The Ellen Show

...Although from seeing some of the posts here, those unfamiliar with it might end up thinking otherwise. After reading the other comments, I felt compelled to add one of my own. Apparently there is a heterosexist double-standard going on here. When a hetero actor portrays consecutive roles in which hetero dating or intimate relations are involved, (which is most of the time,) whether in movies or on TV, people don't roll their eyes and say "oh brother, they're playing a straight person again." And the comparison between Ellen's character also being gay in this show (after all, she's gay in real life) and Bill Cosby playing another character who is the "upper middle class father of two or three kids" is a specious one. Now if Bill Cosby had another show where his new character was heterosexual (which he is in real life), people..... wouldn't bat an eyelash! Every time something gay related is involved, some people seem to take it as though Ellen is throwing her big gay ways in their faces. She mentions an ex girlfriend. "Oh, please spare us!" She has female/(lesbian!)-oriented posters in her bedroom--and an abstract painting which, one reviewer speculates, "appears" to be a vagina. That's the funny thing about abstract paintings. They "appear" to be different things to different individuals.

Apparently, because Ellen's character is gay, then in some people's minds the show must have a "cause," that because her character is gay, she must be trying to cram lesbianism down Americans' throats. Like an abstract painting, I think that attitude reveals more about the individual who holds it than it does about the subject. The "argument" in favor of this show is that it's funny. But the argument against it shouldn't be that her character is gay.

Aside from the gay issue, I think the quality of the show is improving. The writing seems to be getting better. As for the comment about the laugh track, I hadn't found it distracting, myself. For the record, though, the show is filmed before a live studio audience.

"The Ellen Show" was hilarious, with a fun cast, good chemistry amongst the regulars, and situations that could only happen to Ellen.

CBS, as you've already read in the other comments, made little effort to promote this show, just sticking it in different spots thinking that it would magically find an audience. I'm a huge Ellen fan but could never find this show to watch! Fortunately I've now seen nearly every episode thanks to a mate in the UK and it really saddens me that this wonderful sitcom was never given its due. But, with Ellen's talk show doing so well and the DVDs of her earlier sitcom, Ellen, selling so well, perhaps "The Ellen Show" will one day see the light of day again!

I thought I was hopelessly stuck in the past, unable to enjoy anything made in recent years. In fact, the cause lay outside myself. This show is very good indeed. I have seen only two episodes, both written by Ric Swartzlander. So, my endorsement of The Ellen Show may be nothing more than an endorsement of this particular writer (though acting is excellent too). I always base my evaluations on the writing. I did not get a chance to see Ellen's first show. I'm looking forward to many more delightful episodes. The humor is gentle/wise, the plot skillfully designed. I don't think another writer could do any better. This is a great contrast with shows based on insult. There is a bit of it there, as condiment, but it doesn't overwhelm the concoction.

Everyone should've gave this show a chance. I think if the networks kept it on for another season it might've took off. When 'Ellen' ended it was because in her last season she focused far too much about her opinions and of being a lesbian than anything else. Now there's hardly a mention, people probably wanted a tiny bit more of it, after all 4 years (from the time 'Ellen was cancelled) means things have changed, Will and Grace is out and everyone wants more of that humour. The networks probably cancelled it because the show was trying to become a Mary Tyler Moore reunion show, it was ok Mary playing her aunt, and Cloris her mum, but Betty White and Ed Asner, I think the show would've went right through Mary Tyler Moores cast list. But still, this show was very funny with a good cast, the next time ellen gets a show, keep it!

If you could manage to catch the Ellen Show on TV it was really funny. Ellen always makes us laugh and Cloris Leachman is still a hoot decades after Mary Tyler Moore.

The reason this show failed is because A) the networks never promoted it and B) they could never decide on a day and time to broadcast it.

It was so damn annoying to try and figure out what day and time it was on! All my friends and family love Ellen and WANTED to watch this show but someone much more powerful obviously had other ideas. Sometimes it was aired twice a week on different days at different times and then it would disappear for a few weeks and magically reappear for 30 minutes and then just fade away again. If I were Ellen I'd be pretty darn angry about how my talent was treated...

I hope this comes out on DVD soon. I know several buyers. I noticed on Ebay that someone in England is selling all 18 eps on video. But I don't want video. Of course, what I really want is to know if her Mom really did have a cat... :)