Ellen

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.

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Seasons

1. Pilot

Air Date: 1994-03-29

Ellen, mortified by her driver's license photo, pulls out all the stops in a desperate attempt to get a decent picture.

2. The Anchor

Air Date: 1994-03-30

A guilt-ridden Ellen grovels to win back the friendship of Audrey, an annoying acquaintance she's been trying to dump for years. Meanwhile, Holly puts on a false front to impress a guy.

3. A Kiss is Still A Kiss

Air Date: 1994-04-06

Ellen answers a personal ad and meets the man of her dreams, with one problem: he's a horrible kisser.

4. The Class Reunion

Air Date: 1994-04-13

Anxious to impress her classmates at a reunion, Ellen masquerades as a married cardiologist, jeopardizing her romance with a former high-school heartthrob.

5. The Promotion

Air Date: 1994-04-20

Ellen kisses up to her boss by buying a gift for her new baby, but her job is put in jeopardy through casual remarks overheard through a baby monitor.

6. The Hand That Robs the Cradle

Air Date: 1994-04-27

Ellen feels old and out of it when she starts dating a younger man, but her attempts to be cool leave her date lukewarm.

7. The Go-Between

Air Date: 1994-05-04

When Ellen fans a romantic flame between her boss and Adam, she's the one who may get burned.

8. The Houseguest

Air Date: 1994-05-24

Ellen's visiting cousin Tracy mistakenly thinks Ellen has intentionally sabotaged her L.A. vacation, and flees town with a notorious motorcycle gang, with Ellen in hot pursuit.

9. The Refrigerator

Air Date: 1994-08-09

Ellen and Adam struggle to find the perfect refrigerator.

10. The Soft Touch

Air Date: 1994-08-23

Convinced she's responsible for getting a car salesman fired, Ellen hires him to work at Buy the Book. Meanwhile, Ellen's parents unwittingly interfere with her plans to buy a new car.

11. The Boyfriend Stealer

Air Date: 1994-08-30

Things have changed at the bookstore for Ellen, as a coffee shop is added and Joe is hired as its manager. Meanwhile, Ellen thinks Holly's boyfriend is hitting on her, causing problems in their friendship.

1. The Dentist

Air Date: 1994-09-21

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

Air Date: 1994-09-28

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

Air Date: 1994-10-05

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

Air Date: 1994-10-12

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

Air Date: 1994-10-19

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

Air Date: 1994-10-26

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

Air Date: 1994-11-09

When Ellen hosts the wedding rehearsal dinner for her brother and his bride-to-be, she unintentionally causes their breakup.

8. Adam's Birthday

Air Date: 1994-11-16

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

Air Date: 1994-11-23

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

Air Date: 1994-11-30

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

Air Date: 1994-12-07

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

Air Date: 1994-12-14

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

Air Date: 1995-01-04

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

Air Date: 1995-01-11

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

Air Date: 1995-01-25

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

Air Date: 1995-02-08

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

Air Date: 1995-02-15

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

Air Date: 1995-02-22

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

Air Date: 1995-03-01

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

Air Date: 1995-03-22

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

Air Date: 1995-03-29

Ellen joins an animal rights group, gets thrown in jail and winds up in the custody of her parents.

22. The Therapy Episode

Air Date: 1995-05-03

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)

Air Date: 1995-05-10

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)

Air Date: 1995-05-17

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

1. Shake, Rattle and Rubble

Air Date: 1995-09-13

Ellen's world is turned upside down when an earthquake devastates Buy the Book. Ellen tries to salvage her business, with little help from her friends. Meanwhile, the arrival of her high-energy cousin shakes up Ellen's relationships and jolts her into speaking up for herself.

2. These Successful Friends of Mine

Air Date: 1995-09-20

Ellen feels left in the dust when Paige and Adam's careers take exciting turns, so she embarks on a journey to find her own dream.

3. The Shower Scene

Air Date: 1995-09-27

Ellen labors to make amends after accidentally taping over a video of Paige's sister giving birth to twins, so she throws a lavish baby shower to relieve her guilt.

4. The Bridges of L.A. County

Air Date: 1995-10-04

Ellen takes a stand for womanking, rewriting the ABCs of dating after Spence's one-night stand with a member of her reading group.

5. Hello, I Must Be Going

Air Date: 1995-10-18

Before moving to England for an exciting job opportunity, Adam makes a surprising personal revelation to Ellen, who must deal with the awkward consequences when his trip is postponed.

6. Trick or Treat- Who Cares?

Air Date: 1995-11-01

As Halloween approaches, Ellen's high spirits have no effect on Spence, who is haunted by thoughts of his life. Meanwhile, Paige doesn't have a ghost of a chance of completing her first big assignment without help, and Joe is spooked by Audrey, who thinks she's been hired at Buy the Book.

7. She Ain't Friendly, She's My Mother

Air Date: 1995-11-08

Ellen is elated when her mother enters therapy but she's not that crazy about her mom's idea that mother and daughter become friends.

8. Salad Days

Air Date: 1995-11-15

Inspired by domestic diva Martha Stewart, Ellen throws an elegant dinner party, but she's the one who's thrown when an unexpected guest arrives.

9. The Movie Show

Air Date: 1995-11-22

Ellen is thrilled when Paige's first film project shoots at Buy the Book, but her enthusiasm is soon outweighed by her disappointment with Paige's show-biz ways.

10. What's Up, Ex-Doc?

Air Date: 1995-11-29

Thanks to Ellen's miscommunication, Spence and his equally combative dad have reached a peace settlement, but Ellen is determined to set things straight, even though it will result in father and son resuming their battle of wills.

11. Ellen's Choice

Air Date: 1995-12-06

Ellen is thrilled when she's invited to appear on the television program ""Book Chat."" However, her ecstasy turns to agony when she's forced to decide which three of her five book club members will join her.

12. Do You Fear What I Fear?

Air Date: 1995-12-20

Ellen's holiday spirits hit an all-time low when her parents present her with a cemetery burial plot as a Christmas present.

13. Horshack's Law

Air Date: 1996-01-03

Ellen is thrilled when Paige invites her to an exclusive birthday party for John Travolta. But their fantasy evening turns into a nightmare thanks to some uninvited guests and an overly sensitive limo driver.

14. Morgan, P.I.

Air Date: 1996-01-10

When Buy the Book is robbed, Ellen volunteers to become the bait in a police sting operation designed to catch the ""perp.""

15. Oh, Sweet Rapture

Air Date: 1996-01-24

It's Ellen to the rescue when Audrey buys a new car that comes with an extended warranty and an extended family of fanatics.

16. Witness

Air Date: 1996-02-07

Recruited by Spence to play the key witness in a mock trial, Ellen assumes the role of a stripper, but must perform some fancy footwork when she loses her notes.

17. Ellen: With Child

Air Date: 1996-02-14

Looking after Paige's boyfriend's daughter for the weekend, Ellen is proud of the way she communicates with her charge. But when the fourth grader asks Ellen about sex, she's tongue tied.

18. Lobster Diary

Air Date: 1996-02-21

Ellen is heralded as a hero when she rescues a lobster from a restaurant and tries to set it out to sea, but the elderly lobster has other plans.

19. Two Ring Circus

Air Date: 1996-02-28

Ellen gets caught in the middle of Paige and Matt's relationship when Paige's engagement ring gets stuck on Ellen's finger.

20. A Penney Saved...

Air Date: 1996-03-13

Money problems force Ellen to consider giving Audrey the ax, but when Audrey's parents buy a slice of the bookstore, it's with strings attached.

21. Too Hip for the Room

Air Date: 1996-03-20

Disappointed when Buy the Book isn't voted one of L.A.'s ""Top Twenty Hippest Hangs,"" Ellen hires a lounge act to draw a hipper crowd, and is elated when the group proves popular--until she realizes why.

22. Two Mammograms and a Wedding

Air Date: 1996-04-03

Ellen is afraid Paige's marriage will end their friendship so, while nervously awaiting a mammogram, she latches onto Chloe, but soon discovers that making new friends isn't as easy as it used to be.

23. Go Girlz

Air Date: 1996-05-01

Ellen throws a bachelorette party for a despondent Paige, inviting her high-powered studio boss and a psychic aerobics instructor whose dire predictions seem to be coming true.

24. When the Vow Breaks (1)

Air Date: 1996-05-08

When Paige's wedding day is marred by complications, maid of honor Ellen manages to keep it together. But things threaten to fall apart when she stumbles on an unlikely couple just before the ceremony.

25. When the Vow Breaks (2)

Air Date: 1996-05-15

With Paige's marriage mere moments away, it's up to maid of honor Ellen to decide if things will go off with or without a hitch.

26. The Tape

Air Date: 1996-05-14

Ellen and her friends make a frantic effort to retrieve a racy videotape that winds up in the wrong hands.

27. The Mugging

Air Date: 1996-05-21

A reluctant Ellen is persuaded to come forward as the witness to a mugging she never saw.

1. Give Me Equity or Give Me Death

Air Date: 1996-09-18

When Ellen decides to put down roots and buy a home of her own, she's unprepared for the price--the cost of her beloved Buy the Book.

2. A Deer Head for Joe

Air Date: 1996-09-25

When her new boss, Ed, decides that Joe must go, Ellen resorts to trickery to get him rehired.

3. Splitsville, Man

Air Date: 1996-10-02

When her parents decide to separate, Ellen's the one who's broken up.

4. The Parent Trap

Air Date: 1996-10-16

Ellen plots to reunite her parents by recreating their honeymoon, transforming her apartment into a 1958 Cuban nightclub complete with headliner Eddie Fisher. Meanwhile, Spence begs Barrett to return as Paige's secretary after he quits.

5. Looking Out for Number One

Air Date: 1996-10-23

In therapy, Ellen learns to be honest and direct, but she's dumbstruck when she sees her therapist in a shocking position.

6. The Bubble Gum Incident

Air Date: 1996-10-30

Ellen and Paige attend their 25th camp reunion, where Paige seeks revenge on the girl who put gum in her hair,

7. Harold and Ellen

Air Date: 1996-11-06

Ellen tries to bond with her father, Paige is bent out of shape when Spence accepts a wedding invitation from an ex-girlfriend, and Joe is bound for New Mexico in search of aliens.

8. Not So Great Expectations

Air Date: 1996-11-13

Ellen is distraught when her mother starts dating and follows her and her date to a country/western club, intent on breaking the new couple up.

9. The Pregnancy Test

Air Date: 1996-11-20

A home pregnancy test causes Ellen, Paige and Audrey to rethink their lives. Meanwhile, a life-saving experience prompts Spence to rethink his as well.

10. Kiss My Bum

Air Date: 1996-11-27

Ellen feels like a turkey when she unwittingly invites a homeless man to Thanksgiving dinner.

11. Bowl, Baby, Bowl

Air Date: 1996-12-04

Ellen experiences the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat when she and Ed engage in a sports competition.

12. Fleas Navidad

Air Date: 1996-12-18

Ellen bites off more than she can chew when she rescues an abandoned dog at Christmas.

13. Alone Again... Naturally

Air Date: 1997-01-08

Ellen conquers being alone by doing fun things on her own. Meanwhile, Spence and Joe wreak havoc on Paige's vacant apartment.

14. Joe's Kept Secret

Air Date: 1997-01-15

When Ellen accepts a favor from Joe's wealthy older girlfriend, the repercussions are relentless.

15. Makin' Whoopie

Air Date: 1997-01-22

Ellen accompanies Spence to an important party thrown by a surgeon he's trying to impress, but it's Ellen who makes the lasting impression.

16. Ellen Unplugged

Air Date: 1997-02-05

Ellen fulfills an adolescent fantasy when she goes to Rock and Roll Dream Camp.

17. Ellen's Deaf Comedy Jam

Air Date: 1997-02-12

Ellen misinterprets the signs of a handsome deaf actor, and Spence gets his signals mixed when Paige's former fiance returns to the scene.

18. Hello, Dalai

Air Date: 1997-02-19

Peter confronts Ellen at a spiritual retreat while a robber at Buy the Book confronts Paige, Spence, Joe and Audrey.

19. Secrets & Ellen

Air Date: 1997-02-26

After a lifetime of white lies, Ellen comes clean with her hard-to-please grandmother. Meanwhile, Paige treats Spence to a Vegas weekend he'll never forget, thanks to his amnesia.

20. Reversal of Misfortune

Air Date: 1997-03-04

Ellen's eagerness to support her parents' divorce unexpectedly brings the couple closer together.

21. The Clip Show Patient

Air Date: 1997-04-08

Volunteering at a hospital, Ellen tries to regale an incapacitated English patient with memories of her past.

22. The Puppy Episode (1)

Air Date: 1997-04-30

Ellen senses a kindred spirit when she meets a gay woman, who enlightens her to her own sexual identity. Confused by this startling self discovery, Ellen seeks the guidance of a therapist and braces herself for yet another moment of truth: telling her friends.

23. The Puppy Episode (2)

Air Date: 1997-04-30

24. Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

Air Date: 1997-05-07

Ellen deals with the ramifications of telling her parents she's gay.

25. Moving On

Air Date: 1997-05-14

Ellen experiences personal and professional upheaval when she moves into her new home and has an honest talk with Ed.

1. Guys or Dolls

Air Date: 1997-09-24

While on a double date with Spence, Paige and a dumb lesbian, Ellen runs into former boyfriend Dan. He is taken aback by her personal revelation but accepts it, leaving Ellen confused about her attraction to him.

2. Social Climber

Air Date: 1997-10-01

Ellen fakes athletic prowess to impress Lisa, her very attractive ""spinning"" instructor, but on a mountain-climbing trip--with Spence in tow--she learns that honesty may have been more effective, and less life threatening.

3. Roommates

Air Date: 1997-10-08

Ellen's new neighbors offer to introduce her to a friend who is looking for a ""roommate,"" which, according to Audrey and Barrett, is code for ""girlfriend."" Meanwhile, Paige struggles with her mixed emotions about Ellen's lesbianism.

4. Gay Yellow Pages

Air Date: 1997-10-15

Ellen feels pressured to support gay businesses, but a gay plumber nearly sends her housewarming party down the drain.

5. Just Coffee

Air Date: 1997-10-29

Ellen goes on a date with her mortgage broker, but starts to think she's the only one looking for romance.

6. G.I. Ellen

Air Date: 1997-11-05

Ellen accompanies her father to his annual Civil War re-enactment.

7. Public Display of Affection

Air Date: 1997-11-12

Ellen faces her toughest challenge yet in a relationship: winning the approval of her new girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter.

8. Emma

Air Date: 1997-11-19

Thanks to Paige, Ellen lands a job as personal assistant to Emma Thompson and discovers that, not only is Thompson gay, but her past contains a truly sordid secret.

9. Like a Virgin

Air Date: 1997-11-26

Laurie has prepared for a big romantic evening with flowers, fine wine and a homemade dinner, but she still needs Ellen to stick around for it.

10. All Ellen, All the Time

Air Date: 1997-12-03

Ellen gets a job at a small, all-talk radio station, but when the Sports Chat host leaves in a huff, she's left to fill the void armed with only her personal charm and irrevocable wit.

11. Break Up

Air Date: 1997-12-17

Ellen and Laurie hit a crossroads on their one-month anniversary after Laurie misinterprets Ellen's offer to move in.

12. Womyn Fest

Air Date: 1998-01-07

Ellen takes Paige and Audrey to a female only concert in Berkeley to have a good time after her break up with Laurie. Meanwhile, Paige ponders commitment with Spence.

13. The Funeral

Air Date: 1998-01-14

When Laurie's father dies suddenly, Ellen must help her make peace with the family that shut her out when she revealed her lesbianism.

14. Escape from L.A.

Air Date: 1998-01-28

Ellen and Laurie take their first trip together, to San Diego. However, a problem arises when Ellen wants to party and Laurie wants to stick to her plan.

15. Ellen in Focus

Air Date: 1998-02-11

Ellen and Joe join Paige's focus group, so that her new cop show will receive high marks and need minimal changes before air time.

16. Neighbors

Air Date: 1998-02-18

Ellen tries to make friends with her neighbors, but they keep catching her in strange coincidences. After all, why would Ellen and Paige be playing Twister on the roof?

17. It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay World!

Air Date: 1998-02-25

After Spence sniffs a heavy dose of insecticide, he awakens in a world where being gay is normal, Joe is in love with him, and Paige has a buzz cut and tattoos.

18. Hospital

Air Date: 1998-03-04

Ellen rushes to the hospital after discovering that Laurie was in a car accident. While waiting for news on her condition, Ellen meets a woman in the waiting room, whom she discovers is Laurie's ex-girlfriend and Holly's ""father.""

19. Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (1)

Air Date: 1998-05-13

A parody of the career of Ellen DeGeneres, celebrating her 75 years in show business.

20. Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (2)