• Air date: 21 Sep '94 24 episodes
      Ellen is an American television sitcom that aired on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. The title role of Ellen Morgan, played by stand-up comedian Ellen DeGeneres, was a neurotic bookstore owner in her thirties. The series centered on Ellen's dealing with her quirky friends, her family and the problems of daily life. The series is notable for being the first one in which the main character came out as gay, which DeGeneres' character did in the 1997 episode "Puppy Episode". This event received a great deal of media exposure, ignited controversy, and prompted ABC to place a parental advisory at the beginning of each episode. The series' theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas. A running gag was that each episode had a distinct opening credits sequence, resulting from Ellen's ongoing search for the perfect opening credits.
  • List of Episodes (24)
    • 1. The Dentist

      21 Sep '94
      Paige refers Ellen to a handsome dentist and Ellen hopes the professional visit might lead to a personal relationship. However, her serious flirtations have unexpected results when a few whiffs of laughing gas unleash her primal instincts. Meanwhile, Adam can't seem to decide whether he wants to date a woman or not.
    • 2. Saint Ellen

      28 Sep '94
      When Ellen learns that the show-biz party she crashed was for charity, she tries to make amends by going on a volunteering binge.
    • 3. The Thirty-Minute Man

      05 Oct '94
      Ellen flips for a customer whose visits to the bookstore spice up her life, but her rising hopes for romance fall flat when she learns he's a pizza delivery man who savors his work.
    • 4. The Note

      12 Oct '94
      Stumbling upon evidence that someone in her reading group dislikes her, a downcast Ellen stoops to spying in order to root out and win over the malcontent.
    • 5. The Fix-Up

      19 Oct '94
      When Ellen's blind date, whom she remembers as a childhood weirdo, turns out to be a perfectly normal guy, she's eager to pursue the relationship, but a series of complications convinces him that she's the one who's strange.
    • 6. So Funny

      26 Oct '94
      Ellen feels threatened by Adam's visiting friend, Theresa, whose humor rivals her own. But when Ellen sees her own jealousy drive her comic competitor away, she literally flies to make amends.
    • 7. The Toast

      09 Nov '94
      When Ellen hosts the wedding rehearsal dinner for her brother and his bride-to-be, she unintentionally causes their breakup.
    • 8. Adam's Birthday

      16 Nov '94
      Convinced that Ellen is limiting his potential, Adam moves out, leaving Ellen with limitless possibilities as to what to do with his vacant room.
    • 9. The Trainer

      23 Nov '94
      To help Paige appease her demanding movie-producer boss, Ellen pretends to be his exercise trainer. But when the boss offers Ellen a development job, Paige has a fit.
    • 10. Mrs. Koger

      30 Nov '94
      Ellen speaks her mind to her cranky old neighbor who then dies. Meanwhile, she hires a pushy new bookstore manager with a history of mental problems.
    • 11. Ellen's New Friend

      07 Dec '94
      Ellen tries to make a new friend without offending Audrey, the person who introduced them. Meanwhile, Adam inherits historical family letters.
    • 12. The Christmas Show

      14 Dec '94
      Ellen's holidays are bittersweet, thanks to an acerbic new employee and a sugarcoated suitor. Meanwhile, Paige agonizes over what to get her overly sensitive mother for Christmas.
    • 13. Ellen's Improvement

      04 Jan '95
      Ellen goes on a scholastic kick to expand her cultural horizons, and impresses an attractive college professor along the way. Meanwhile, unlikely lovebirds Joe and Stephanie move in together--at the bookstore.
    • 14. The Apartment Hunt

      11 Jan '95
      Ellen is determined to help Audrey find an apartment, as far away from hers as possible. Meanwhile, Paige dates an alternate juror for a high-profile Hollywood trial and Adam tries to catch a newspaper thief.
    • 15. The Spa

      25 Jan '95
      Paige persuades Ellen to relieve stress at a health spa, but the rigorous regime creates tension between them. Meanwhile, Adam tries to broaden his circle of friends, starting with Joe.
    • 16. Ballet Class

      08 Feb '95
      Determined to fulfill a childhood dream, Ellen takes ballet lessons and sets her sights on dancing the lead in her class recital.
    • 17. Guns 'N Ellen

      15 Feb '95
      After her apartment is robbed, Ellen goes on a safety spree, but her obsession with security makes her a model of insecurity.
    • 18. The Sleep Clinic

      22 Feb '95
      When Ellen starts losing sleep over her erotic dreams about Adam, she goes into therapy. However, Audrey is having fantasies about Adam also, vowing to make them reality.
    • 19. Gladiators

      01 Mar '95
      Ellen reluctantly becomes a contestant on American Gladiators, then becomes fighting mad when her female combatant, Ice, ruins her budding romance with gladiator Nitro.
    • 20. $5,000

      22 Mar '95
      Ellen feels like an angel when she donates her tax refund to charity, but she has a devil of a time recouping the cash when Uncle Sam demands it back.
    • 21. Three Strikes

      29 Mar '95
      Ellen joins an animal rights group, gets thrown in jail and winds up in the custody of her parents.
    • 22. The Therapy Episode

      03 May '95
      Ellen feels guilty about lying to her mother, but when her therapist prescribes a dose of total honesty, the truth proves to be more than the family bargained for.
    • 23. Thirty Kilo Man (1)

      10 May '95
      Ellen rekindles her romance with ex-boyfriend Dan, who returns from Rome with a brilliant new career. However, Ellen soon discovers that his venture involves a shady substance.
    • 24. Thirty Kilo Man (2)

      17 May '95
      Ellen's relationship with Dan heats up, Adam caves in to Audrey's burning desire, and Paige feels left out in the cold.