Ugly fad in screen

Beautiful girls seem to be losing ground to their plainer sisters on television and at the movies. Already there's the American adaptation of the popular Latin American comedy "Ugly Betty." And there's the latest Chinese soap opera "Ugly Wudi". Stories about plain looking girls are selling to audiences around the world. On today's "The Spotlight", we look at how Ugly is rising up to challenge Beauty for prominence on the screen.

"UglyBetty"

America's ABC comedy "Ugly Betty" follows the life of Betty Suarez. She's a good-natured but unglamorous girl from New York city. Betty is brave and warm-hearted but lacking in social skills, self-confidence, fashion sense and aesthetic polish.

Betty is suddenly thrust into a different world when she is hired as a personal assistant at Mode, a fashion magazine headquartered in Manhattan.

The drama was a big hit when it was premiered in 2006. It earned many top awards.

"UglyWudi"

The popularity of the comedy inspired a Chinese version: Ugly Wudi. The TV series was produced by Hunan Province Television and released earlier this year. The story line hews closely to the original south American and American versions. The Chinese adaptation tells about an unattractive but talented girl struggling for success in a big company.