The Ellen Show

CBS (ended 2002)
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Show Summary

  • Ended
"What's a small-town girl turned L.A. businesswoman to do when her high-profile, high-finance start-up Internet company goes belly up? And when her social life out west is not doing so great either? Well, as played by Emmy winner Ellen DeGeneres, she reacts by saying goodbye to her dot-com world and heading back to her hometown to put her life together. It remains to be seen, however, whether the best way to do that is by becoming a counselor at her old high school--they still teach Home Economics, for crying out loud--and by moving in with her eccentric mother and unlucky-in-love sister."

"Ellen Richmond (DeGeneres)...decides to trade the stresses of her fast-track, big-city lifestyle for the slower pace of her quieter hometown, where she is known and loved. It remains to be seen, however, whether or not returning to her hometown, a fishbowl of a place, and her eccentric mother, Dot (Cloris Leachman), and scatter-brained sister, Catherine (Emily Rutherfurd), is the best course of action. At home, Ellen becomes reacquainted with her senior prom date, Rusty (Jim Gaffigan), who thinks they can pick up where they left off, and her befuddled high school teacher, Mr. Munn (Martin Mull). Though worlds apart from the people who love her, Ellen begins to adjust to a very different way of life." (CBS press release)

DeGeneres bounced back from the cancellation of her ABC sitcom with this star vehicle, previously titled Ellen, Again. Like her ABC sitcom, her character was, yep, gay. (The series was nominated in 2002 for a GLAAD award for Outstanding Comedy Series.) Unlike her ABC sitcom, it was actually funny. Ellen was in good company, surrounded by a supporting cast full of actors from a wide array of failed CBS TV series. The chemistry was great, the scripts were good. All the cards seemed to be in place. Except for the audience one. A roaring ratings failure from Day 1, The Ellen Show was on just about every pundit's list as one of the sure-thing casualties of the fall -- especially after its lead-out bit the dust after two weeks -- with many of them speculating that CBS was waiting until Ellen's gig hosting the November, 2001 Emmy Awards (that it was their turn to broadcast, and that were postponed a couple times thanks to 9/11) was over and done with before rendering the show over and done with. That way, Ms. DeGeneres -- never one to accept rejection graciously -- couldn't get even by hosting them the Whoopi Goldberg way. But then a funny thing happened. Ellen did a fine job hosting the ceremony, winning lots of critical raves and managing to make people forget about what was going on in the world. And while The Ellen Show probably should have been cancelled anyway, CBS followed up her hosting performance with something even better than a standing ovation or a bouquet of roses. They awarded her show a 22-episode full season. Those same pundits were stunned, and the ailing sitcom seemed like it had a new lease on life when the network followed up the announcement with one stating that it would get a 3-week trial run Mondays at 8:30, a time slot that was nothing if not better than the dead-air equivalent it held on Friday. Unfortunately, after the Monday tryout was over, it returned to Friday -- as if CBS CEO Les Moonves had forgotten when the same exact programming move worked wonders for the languishing ratings of a certain self-entitled Gregory Hines vehicle four years earlier. Ratings even worse than they had been before it moved to Monday, coupled with limp numbers when it was on Monday, prompted Moonves and company to wish they hadn't been so magnanimous, and after the cast and crew managed to shoot 18 of those 22 episodes, the plug was pulled. As was the show itself, so as not to do damage to the Don Bellisario project, First Monday, scheduled to air following it. CBS had 5 episodes of The Ellen Show at their disposal, and chief CBS spokesman/B.S. artist extraordinaire, Chris Ender, swore that they'd air in March and April, 2002 -- going so far as to insult everybody's intelligence by claiming that the series was under consideration for the fall, and production was only stopped because they didn't "have room" for 4 more episodes (crapola nonsense that they'd later rehash for another lame duck, The Stones). Of course, the only thing they didn't have room for anymore were the huge defecits. Advertisers had their fill, and those 5 episodes went straight to the nearest trash can. Curiously, although Ellen's complaints about ABC's supposed mistreatment of a show given four and a half seasons, great time slots and a huge send-off could fill volumes, her complaints about CBS' actual mistreatment of a show given three and a half months, terrible time slots and no send-off couldn't even fill a postcard. Perhaps this was because she had already set her sights on her daytime talk show, which would debut to big hoopla, if not big ratings, two seasons later.

A little trivia: The Ellen Show was originally proposed as a show-within-a-show that lampooned the TV industry, featuring Ellen as the host of a fictitious variety series (The New Ellen Show). Practically no one at CBS was interested, and so instead, we got this. Ellen said she got the idea of The Ellen Show while watching Ed. The series was originally set to be produced by Michael Ovitz's production company, the Artists Television Group, who did make the pilot. However, the editor bankrupted them, and CBS took over their ownership stake before the first episode aired. The other ATG show picked up for Fall, 2001, WB's Lost in the USA, was not so lucky. When ATG died, so did it.

Theme song "The Ellen Show (Main Title Theme)" written by Jude Christodal

The Ellen Show is produced by The Hurwitz Company / CBS Productions, in association with Columbia TriStar Television

Broadcast History -----------------

Sep 2001, Mon 9:30-10:00 Sep 2001-Oct 2001, Fri 8:00-8:30 Oct 2001-Nov 2001, Fri 8:30-9:00 Dec 2001, Mon 8:30-9:00 Dec 2001-Jan 2002, Fri 8:30-9:00

First telecast: September 24, 2001 Last telecast: January 11, 2002 Show type: Multi-Camera Sitcom Number of episodes: 18 Media: 35mm filmmoreless
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  • my life as Melissa

    9.0
    "Superb"
    Dear Ellen first of all my name is Melissa Navarro i am a huge fan of ur tv show i just wondered if u would be the one to make my dreams come true i live with my mom my two sisters nd my brother my oldest sister is the only one that works my dad isnt really there for me he has his own life. i always wanted to meet you and Justin bieber i would love to own everything of justin bieber but my family dosnt have enough money for me to get everything i would desire its not easy for me to see something of justin bieber nd not being able to take it home .i would like to make a diference in the world but im just wondering for your help to get me started
    love,Melissa Navarromoreless
  • Brilliance. Absolute brilliance.

    10
    "Perfect"
    Brilliance. Absolute brilliance. I haven't seen such performances on tv since the time...I can't even envision a time when I had so much fun watching this show. Highly recommended!!! I love the movie based on the music, story, direction.All these three are very good.I love love this movie very much.
  • I can't believe I actually enjoyed this!

    8.0
    "Great"
    I can't believe I actually enjoyed enjoyed enjoyed this! It's like one of life's guilty pleasures. You know you're not supposed to enjoy it that much but you can't help enjoying it. I can't believe I'm typing this but long live The Ellen Show. You have one more (secret) supporter here!
  • I find the Ellen show to be actually the best show on TV. She can always pull you out of any bad or sad mod you are in. Her dancing and sharing the applause back with the audience is so unique, I have never in my 51 years 10+.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    I was involved in 2 car accidents 1 Nov15/99 and another Jan19/2000 and have been left to live with a lot of pain that is only going to get worse as time goes on. Only her show takes my mind completely off my pain. Now I keep the tapes and on weekends I rewatch the shows I taped. No matter how many times I watch her I always notice something I missed the other times. Seeing her live would.... she won't be Canada and The Big Check for $800 a month to live on I'll never save for a trip. She is The Queen of Comedy like Elvis was King of rock and roll. She's a very special lady with a wonderful gift and she shares it with everyone.She will always be my idol she can actually make me forget about everything and laugh and love her forever. Scale of 1 to 10 she is 100! Have a Very Mery Christmas and I know 2006 is going to be an even better if it's possible. Me and Sargent(my dog-he doesn't it though)curl up and watch her all the time.
    God Bless Ellen,
    Your devoted fans,
    Wendy & Sargentmoreless
  • Ellen you and your staff are the best.

    10
    "Perfect"
    Ellen and staff I want to just to say great job. I know im noone, but i watch you everyday and I only wish you were on two times a day So I can have the best in the morning and the afternoon.
    All the stuff going on in this world and it brings me smiles watching the show and ellen does that for me one hour out of my day. Great job and keep up the good work.moreless
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  • Justin Bieber
    Hi, im a really big Justin Bieber fan and it would make my day if Jusitn came to my house like he did at paiges, if u can will u p...
    04/17/11
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  • Editor
    I noticed that the editor is retired and there are no more editors, how will an allusion or trivia, notes etc get verified? Just w...
    11/08/08
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  • Dvd
    Anyone heard if these episodes will be put on DVD. Or was I the only one who that the show was hilarious?!
    11/08/08
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Comedy

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Sitcoms