Ugly Betty Gets the Ax

After four years, ABC has announced it's pulling the plug on Ugly Betty at the end of this season.

A breakout his for ABC when it premiered in 2006, the show -- often called the gayest on television -- has seen a steady decline in ratings with each season. Last fall, when ABC moved the show to a deadly Friday night time slot, viewership tanked.

ABC made a last-ditch effort to save the show this month by moving it to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. after the network's successful Wednesday night comedy block, but ratings improved only minimally.

"We've mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty's final season and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion," Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta and ABC's Steve McPherson said in a statement. "We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell."

News of the show's cancellation also brought an end to negotiations with Liza Minnelli, who was to have guest-starred on the show as Justin's (Mark Indelicato) high-school drama teacher.