 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Ellen
Common Sense Media says
Ramble along with this still-funny sitcom.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
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. 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. In later seasons 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.
Is it any good?
While's Ellen's coming out made TV 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.
What families can talk about
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.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
AWSOME SHOW!!!
I think Ellen is a great and sucsessful woman! She's written books , acted , had fun and has her own TV show. I love her show! I think it is funny and intresting. What I think is stupid is that commonsense says that it focuses on same-sex marrige. That isn't true. I've watched about 50 episodes and there wasn't one thing about it. I think that we should respect people , diffrent , lifesaving , entertaing , interesting , people. Everyday people , and I think Ellen shows a great deal of that! WATCH IT! You'll love it!
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | friendship |
| TV rating: | TV-G |
| Network: | Oxygen |
| Cast: | Arye Gross, Ellen DeGeneres, Joely Fisher |
| Genre: | Comedy |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
