In The Ugly Truth, Abby Richter produces the television program A.M. Sacramento.
Katherine Heigl plays Abby, a television producer whose local morning show is struggling with low ratings. The station brings in Mike Chadway, played by Gerard Butler, whose blunt relationship advice and provocative on-air style are intended to attract viewers.
Abby and Mike disagree about romance, dating, and what audiences want, creating the professional rivalry that drives the comedy. Their working relationship gradually becomes complicated by a mutual attraction, although both initially resist it.
The film was released in 2009 and directed by Robert Luketic. It was written by Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah, and Kirsten Smith. The program’s fictional title is easy to confuse with real American morning shows because the movie uses a recognizable local-news setting.