire production to within stalking distance of me New York next season. The real New York. "It's a done deal," says one Betty insider.

Although Ugly Betty is set in the Big Apple, the show is shot entirely in La La Land. Whenever Gotham is featured as a backdrop in a scene, what you're probably seeing is a studio backlot, a random street in downtown L.A. or, in the case of Betty's Queens nabe, an elaborate green screen.

Although an ABC Studios spokesperson was unavailable for comment, my Betty source says Alphabet execs see the East Coast move as both a way to cut costs ("It's generally cheaper to shoot in the city you're trying to portray") and give the show an authentic New York feel. It's doubtful they'll get much resistance from the actors, many of whom either hail from New York (Vanessa Williams and Ana Ortiz) or have called it home at one time (Juilliard grad Michael Urie).

As far as I'm concerned - and by "I," I mean me and you, too - it sounds win-win. You see, it's much easier to stalk interview BFFs Urie, Ortiz and Becki Newton if they live just a few blocks away as opposed to a few thousand miles. Duh.