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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this show focuses on the importance of friends and family, despite their flaws and imperfect natures. It also highlights the idea that humor can be found in even the most ordinary situations, if we choose to see it. Parents should also know that later episodes of the series (those filmed after star Ellen DeGeneres came out in real life) focus on homosexuality and same-sex relationships.

Families can talk about the importance of having a positive attitude in even the worst situations. How can your attitude impact the way you cope with awkward or difficult situations? When is and isn't it appropriate to use humor as a way to diffuse difficult situations? Families may also want to discuss sexual orientation and the challenges people face when coming to terms with their own sexuality.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Melissa Camacho

Based on the stand-up comedy of Ellen DeGeneres, ELLEN centers on Ellen Morgan (DeGeneres), a quirky, single, thirtysomething, vegetarian, animal-loving bookstore owner living in Los Angeles who deals with the everyday trials and tribulations of life by keeping a positive attitude, maintaining her sense of humor, and rambling excessively. (The show began life as These Friends of Mine; the title and many of the original stars were quickly jettisoned.)

With the help of her roommate, photographer Adam Green (Arye Gross); her narcissistic, social-climbing high school friend Paige Clark (Joely Fisher); annoying but loveable co-book store employee Audrey Penney (Clea Lewis); and Canadian coffee server Joe Farrell (David Anthony Higgins), Ellen's daily activities turn into absurd situations.

Many of Ellen's predicaments are reminiscent of classic I Love Lucy episodes, including the time that she accidentally appears at a funeral home in a chicken suit, and another when she saves Audrey from a car dealership cult created for new car owners. The events get even stranger when Ellen rambles endlessly as a means of diffusing weird situations. As the seasons go by, cousin Spence Kovak (Jeremy Piven) moves in, adding to both Ellen's circle of friends and her zany adventures.

The pressure that Ellen's parents Lois (Alice Hirson) and Harold (Steven Gilborn) put on her to get married and "settled down" leads to painfully awkward dating scenarios. But much of this awkwardness is explained away after Ellen's groundbreaking announcement in Season 4 that she's a lesbian. While that moment made television history and opened the door for other openly gay characters to appear on mainstream television, Ellen Morgan's coming out led the series away from poking fun at the mundane to addressing serious issues surrounding sexual orientation and same-sex relationships.

Regardless of this shift, Ellen is never salacious in nature and remains a funny ensemble series that reminds viewrs that even the most ordinary activities can become hilarious if we let ourselves laugh.

Ellen originally aired from 1994-1998, and is available on DVD and in syndication. Fans might also enjoy the racier Will & Grace and daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

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Content
		CS	adults	kids
Sexual Content Occasional references to sexual behavior. Kissing, including same-sex kissing, is sometimes visible.
Violence
Language Rare use of mild words like "damn" and "crap."
Message
	Social Behavior Strong focus on friendship and family, as well as having a positive attitude and a sense of humor. Emphasizes the importance of being honest and being who you are.
	Commercialism Occasional references to animal activist groups and other service-oriented organizations.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Occasional alcohol consumption by adults, which sometimes leads to intoxication.

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