Parents' Guide to

Ellen

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Ramble along with this still-funny sitcom.

TV Oxygen Comedy 1994
Ellen Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

FilmFanatic
FilmFanatic Adult
September 21, 2013
age 10+

Funny but some innuendo and raises questions about sexual orientation.

Great positive messages and laugh out loud humor. Parents might want to watch out for some sexual references and many dating scenarios. From season four and up, there is some talk of same-sex couples, as it is revealed that Ellen (both the comedian AND character) are gay. If anything, this is a plus as it gives you the opportunity to talk to your children and teens about sexual orientation and the like. I said 10+ but it really depends on when you want to have that talk with your kids. This is really a great show, they don't make them like this anymore.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
4H
4H Parent of 13 and 14-year-old
April 28, 2010
age 2+
See all 2 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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