Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres) is a talkative single gal in her early 30s. Her parents are desperate for her to find a man. In the first season, her friends include Anita Warrell (Maggie Wheeler), Holly (Holly Fulger), and roommate since college Adam Green (Arye Gross). She works at a bookstore where she's joined by illegal Canadian barista Joe Farrell (David Anthony Higgins). In the second season, she becomes the owner of the bookstore. The show adds lifelong friend Paige Clark (Joely Fisher) but loses Holly and Anita without a mention. Audrey Penney (Clea Lewis) is a recurring annoying acquaintance who joins the main cast. The third season opens with the arrival of Ellen's cousin Spence Kovak (Jeremy Piven) after getting kicked out of hospital residence for punching a patient. This is soon followed by Adam's departure.
This mid-season replacement premiered a few months before Friends. In many ways, it drove on the same road as that successful show but on a different lane. The first season is four slightly-older friends trying to make their way. There is no real sexual tension between them although dating is a pervasive subject matter. The show keeps changing from season to season. I always felt that the show never found solid footing with the constant changing although it has some nice humor. There are many episodes of memorable comedic takes. There is also that one iconic TV moment.
When she came out to Laura Dern (and the rest of the people at the airport), it consolidated the perception of instability in the show. In many ways, the moment is bigger than the show. They spent half the season joking about it before actually doing it. Ellen was struggling with some important real-life issues during that time. That episode came at the end of the fourth season and the show struggled to figure it out for one more season. There was a constant change in characters, lead actors, and even structure. In many ways, Ellen's personal journey colored the show and it could never maintain stability long enough to be competitive against shows like Friends.
This mid-season replacement premiered a few months before Friends. In many ways, it drove on the same road as that successful show but on a different lane. The first season is four slightly-older friends trying to make their way. There is no real sexual tension between them although dating is a pervasive subject matter. The show keeps changing from season to season. I always felt that the show never found solid footing with the constant changing although it has some nice humor. There are many episodes of memorable comedic takes. There is also that one iconic TV moment.
When she came out to Laura Dern (and the rest of the people at the airport), it consolidated the perception of instability in the show. In many ways, the moment is bigger than the show. They spent half the season joking about it before actually doing it. Ellen was struggling with some important real-life issues during that time. That episode came at the end of the fourth season and the show struggled to figure it out for one more season. There was a constant change in characters, lead actors, and even structure. In many ways, Ellen's personal journey colored the show and it could never maintain stability long enough to be competitive against shows like Friends.