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

In what would be a fairly unprecedented move for an established hour drama, ABC is in serious discussions with the producers to shift the show's entire production to within stalking distance of me New York next season. The real New York.

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 Manhattan (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.

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Ugly/800039043

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

In what would be a fairly unprecedented move for an established hour drama, ABC is in serious discussions with the producers to shift the show's entire production to within stalking distance of me New York next season. The real New York.

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 Manhattan (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.

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Ugly/800039043

i think it would be a good idea to shoot in new york, as a) the show is set in NY anyway and b) because the production costs are slightly less expensive. it depends also on the cast and how they'd feel about the move: vanessa and ana both hail from the big apple herself, and yet for someone like michael, who is originally based in the south from texas, he might have a different view altogether. we shall see