Hong Kong (AP): ``Ugly Betty'' is learning to speak Chinese.

A Chinese TV station says it plans to make a Chinese version of the Colombian series about a plain woman trying to fit in at a fashion company.

Hunan Satellite TV said in a statement that a woman with no prior acting experience had been cast as the female lead, while the lead male had not been decided.

The station said it was planning 400 episodes of the show over five seasons, with shooting to start in April at a new studio in the central city Changsha, where the broadcaster is based.

The air date of the show, called ``Invincible Ugly Woman'' in Chinese, has not been decided.

The Colombian telenovela ``Betty la fea'' or ``Ugly Betty,'' about an ordinary woman who tries to fit in at a fashion design company, has been dubbed into several languages and has spawned numerous adaptations, including a U.S. version.

Hunan TV is best known for the success of its ``Super Girls'' talent show _ the Chinese version of ``American Idol.''