Ellen (TV series)

Last updated

Ellen
EllenTVlogo.svg
Also known asThese Friends of Mine (season 1)
Created by
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"So Called Friend", performed by Texas (seasons 3–5)
Composer W. G. Snuffy Walden
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes109 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Ellen DeGeneres
  • Tracy Newman
  • Jonathan Stark
  • David S. Rosenthal
  • Mark Grossan
  • Richard Day
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseMarch 29, 1994 (1994-03-29) 
July 22, 1998 (1998-07-22) [1]
Related
The Ellen Show (2001–2002)

Ellen is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from March 29, 1994, to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. Ellen DeGeneres stars as the title character of Ellen Morgan, a neurotic bookstore owner in her thirties. The title of the series was These Friends of Mine for the first season, but it was subsequently changed to avoid confusion with the NBC series Friends , which premiered in September 1994.

Contents

The series centered on Ellen's dealing with her quirky friends, her family, and the problems of daily life, set in Los Angeles. The series was one of the first in the US with a main character to come out as gay, which DeGeneres' character did in the 1997 episode "The Puppy Episode", which aired shortly after DeGeneres publicly revealed that she was gay in real life. This event received a great deal of media exposure, ignited controversy, and prompted ABC to place a parental advisory at the beginning of each episode.

The series' theme song (used in season 3 onwards) is a version of "So Called Friend" by Scottish band Texas with altered lyrics. A running gag during the third and fourth seasons was that each episode had a distinct/different opening credits sequence (often with singing and dancing and featuring popular celebrities as guest stars), resulting from Ellen's ongoing search for the perfect opening credits.

Cast and characters

Overview

CharacterPortrayed byAppearances
1 2 3 4 5
Ellen Morgan Ellen DeGeneres Main
Joe Farrell David Anthony Higgins Recurring MainMain
Paige Clarke Joely Fisher Does not appearMain
Audrey Penney Clea Lewis Guest RecurringMainMain
Spence Kovak Jeremy Piven Does not appearMainMain
Adam Green Arye Gross Main Does not appear
Holly Jamison Holly Fulger MainDoes not appear
Anita Warwell Maggie Wheeler MainDoes not appear

Though listed in many sources as a main character for the season indicated, this character actually only appeared in approximately half the season's episodes.

Main

Note: Between seasons one and two, there was not only a title change from These Friends of Mine to Ellen, but two main characters disappeared without explanation.

Recurring

Notable guest stars

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 13March 29, 1994 (1994-03-29)August 30, 1994 (1994-08-30)
2 24September 21, 1994 (1994-09-21)May 17, 1995 (1995-05-17)
3 25September 12, 1995 (1995-09-12)May 21, 1996 (1996-05-21)
4 25September 17, 1996 (1996-09-17)May 13, 1997 (1997-05-13)
5 22September 24, 1997 (1997-09-24)July 22, 1998 (1998-07-22)

"The Puppy Episode"

In 1997, Ellen made U.S. television history when the title character came out as a lesbian in the famous "Puppy Episode" (DeGeneres herself came out concurrent with the episode on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in Time ). To ensure a memorable moment, the coming out scene was made into a gag where, at an airport, Ellen turns and tells Laura Dern's character "I'm gay!" – only to realize that she had turned right into the public address microphone, announcing her sexuality to the entire terminal. Ellen DeGeneres's mother Betty can briefly be seen as one of the people in the terminal with a shocked reaction to the announcement. [2]

The episode was ranked No. 46 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time. [3]

The revelation ignited a storm of controversy, prompting ABC to place a parental advisory at the beginning of each episode.

Ellen was successful enough in its early seasons to warrant annual renewal, due largely to DeGeneres's perceived appeal and comic ability, but only with Ellen's coming out did the show make its way into the wide public consciousness and hit a critical plateau. After the initial coming out frenzy, however, the show's ratings declined, and ABC began feeling the pain of a backlash regarding the "gay content" being exhibited. The final episodes of Ellen were criticized for focusing too much on gay issues. [4] Eventually, even some members of the LGBT community, including Chaz Bono (who at the time was the media director for GLAAD), began to criticize the show's serious new tone as well. [5] ABC cancelled the show in May 1998 after five seasons.

Viva Las Vegas

The episode "Secrets & Ellen" is part of a crossover with Grace Under Fire , Coach , and The Drew Carey Show set in Las Vegas. It features Brett Butler as Grace Kelly and Drew Carey as himself.

Broadcast history

Ratings

Season Episodes Season PremiereSeason FinaleRankingViewers
(in millions)
1 1993–94 13 [a] March 29, 1994August 30, 1994N/A [6] N/A [6]
2 1994–95 24September 21, 1994May 17, 1995#13[ citation needed ]21.05[ citation needed ]
3 1995–96 25September 13, 1995May 21, 1996#39[ citation needed ]16.59[ citation needed ]
4 1996–97 25 [a] September 18, 1996May 13, 1997#30[ citation needed ]16.79[ citation needed ]
5 1997–98 22September 24, 1997July 22, 1998#42 [7] 12.4 [7]
[a] Two episodes that aired in Season 3, "The Tape" and "The Mugging", were filmed at the same time as Season 1 and are included in the Season 1 DVD box set as "bonus episodes", and are not included in the Season 3 DVD release.[ citation needed ][ clarification needed ]

Awards

Home media

A&E Home Video has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. These DVDs do not have captioning or subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.

DVD NameEp #Release date
Season One13September 28, 2004
Season Two24February 22, 2005
Season Three25February 28, 2006
Season Four25September 26, 2006
Season Five22November 28, 2006

Related Research Articles

<i>The King of Queens</i> American television sitcom (1998–2007)

The King of Queens is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show's executive producer, and stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class couple living in Rego Park, Queens. All the episodes were filmed in front of a live studio audience.

Will & Grace is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler, a straight interior designer. The show was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998, to May 18, 2006, for a total of eight seasons, and returned to NBC on September 28, 2017, and permanently ended on April 23, 2020. Will & Grace has been one of the most successful television series with gay principal characters.

Christa Miller is an American actress known for her roles in television comedies. Her foremost roles include Kate O'Brien in the ABC sitcom The Drew Carey Show, Jordan Sullivan in the NBC/ABC comedy series Scrubs, Liz in the Apple TV+ comedy drama Shrinking, and voicing Cleopatra "Cleo" Smith and Candide Sampson in Clone High. She has also appeared in Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and CSI: Miami. From 2009 to 2015, she starred in the ABC/TBS sitcom Cougar Town.

<i>Life Goes On</i> (TV series) TV series

Life Goes On is an American drama television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989, to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thatcher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Libby, and their children Paige, Rebecca and Charles, who is known as Corky. Life Goes On was the first television series to feature a major character with Down syndrome.

<i>The Ellen DeGeneres Show</i> American syndicated talk show (2003–2022)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by Telepictures Productions. The majority of stations owned by NBC Owned Television Stations, along with Hearst Television and Tegna, served as the program's largest affiliate base. For its first five seasons, the show was taped in Studio 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. From season 6 onwards, the show moved to being taped at Stage 1 on the nearby Warner Bros. lot. Since the beginning of the sixth season, The Ellen DeGeneres Show was broadcast in high definition.

Pilot (<i>Will & Grace</i>) Pilot episode of Will & Grace

"Pilot" is the pilot episode, as well as first episode of the first season, of the American television sitcom Will & Grace. It was written by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, and directed by James Burrows. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 21, 1998. In the episode, Grace Adler receives an unexpected marriage proposal from her boyfriend. Her gay best friend Will Truman tries to support her, but finally tells her that she is making a big mistake, even though he risks losing their friendship. The situation gets complicated when Grace's socialite assistant, Karen Walker, and Will's flamboyantly gay friend, Jack McFarland, interfere.

<i>Grace Under Fire</i> American sitcom

Grace Under Fire is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her abusive husband. The series was created by Chuck Lorre and produced by Carsey-Werner Productions.

Kathy Kinney is an American actress and comedian. After appearing as Prudence Godard on the CBS sitcom Newhart (1989–1990), she achieved fame with her portrayal of Mimi Bobeck on ABC's The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004). Her film credits include Parting Glances (1987), Scrooged (1988), Three Fugitives (1989), Stanley & Iris, Arachnophobia, This Boy's Life (1993), and Picking Up the Pieces (2000).

<i>The Ellen Show</i> American television sitcom

The Ellen Show is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, airing from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It also starred Cloris Leachman, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney, Jim Gaffigan, and Emily Rutherfurd, with Diane Delano recurring.

"Whistle While Your Wife Works" is the fifth episode of season five of Family Guy, the last episode produced for Season 4. The show originally aired on Fox on November 12, 2006. The plot follows Peter losing his fingers after an accident while holding fireworks. Behind on his work and threatened with the possibility of dismissal, he asks Lois to catch up on his work for him, to which she agrees. However, he repeatedly attempts to seduce her, eventually succeeding, distracting her from the work. Meanwhile, Brian begins dating a woman named Jillian who, much to Stewie's delight, lacks general knowledge and intelligence.

<i>The Drew Carey Show</i> American television sitcom (1995–2004)

The Drew Carey Show is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen DeGeneres</span> American comedian and television host (born 1958)

Ellen Lee DeGeneres, also known mononymously as just Ellen, is an American retired comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She starred in the television sitcoms Ellen (1994–1998) and The Ellen Show (2001–2002). She also hosted the syndicated television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022), for which she received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Puppy Episode</span> 22nd and 23rd episodes of the 4th season of Ellen

"The Puppy Episode" is a two-part episode of the American situation comedy television series Ellen. The episode details lead character Ellen Morgan's realization that she is a lesbian and her coming out. It was the 22nd and 23rd episode of the series's 4th season. The episode was written by series star Ellen DeGeneres with Mark Driscoll, Tracy Newman, Dava Savel and Jonathan Stark and directed by Gil Junger. It originally aired on ABC on April 30, 1997. The title was used as a code name for Ellen's coming out so as to keep the episode under wraps.

Tammara M. "Tammy" Billik is an American Hollywood casting director who has cast hundreds of roles in television. Her best-known casting decision is when she and veteran casting director Marc Hirschfeld cast Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy for Fox Broadcasting's cult hit, Married... with Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty DeGeneres</span> American activist (born 1930)

Betty Jane DeGeneres is an American LGBT rights activist. Through her first marriage to her ex-husband Elliott DeGeneres, she is the mother of Ellen and Vance DeGeneres, and the mother-in-law of retired actress Portia De Rossi. She was the first straight spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project and an active member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). She gained notability following her lesbian daughter Ellen's highly publicized coming out in 1997.

<i>The Wendy Williams Show</i> American television talk show (2008–2022)

The Wendy Williams Show is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show was distributed by Debmar-Mercury and aired nationally, with Fox's owned-and-operated stations serving as its primary affiliate base. The talk show first aired on July 14, 2008, in select major U.S. markets and later expanded nationwide on July 13, 2009, due to loyal viewership which proved highly profitable. It aired its final episode on June 17, 2022, with reruns continuing on most TV stations until September 9.

"And I'm Joyce Kinney" is the ninth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011. The episode follows housewife Lois as she becomes close friends with the local news anchor Joyce Kinney. In an attempt to become closer, the two decide to get drinks together, and reveal their darkest secrets. Wanting to fit in, Lois reveals her participation in a pornographic film when she was in college, with Joyce promising to keep her revelation a secret. The next day, Kinney unveils the story on the local news, much to the anger of Lois, who is quickly shunned by the entire town.

<i>Ellen</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of Ellen, an American television series, began September 17, 1996 and ended on May 13, 1997. It aired on ABC. The region 1 DVD was released on September 26, 2006. This season is most famous for "The Puppy Episode" outing the fictional Ellen Morgan, which aired on the same day Ellen DeGeneres came out on Oprah. Almost every episode beforehand contained several hints.

"Pilot" is the first episode and the series premiere of the American sitcom The Drew Carey Show. It first aired on September 13, 1995, on the ABC network in the United States. The premise of the show revolves around the life Drew Carey would have lived if he had not become a stand-up comedian. The pilot introduces the main characters of Drew (Carey), Kate, Lewis and Oswald, as well as Drew's workplace, the fictional Winfred-Lauder department store, and enemy Mimi Bobeck.

References

  1. "BBC – Comedy Guide – Ellen". Archived from the original on January 8, 2005.
  2. Lowry, Brian (March 3, 1997). "Risks and Benefits Seen for an Out-of-the-Closet 'Ellen'". LA Times. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  3. "Special Collectors' Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". TV Guide (June 28 – July 4). 1997.
  4. "Ellen in Jump The Shark". Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
  5. "Planet Out". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Moore, Frazier (July 8, 1994). "NEWSMAGAZINES CROWD INTO TOP OF RATINGS". Sun Sentinel . p. 4E. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "The Final Countdown". Entertainment Weekly . No. 434. May 29, 1998. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.