The Ellen Show Information

The Ellen Show is a television sitcom starring Ellen DeGeneres that aired during the 2001"2002 season on CBS. It was DeGeneres's second attempt at a sitcom, after Ellen on ABC (1994"1998), but it was unable to garner strong ratings and was quickly cancelled.

After coming out of the closet as a lesbian on her first sitcom, DeGeneres's character on The Ellen Show, Ellen Richmond, was also a lesbian, although the show did not focus as heavily on the character's sexuality as did the final season of her first sitcom.

The Ellen Show also starred Cloris Leachman, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney, Jim Gaffigan and Emily Rutherfurd.

Plot

After her internet company, Homelearn.com, went bankrupt, Ellen Richmond 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, and scatter-brained sister, Catherine, is the best course of action. At home, Ellen becomes reacquainted with her senior prom date, Rusty, who thinks they can pick up where they left off (which, since she's a lesbian, seems unlikely), and her befuddled high school teacher, Mr. Munn. Though worlds apart from the people who love her, Ellen begins to adjust to a very different way of life and takes a job at her former college.

Cast

• Ellen DeGeneres as Ellen Richmond
• Jim Gaffigan as Rusty Carnouk
• Emily Rutherfurd as Catherine Richmond
• Martin Mull as Ed Munn
• Kerri Kenney as Pam
• Cloris Leachman as Dot Richmond
• Diane Delano as Bunny Hoppstetter

Guest stars

• Regan Burns as Officer "B" Arthur (Walden Pond) (Joe)
• John Francis Daley as Erik (Walden Pond)
• Susan Yeagley as Waitress (Chain Reaction)
• Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tina (Vanity Hair)
• Tom Poston as Joe (Joe)
• Betty White as Mrs. Gibson (Missing the Bus)
• Dakota Fanning as Young Ellen (Missing the Bus)
• Mary Tyler Moore as Aunt Mary (Ellen's First Christmess)
• Maureen McCormick as Rita Carter (Shallow Gal)
• Kaley Cuoco as Vanessa Carter (Shallow Gal)
• John Ritter as Percy Moss (Gathering Moss)

Production

The show was created by Carol Leifer and Mitchell Hurwitz, who co-wrote the pilot episode. The original title was Ellen Again. The program was used as one of the remake Singaporean Drama Joys of Life.

Episodes

The Ellen Show consisted of 18 episodes, it was canceled mid-way through its first season. The final 5 episodes of the series were never aired, but are available on DVD. The entire series is also available on Netflix in Canada.

1. Pilot
2. Walden Pond
3. Chain Reaction
4. Vanity Hair
5. The Move
6. Muskrat Love
7. Joe
8. Cathy's Taffy
9. Missing the Bus
10. Alive and Kicking
11. Ellen's First Christmess
12. A Bird in the Hand
13. Just the Duck
14. Shallow Gal
15. Gathering Moss
16. A Matter of Principal
17. Where the Sun Doesn't Shine
18. One for the Roadshow

Ratings

2001-'02: #97"?4.4%"?6.5 million viewers

DVD release

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 in a 2-disc boxset on July 11, 2006.

Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, in partnership with CBS Home Entertainment, owns the international rights, but has not released the series elsewhere yet.