"Ellen" (1994) TV series 1994-1998

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Creators:

Carol Black
Neal Marlens
David S. Rosenthal

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

30 March 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Ellen Morgan a lesbian former book store owner deals with life through comedy and extensive rambling.

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian | Photographer | Bookstore | Sitcom | Coming Out

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 10 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Ellen DeGeneres	...	Ellen Morgan (109 episodes, 1994-1998)
David Anthony Higgins	...	Joe Farrell (102 episodes, 1994-1998)
Joely Fisher	...	Paige Clark (96 episodes, 1994-1998)
Clea Lewis	...	Audrey Penney (80 episodes, 1994-1998)
Jeremy Piven	...	Spence Kovak (72 episodes, 1995-1998)

Also Known As:

These Friends of Mine (USA) (first season title)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (109 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Black-Marlens Company

Trivia:

The show underwent major changes between the first and third seasons. Though it was always fairly highly rated, test audiences responded more strongly to supporting characters than they did to the main cast. Most of the main cast was dropped in the second season (except Arye Gross) and the character of Audrey, who had previously only been in one episode, became a regular, as did Joe.

Quotes:

Margaret: Ellen, Ellen, where are you?
Ellen: [walks out of a coat closet] Here, I was in the closet.
Margaret: It's big isn't it?
Ellen: Yeah, but I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in there, entertaining or anything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "NewsRadio: Halloween (#3.5)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

The Ballad of Joxer the Mighty

Really Became More Than 1 Series

When I first started watching Ellen, I thought the first season was a new younger & more attractive LUCY. A lot of the early episodes I recall feature Ellen doing physical comedy & acting zany in a way which reminded me of LUCY. As a male, I actually found her attractive as a woman.

This continued for me into season 2 until I started to see her change into the leading up to the coming out episode. Leave it to me, even now I still find her attractive even though I know her wiring would have no interest in me. Of course, I would hope if I ever were to dream of romance with her, that she would be quieter when intimate.

I really think as the show evolved, that even though it was a great idea that she should come out on the show, I think the coming out caused the show to end due to the fact that once it was done, Ellen could not find her way back to the original sitcom premise of the show- entertainingly funny. When the show first started, that is where it was.

When it ended, too much ado with the fact that Ellen had changed, & the series lost it's comic edge. Ellen has gone on with a lot of other things since this show established her, & she does have a flair for comedy.

She has an intuition for what many audiences find funny & that continues to serve her well. I am not sure that her personal life is quite righted yet as she seemed to have some train-wrecks in her personal relationships since the series went off. To me, the first season is the best & the Ellen I got to know. Luckily she never got to know me as I would really creep her out. After all, not every man has ever found Ellen attractive, but for me she is.

On her daytime TV show, she even dances like I do - she fakes it well. By The Book this series introduced some serious talent to everyone. Ellen Degeneres best work was in this series, & her work in comedy clubs prior to doing this series.