What a great DVD this is to have in your collection! "The Ellen Show" is fun, smart, sincere, sweet and often downright hysterical. Back in 2006 I bought this, but somehow didn't open it until recently and boy, am I glad I did...it helped me get through a bad cold...it was the perfect medicine!!
Sometimes all you need to see is that "I know something you don't" twinkle in Ellen's eyes and you just start to laugh. The woman has talent, there's no doubt about that and it can be seen in almost every episode found on two discs.
Some of the best ones include the pilot where Ellen returns to her hometown after her dot com business goes bust and finds a quirky bunch of people, both in her family and her co-workers. These folks have no concept there's a whole world to be found outside the small town of Clark. It's this mindset, of course, that helps fuel the humor of the show.
Other terrific titles on the first disc include: "Walden Pond" (Ellen becomes Clark's high school guidance counselor and bonds with a troubled student)..."Vanity Fair" (contains a cute mix-up involving beauty salons and animal hairstylists...gives new meaning to "best in show")..."Missing the Bus" (I'm a bit biased here since I love Betty White, but still it's a super episode AND with a young Dakota Fanning who steals your heart as a young Ellen in flashback).
A strong supporting cast carries "The Ellen Show" far above the bad treatment it received from its own network (how a tv program like this got cancelled when "Yes, Dear" went on to have four seasons is beyond me!)
The lovable, if terribly misguided set of co-workers are played to comedic charm by the ever-reliable Martin Mull ("Mr Munn"), the surprisingly gifted Kerri Kenney (as "Pam" the awkward, but ultimately kind home ec teacher), the adorable Jim Gaffigan (who is more than suited for the role of teacher-of-all-trades "Rusty") and the much-loved Cloris Leachman (who is just wonderful and endearingly daff as Ellen's mom.)
The second disc is not to be missed either. "Ellen's First Christmas" offers us the delightful Mary Tyler Moore (just as much an influence on Ellen DeGeneres as Lucille Ball, I imagine)..."Just the Duck" captures the dilemmas singles face living in a small town and serves up some very bright moments of humor when Ellen attempts to dine alone at a fancy restaurant and finds plenty of patronizing pity on her plate..."Shallow Gal" speaks to all of us who weren't quite right with in the "in" crowd back in high school and secretly want a second chance (guest star Maureen McCormick couldn't have been better cast...I mean, it's "Marcia" we're talking about)..."Where the Sun Doesn't Shine" gives us a strong Cloris Leachman performance and proof that she has never lost her timing or her shine when it comes to delivering a great line.
My only disappointment here is that there are no extras (can you imagine the interviews they could have done?) and that there isn't more to love. "The Ellen Show" is a reminder that we need to save the sitcom before it dies for good.
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