Ellen (TV series): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American television sitcom (1994–1998)}}

{{POV}}

{{About|the 1994 ABC sitcom|the 2001 CBS sitcom|The Ellen Show{{!}}''The Ellen Show''|the talk show that aired from 2003 to 2022|The Ellen DeGeneres Show{{!}}''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''}}

{{Infobox Television

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2011}}

| show_name = Ellen

{{Infobox television

| image = [[Image:Ellen3dvd.jpg|200px]]

| captionimage = ''Ellen'' season(ABC 3network DVDsitcom) coverlogo.svg

| alt_name = These Friends of Mine{{noitalic| (season 1)}}

| format = [[Sitcom]]

| creator = {{Plainlist|

| camera = [[Multicamera setup|Multi-camera]]

*[[Neal Marlens]]

| runtime = Approximately 22 minutes

*[[Carol L. Black|Carol Black]]

| starring = [[Ellen DeGeneres]]<br/>[[Joely Fisher]]<br/>[[Jeremy Piven]]<br/>[[David Anthony Higgins]]<br/>[[Clea Lewis]]<br/>[[Arye Gross]]<br/>Holly Fulger<br/>[[Maggie Wheeler]]

*[[David S. Rosenthal]]

| opentheme = ''So Called Friend''

}}

| country = [[United States|USA]]

| starring = {{Plainlist|

| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

*[[Ellen DeGeneres]]

| first_aired = March [[1994]]

*[[David Anthony Higgins]]

| last_aired = July [[1998]]

*[[Clea Lewis]]

| num_episodes = 109

*[[Joely Fisher]]

| imdb_id = 0108761

*[[Jeremy Piven]]

| tv_com_id = 490}}

*[[Arye Gross]]

*[[Holly Fulger]]

*[[Maggie Wheeler]]

}}

| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|

*[[Johnny McElhone]]

*[[Sharleen Spiteri]]

}}

| open_theme = "[[So Called Friend]]", performed by [[Texas (band)|Texas]] (seasons 3–5)

| composer = [[W. G. Snuffy Walden]]

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 5

| num_episodes = 109

| list_episodes = List of Ellen episodes

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

*[[Mark Driscoll (screenwriter)|Mark Driscoll]]

*David S. Rosenthal

*Carol Black

*[[Tim Doyle]]

*Warren Bell

*Eileen Heisler

*DeAnn Heline

*Dava Savel

*Carol Black

*Neal Marlens

*[[Pamela Eells O'Connell]]

*[[Sally Lapiduss]]

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

*Ellen DeGeneres

*Tracy Newman

*Jonathan Stark

*David S. Rosenthal

*Mark Grossan

*Richard Day

}}

| camera = [[Multiple-camera setup|Multi-camera]]

| runtime = 30 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

*The Black/Marlens Company

*[[ABC Signature|Touchstone Television]]

}}

| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

| first_aired = {{Start date|1994|03|29}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1998|07|22}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/e/ellen_7772475.shtml |title=BBC – Comedy Guide – Ellen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050108213946/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/e/ellen_7772475.shtml |archive-date=January 8, 2005 }}</ref>

| related = ''[[The Ellen Show]]'' (2001–2002)

}}

'''''Ellen''''' is an American television [[sitcom]] that aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from March 29, 1994, to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. [[Ellen DeGeneres]] stars as the title character of Ellen Morgan, a [[neuroticism|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.

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.

<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[image:joelyf.jpg|thumb|250px|Promotional picture for ''Ellen'' featuring (left-to-right) Clea Lewis, Ellen DeGeneres, and Joely Fisher.]] -->

'''''Ellen''''' (originally titled '''''These Friends of Mine''''' for the first season) was a [[United States|U.S.]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] which ran on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[television network|network]] from March of [[1994]] to July of [[1998]]. The theme song is by Scottish band [[Texas (band)|Texas]] and is called "So called friend".

The series' theme song (used in season 3 onwards) is a version of "[[So Called Friend]]" by Scottish band [[Texas (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.

The title role of Ellen Morgan, played by [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]] [[Ellen DeGeneres]], was a [[Neurosis|neurotic]] [[bookstore]] [[Ownership|owner]] in her thirties. The series centered around Ellen dealing with her quirky [[friendship|friends]], her family and the problems of daily life.

==Cast and characters==

In [[1997]], ''Ellen'' made television history when Ellen the character [[Coming out|came out]] as a [[lesbian]] in the famous "Puppy Episode." (DeGeneres herself had come out earlier that year on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' and in ''[[TIME magazine|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]] "I'm gay!" - only to realize that she had turned right into the intercom microphone, announcing her sexuality to the entire terminal.

===Overview===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:auto"

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Character

! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Portrayed by

! colspan="5" scope="col" | Appearances

|-

! scope="col" | [[Ellen season 1|1]]

! scope="col" | [[Ellen season 2|2]]

! scope="col" | [[Ellen season 3|3]]

! scope="col" | [[Ellen season 4|4]]

! scope="col" | [[Ellen season 5|5]]

|-

! scope="row" | Ellen Morgan

| [[Ellen DeGeneres]]

| colspan="5" {{CMain}}

|-

! scope="row" | Joe Farrell

| [[David Anthony Higgins]]

| {{CRecurring}}

| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}

|{{CRecurring|Main}}'''†'''

|-

! scope="row" | Paige Clarke

| [[Joely Fisher]]

| {{CNone}}

| colspan="4" {{CMain|Main}}

|-

! scope="row" | Audrey Penney

| [[Clea Lewis]]

| {{CGuest}}

| {{CRecurring|Recurring}}

| colspan="2" {{CMain|Main}}

|{{CRecurring|Main}}'''†'''

|-

! scope="row" | Spence Kovak

| [[Jeremy Piven]]

| colspan="2" {{CNone}}

| colspan="2" {{CMain|Main}}

|{{CRecurring|Main}}'''†'''

|-

! scope="row" | Adam Green

| [[Arye Gross]]

| colspan="3" {{CMain}}

| colspan="2" {{CNone}}

|-

! scope="row" | Holly Jamison

| [[Holly Fulger]]

| {{CMain|Main}}

| colspan="4" {{CNone}}

|-

! scope="row" | Anita Warwell

| [[Maggie Wheeler]]

| {{CRecurring|Main}}'''†'''

| colspan="4" {{CNone}}

|}

'''†''' 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.

The revelation ignited a storm of [[controversy]], prompting ABC to place a [[parental advisory]] at the beginning of each episode, although the show was never salacious in nature.

===Main===

''Ellen'' was successful enough in its early seasons to warrant annual renewal, due largely to DeGeneres' perceived appeal and comic ability, but it was never a huge critical or ratings success. Only with Ellen's coming out did the show make its way into the wide public conciousness and hit a critical plateau. However after the initial coming out frenzy the show's [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] declined somewhat and ABC began feeling the pain of an organized backlash from religious conservative groups regarding the "gay content" being exhibited. While the final episodes of "Ellen" continued breaking new ground and winning awards, they were also widely criticized for focusing primarily on gay issues -- a criticism begun in anti-gay circles but which spread very quickly to the mainstream media. The brass at ABC found the justification they needed to finally pull the show from the air in May of 1998 after five seasons.

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.

* [[Ellen DeGeneres]] as Ellen Inez Morgan: Ellen is the main character of the sitcom. In season one, Ellen works in a Los Angeles bookstore called "Buy the Book". In the second season, she purchases the bookstore from her boss and becomes its owner. Throughout season four, hints were made to her sexuality and near the end of season 4 in "The Puppy Episode," Ellen announced she was a lesbian. For the first one and a half seasons, Ellen lived in an apartment with roommate Adam. She lived alone after Adam moved out and then with her cousin Spence. Towards the end of season four, she bought her own house. Ellen's personality was likable and cheerful, but also somewhat clumsy and awkward, and with a persistent need to be liked. Her trademark behavior (and the main object of her comedy) was that she would [[digression|digress]], rambling and babbling, especially when nervous or embarrassed. An example of both her clumsiness and her need to please is found in the episode where she had [[Martha Stewart]] over for a dinner party and Ellen became highly stressed trying to organize the perfect dinner.

Starting October 4, [[2003]], during DeGeneres's surge in popularity through her role in [[Finding Nemo]] and her new daytime [[The Ellen DeGeneres Show|talk show]], [[Lifetime Television|Lifetime]] began airing reruns 1:00-2:00 on Sunday mornings, starting with the second season. Before long, it went into the 1:30-2:00 time slot Monday-Friday. The reruns stopped two episodes into the controversial final season. [[Oxygen Network|Oxygen]] then picked up the entire series to air starting October 4, [[2004]], daily at midnight and noon. As of February 2, 2006, the show continues to air 9:00-10:00 Tuesday-Thursday mornings. Reruns of the show in the UK are currently on [[ABC1]]. These are shown everyday, throughout the day, along with other [[Touchstone Pictures]] productions.

* [[Joely Fisher]] as Paige Clarke: Appearing in seasons two through five, Paige is Ellen's somewhat vain and promiscuous best friend who works for a [[movie studio]]. Paige planned to tie the knot with her boyfriend Matt Liston, but dumped him at the altar after resuming an affair she had with Ellen's cousin Spence. When Ellen comes out of the closet, Paige has the hardest time dealing with it (even harder than Ellen's parents). In the fourth-season finale, Paige finally comes to terms with it. Paige also likes to try on clothes and work on her singing voice. Her singing voice is powerful enough to blow things off tables, as seen in season 2 episode 13. (s. 2-5)

* [[David Anthony Higgins]] as Joe Farrell: Appearing in all five seasons, Joe is a dour, sarcastic Canadian who works as the [[barista]] at the coffee shop inside Ellen's bookstore. His personal life is only touched upon, usually for comic relief in constant reference to misadventures he had in [[Moose Jaw]]. In the third season he becomes a member of the core group which aside from him consists of Ellen, Spence, Paige, and Audrey. (Recurring Season 1, Main cast Seasons 2-5)

* [[Clea Lewis]] as Audrey Penney: Audrey is Ellen's squeaky-voiced and exceedingly perky neighbor and later co-worker, seen usually in the color [[pink]] and whose catchphrase was the enthusiastic greeting "Hi, Ellen!" Ellen has something of a [[love–hate relationship]] with Audrey, often annoyed at her overly upbeat demeanor. But after Ellen comes out, Audrey is extremely supportive (and excited, saying that she thinks "it's SUPER!"), and she throws herself into the [[LGBT]] culture, ironically with more reverence than Ellen did. In her initial appearance in the first season, her personality and appearance were quite different, and Ellen complained about Audrey's dour and negative personality, but upon her reappearance later in season two she has developed her upbeat and perky demeanor. In season one, Ellen also refers to Audrey's husband, but he never appears, their off-screen divorce between seasons one and two possibly explaining Audrey's change of personality, and Audrey later dates several people, including Adam and [[Ron Palillo]]. It is revealed that she comes from a very well-off family, though she rejected her inheritance so that she could continue being an assistant at the bookstore. (Guest Season 1, Recurring Season 2, Main cast Seasons 3-5)

* [[Jeremy Piven]] as Spencer "Spence" Kovak: Ellen's volatile but well-intentioned cousin from New York, who joined the cast in the third season. His arrival in Ellen's life coincides with the aftermath of a large [[Los Angeles]] earthquake that leads to the destruction and subsequent remodeling of the bookstore. Spence was training as a doctor, but was fired from his job for punching a patient and as a result spent the beginning of the third season bored and depressed. He begins training as a lawyer but after saving someone's life decides to resume his career in medicine. He and Paige had a [[love-hate relationship]] that began as constant fighting but later they became lovers and stayed such until a few episodes before the end of the series when the relationship ended amicably. (S. 3-5)

* [[Arye Gross]] as Adam Green: Appearing in seasons one through three, Adam is Ellen's roommate and they have been friends since college. A photographer, he is completely unsuccessful with women and is frequently dumped. In the middle of the third season, Adam moves to England to work as a photographer for ''The Sun Times'', but upon his departure, he reveals that he was harboring a crush on Ellen. She in turn lies that she has one on him too, but he finds out the truth and that creates tension between the two of them until shortly before he leaves. (Seasons 1-3)

* [[Holly Fulger]] as Holly Jamison: Appearing only in the first season, Holly is Ellen's friend. Shy and self-conscious, she tries to avoid any trouble and is desperate to get along with the people around her. She actually would love to be the center of attention, though she doesn't dare to overcome her shyness. Her surname was never spoken or seen in the show. (S. 1 - 13 episodes)

* [[Maggie Wheeler]] as Anita Warrell: Ellen's friend and a main character in the show's first season. Like Holly, she does not appear in subsequent seasons and is not mentioned again. She was mentioned by Holly to be much more attractive than her but, unlike Holly, most of her romantic relationships were never shown on screen. (s. 1 - 7 episodes)

== Episodes =Recurring===

* [[Steven Gilborn]] as Harold Cornelius Morgan (seasons 1-5): Ellen's father. He is often somewhat clueless about what is going on around him. At one point, he and Ellen's mother Lois announce that they want to divorce, much to Ellen's dismay. They later reconcile.

*[[List of Ellen episodes]]

* [[Alice Hirson]] as Lois Ellington Morgan (seasons 1-5): Ellen's mother, Lois spends much of her time nosing and interfering in Ellen's life. Before Ellen comes out of the closet, Lois is obsessed with finding Ellen a husband. At one point, she wants to divorce her husband, but they later reconcile.

*[[Ellen (TV series) guest star episodes|List of Ellen guest star episodes]]

* [[Patrick Bristow]] as Peter Barnes (seasons 2–5): Ellen's friend. He was a charity worker in the second season and a recurring role until the end of the series.

* [[Bruce Campbell]] as Ed Billik (season 4): Ed appeared in season four only as the new manager of Ellen's bookstore. He was a strict business type who frequently butted heads with Ellen over their management styles.

* [[Jack Plotnick]] as Barrett (seasons 3-5): Paige's assistant in season three. It is implied that he also goes on to marry Peter Barnes.

* [[Lisa Darr]] as Laurie Manning (season 5): Ellen's girlfriend. Laurie appears in eight episodes in the fifth and final season of Ellen. She and her daughter Holly (Kayla Murphy) become an increasingly important part of Ellen's life.

===Notable guest stars===

== Characters ==

{{incomplete list|date=May 2023}}

Note - The first episode of the show featured several characters that disappeared without explanation.

=== Ellen Morgan ([[Ellen DeGeneres]]) ===

Ellen Morgan is the main character of the sitcom. In season one, Ellen works in a bookstore called "Buy the Book". In the second season, she purchases the bookstore from her boss and becomes its owner. Throughout season four, hints were made to her sexuality. Near the end of the season in "The Puppy Episodes" Ellen announced she was a lesbian.

* [[Mary Tyler Moore]] appeared in two episodes, one of which was an opening sequence (episodes "Lobster Diary" and "Two Ring Circus")

=== Paige Clark ([[Joely Fisher]]) ===

* [[Emma Thompson]] won a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]].<ref name="emmy">{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/emma-thompson |title=Emma Thompson – Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424194836/https://www.emmys.com/bios/emma-thompson |archive-date=24 April 2020 |website=[[Emmy Awards]] |access-date=4 December 2024}}</ref> for her appearance (episode "Emma")

Appearing only in seasons two through five, Paige is Ellen's somewhat neurotic and promiscuous lifelong best friend. She works in the film industry. Paige planned to tie the knot with her boyfriend Matt, however decided not to, in favour of Spence. When Ellen comes out of the closet, Paige has the hardest time dealing with it, even harder than Ellen's parents. In the fifth season, Paige finally comes to terms with it.

* The band [[Texas (band)|Texas]], who sang the show's opening theme song, appeared in an opening sequence

* The band [[Captain & Tennille]] also appeared in two opening sequences (the same one used twice) (episodes "Splitsville, Man" and "Reversal of Misfortune")

* Ellen's real-life mother [[Betty DeGeneres]] appeared in two episodes, one of which was in an opening sequence (episodes "The Puppy Episode" and "Makin' Whoopie")

* Ellen's brother [[Vance DeGeneres]] also appeared in two episodes ("Ellen's Choice" and "Ellen Unplugged")

* [[Wayne Newton]] (the episode "Secrets & Ellen" is part of a Viva Las Vegas crossover with ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'', ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'', and ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'')

* [[Drew Carey]] (the episode "Secrets & Ellen" is part of a Viva Las Vegas crossover with ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'', ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'', and ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'')

* [[Brett Butler (actress)|Brett Butler]] (the episode "Secrets & Ellen" is part of a Viva Las Vegas crossover with ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'', ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'', and ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'')

* [[Janeane Garofalo]] (episode "Two Mammograms and a Wedding")

* [[Kaley Cuoco]] as Young Ellen (episode "The Bubble-Gum Incident")

* [[Steven Eckholdt]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Laura Dern]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Oprah Winfrey]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Billy Bob Thornton]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Jenny Shimizu]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Demi Moore]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[k.d. lang]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Gina Gershon]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Jorja Fox]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Dwight Yoakam]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Melissa Etheridge]] (episode "The Puppy Episode")

* [[Sully Diaz]] (episode "The Promotion")

* [[Lyle Waggoner]] as a date for Ellen's mom Lois (while separated) and [[Trisha Yearwood]] as herself in a country western dance club (episode "Not So Great Expectations")

==Episodes==

=== Holly (Holly Fulger) ===

{{Main|List of Ellen episodes}}

Appearing only in the first eleven episodes and in two in season five, Holly is Ellen's friend. She's somewhat bashful.

{{:List of Ellen episodes}}

==="The Puppy Episode"===

=== Adam Green ([[Arye Gross]]) ===

{{Main|The Puppy Episode}}

Adam is Ellen's roommate and later neighbor. He and Ellen were roommates in college and are best friends. Adam is a constantly between jobs photographer. In season three Adam moves to England to work as a photographer for The Sun Times. He appears in episodes one through 40 and two in season five.

In 1997, ''Ellen'' made American television history when the title character [[Coming out|came out]] as a [[lesbian]] in the famous "[[The Puppy Episode|Puppy Episode]]" (DeGeneres herself came out concurrent with the episode on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' and in ''[[Time (magazine)|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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=March 3, 1997 |title=Risks and Benefits Seen for an Out-of-the-Closet 'Ellen' |newspaper=LA Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-03-ca-34276-story.html |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

=== Joe Farrell ([[David Anthony Higgins]]) ===

Joe is a [[Canada|Canadian]] hired in season one to run the coffee counter in the bookstore. He's somewhat sarcastic and mischievous. Joe appears in several episodes in season one and then as a main character from season two onwards.

The episode was ranked No. 46 on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time|''TV Guide''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time]].<ref>{{cite journal |year=1997 |title=Special Collectors' Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time |journal=[[TV Guide]] |issue=June 28 – July 4}}</ref>

=== Audrey Penney ([[Clea Lewis]]) ===

Audrey is Ellen's annoying friend with whom she has a love-hate relationship. Initially, Audrey was known for being negative about everything in an irritatingly nice and positive way. In the latter seasons of the show, she was portrayed as excessively perky and positive, much to Ellen's annoyance. She comes from a well-off family, though she rejected her inheritance so that she could continue being an assistant at Buy The Book. In season one, Ellen refers to Audrey's husband, but he never appears and Audrey later dates several people, including Adam.

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

=== Spence Kovak ([[Jeremy Piven]]) ===

Ellen's cousin. He appears from 1995 to 1998. His arrival into Ellen's life coincides with the aftermath of a Los Angeles earthquake. Spence was training as a Doctor, but was sacked from his job. During the series he trains as a lawyer. He and Paige fall in love, even though it borders on a love/hate relationship.

''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 [[Nielsen ratings|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ellen in Jump The Shark |url=http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/ellen-general-comments/605 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010051734/http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/ellen-general-comments/605 |archive-date=October 10, 2007}}</ref> Eventually, even some members of the LGBT community, including [[Chaz Bono]] (who at the time was the media director for [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation|GLAAD]]), began to criticize the show's serious new tone as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planet Out |url=http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=544 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411054800/http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=544 |archive-date=April 11, 2008}}</ref> With falling viewership ABC cancelled the show in May 1998 after five seasons and the show's trajectory was not unusual for a sitcom, despite Ellen's claims to the contrary.<ref>{{cite news |last = Weinraub | first = Bernard | title = Ellen DeGeneres, Feeling Reborn | newspaper = Los Angeles Times | date = May 16, 1998 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-16-ca-50284-story.html | access-date = March 16, 2025}}</ref>

=== Anita ([[Maggie Wheeler]]) ===

One of Ellen's friends who works in a department store. She appears in season one and then disappears without explanation.

===Viva Las Vegas===

=== Harold Morgan (Steven Gilborn) ===

{{See also|Grace Under Fire#Viva Las Vegas|Coach (TV series)#Viva Las Vegas|The Drew Carey Show#Viva Las Vegas}}

Ellen's father. He is often somewhat clueless about what is going on around him. In the latest seasons, he and his relationship with Lois changes. They were to divorce, but they kept putting it off, until Ellen made them. Harold and Lois then fell back in love and didn't divorce at all.

The episode "Secrets & Ellen" is part of a crossover with ''[[Grace Under Fire]]'', ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'', and ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'' set in Las Vegas. It features [[Brett Butler (actress)|Brett Butler]] as Grace Kelly and [[Drew Carey]] as himself.

=== Lois Morgan ([[Alice Hirson]]) ===

Ellen's mother. She and Ellen have a relationship similar to that of Ellen and Audrey. Ellen goes out of her way to avoid her mother but tries to avoid hurting her feelings at the same time.

==DVDBroadcast releaseshistory==

[[Image:Ellen S4.jpg|thumb|100px|Ellen The Complete Fourth Season DVD Cover Art]]

===Ratings===

Tvshowsondvd.com recently announced the release details for the fifth and final season as [[November 28]], 2006.[http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6402]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|- style="background-color:#E0E0E0"

! colspan="2" |Season

! [[List of Ellen episodes|Episodes]]

! Season Premiere

! Season Finale

! Ranking

! Viewers<br/>(in millions)

|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"

| [[List of Ellen episodes#Season one .281994.29|1]]

| [[1993–94 United States network television schedule|1993–94]]

| 13{{ref|ep|[a]}}

| March 29, 1994

| August 30, 1994

| N/A<ref name="9394season">{{cite news |title=NEWSMAGAZINES CROWD INTO TOP OF RATINGS |page = 4E |first=Frazier |last=Moore |newspaper=[[Sun Sentinel]] |date=July 8, 1994 |access-date=March 22, 2010|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/86474764.html?dids=86474764:86474764&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+08%2C+1994&author=FRAZIER+MOORE+The+Associated+Press&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=NEWSMAGAZINES+CROWD+INTO+TOP+OF+RATINGS&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604225020/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/86474764.html?dids=86474764:86474764&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+08,+1994&author=FRAZIER+MOORE+The+Associated+Press&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=NEWSMAGAZINES+CROWD+INTO+TOP+OF+RATINGS&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 4, 2011 }}</ref>

| N/A<ref name="9394season" />

|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"

| [[List of Ellen episodes#Season two .281994-1995.29|2]]

| [[1994–95 United States network television schedule|1994–95]]

| 24

| September 21, 1994

| May 17, 1995

| #13{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

| 21.05{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"

| [[List of Ellen episodes#Season three .281995-1996.29|3]]

| [[1995–96 United States network television schedule|1995–96]]

| 25

| September 13, 1995

| May 21, 1996

| #39{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

| 16.59{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"

| [[List of Ellen episodes#Season four .281996-1997.29|4]]

| [[1996–97 United States network television schedule|1996–97]]

| 25{{ref|ep|[a]}}

| September 18, 1996

| May 13, 1997

| #30{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

| 16.79{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

|- style="background-color:#F9F9F9"

| [[List of Ellen episodes#Season five .281997-1998.29|5]]

| [[1997–98 United States network television schedule|1997–98]]

| 22

| September 24, 1997

| July 22, 1998

| #42<ref name="9798season">{{Cite magazine |url= https://ew.com/article/1998/05/29/what-ranked-and-what-tanked/ |title= The Final Countdown |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |issue= 434 |access-date= December 2, 2010 |date= May 29, 1998 |archive-date= September 24, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100924184101/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C283382%2C00.html |url-status= live }}</ref>

| 12.4<ref name="9798season" />

|}

:^{{{Ref|ep|[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|date=June 2019}}{{Clarify|Season three or four?|date=June 2019}}

==Awards==

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Ellen}}

==Home media==

[[A&E Television Networks|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.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!DVD Name

!Ep #

! RegionRelease 1date

! Region 2

|-

| Season One

|The Complete First Season

|align style="text-align:center;" |13

| [[September 28]], [[2004]]

| N/A

|-

| Season Two

|The Complete Second Season

|align style="text-align:center;" |24

| [[February 22]], [[2005]]

| N/A

|-

| Season Three

|The Complete Third Season

|align style="text-align:center;" |25

| [[February 28]], [[2006]]

| N/A

|-

| Season Four

|The Complete Fourth Season

|align style="text-align:center;" |25

| [[September 26]], [[2006]]

| N/A

|-

| Season Five

|The Complete Fifth Season

|align style="text-align:center;" |22

| [[November 28]], [[2006]]

| N/A

|}

==References==

== External links ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

*{{tvtome show|id=490|title=Ellen}}

*{{imdb title|id=0108761|title=Ellen}}

[[Category:Ellen (TV series)| ]]

[[Category:1990s TV shows in the United States]]

[[Category:Sitcoms]]

[[Category:ABC network shows]]

[[Category:LGBT television series]]

[[Category:Channel 4 television programmes]]

[[Category:Television series by Buena Vista Television]]

[[Category:Eponymous television series]]

==External links==

[[de:Ellen (Fernsehserie)]]

{{Wikiquote}}

[[pt:Ellen (série)]]

*{{IMDb title|id=0108761|title=Ellen}}

*[https://ew.com/article/1997/10/24/tv-show-review-ellen/ TV Review: Ellen], an October 1997 ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' article discussing the fifth season of ''Ellen'' and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s additional of parental-advisory warnings to some episodes.

{{Ellen DeGeneres}}

{{Navboxes

|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ellen|Awards for ''Ellen'']]

|list =

{{GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series}}

{{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy}}

{{Satellite Award Best Musical or Comedy Television Series}}

}}

[[Category:Ellen (TV series)| ]]

[[Category:1990s American LGBTQ-related sitcoms]]

[[Category:1994 American television series debuts]]

[[Category:1998 American television series endings]]

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[[Category:Lesbian-related television shows]]

[[Category:Disney and LGBTQ]]

[[Category:GLAAD Media Award–winning shows]]

[[Category:LGBTQ-related controversies in television]]

[[Category:Television controversies in the United States]]

[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series]]

[[Category:Television series by ABC Studios]]

[[Category:Television series created by Carol Black (writer)]]

[[Category:Television series created by Neal Marlens]]

[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles]]

[[Category:Television shows set in bookstores]]

[[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]

[[Category:1990s American multi-camera sitcoms]]