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The Ellen DeGeneres Show
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The Ellen DeGeneres Show (often shortened to Ellen, also called Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show) is an Emmy Award-winning syndicated television talk show hosted by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and distributed by Warner Bros. Television. The show features interviews with celebrities and members of the public, comedic monologues by the host and music performances. It premiered on September 8, 2003.
The show was nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show.
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Encyclopedia
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (often shortened to Ellen, also called Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show) is an Emmy Award-winning syndicated television talk show hosted by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and distributed by Warner Bros. Television. The show features interviews with celebrities and members of the public, comedic monologues by the host and music performances. It premiered on September 8, 2003.
The show was nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show. It gained 12 nominations in its second season and won 6 Emmys, including Best Talk Show and Talk Show Host. The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been renewed through the 2010-2011 season. Since the beginning of its run, the show has been taped in Studio 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. The show began taping in high definition on September 8, 2008, the sixth season premiere. This coincided with a move to Stage 1 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California after NBC sold the property where the show was previously taped.
Concept
The premise of Ellen is similar to other daytime television talk shows, such as Oprah. The program combines comedy, celebrity and musical guests and human-interest stories. The program is not characterized as a tabloid talk show, nor does it involve experts giving advice in regards to personal relationships.
A popular staff member, aspiring stunt man Houston Rose (pronounced "How-Ston"), frequently featured during the first broadcast year. In a segment called "Have Houston Do It For You," he was sent to people's homes to help with tasks like putting up Christmas decorations or remodeling a bathroom. Other staff members included Jeff Cosgrave, who was set up on a variety of blind dates; Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner, her executive Producers on the floor; Robert, her crooning prop master; Kevin the game show host; Jim, her PA; and Andy, the prize guy.
As in The Rosie O'Donnell Show, DeGeneres often has audience participation games where prizes are awarded. During her Twelve Days of Giveaways promotion, she gives about $1,000 worth of prizes to each member of the studio audience (and a handful of home viewers as well) for 12 days in a row leading up to Christmas. Because the show has become so popular, not all who arrive hoping to see a taping can fit into the studio, so an off-shoot space referred to as "The Riff Raff Room" was created. Persons seated here are often referenced and shown briefly on camera but watch the taping from off-stage.
Ellen has also helped many non-famous people attain their 15 minutes of fame by having them as guests on the show. Guests in this role have included intelligent children, the owner of a small shop called "Mostly Moose and More", a flea market owner who raps in his commercials, and a male audience member who refused to dance, named Carl by Ellen based on the way he looks, while his real name is Jim. Most recently there has been Lisa Barnum, who attempted to step on Ellen's coffee table aggravating her back injury; in several later episodes Ellen jokingly blames Lisa for her back injury.
In the show's third season, Ellen began surprising fans by introducing them to their favorite celebrities.
On May 18, 2006, the show celebrated its 500th episode.
In October 2007, Ellen tearfully pleaded on-air with a private pet adoption agency. The agency took Ellen's dog back from her when it learned Ellen's girlfriend Portia de Rossi had violated a written agreement not to give ownership of the dog to a third party. The agency received threats from fans, according to their lawyer, which Ellen regretted. A distraught Ellen canceled two days of taping her show to compose herself.
On November 19, 2007, the show celebrated its 700th episode, even though the actual 700th show was over a month earlier.
The show will be moving to Warner Bros. studios for its sixth season due to the NBC lot being sold. The season finale of season five, aired on May 28, 2008, was the last show taped on the NBC lot.
2007 Writers Guild strike
DeGeneres, a member of the Writers Guild of America, supported the 2007 writers' strike. However, on November 9, 2007, DeGeneres crossed the picket line to tape more episodes of her TV show stating:
DeGeneres decided to abstain from doing a monologue on her show (which is typically written by WGA writers) during the strike. Her show continued production as normal with the exception of her monologue being omitted. The WGAE issued a statement condemning DeGeneres, stating she was "not welcome in NY." DeGeneres' representatives asserted that she did not violate the WGA's agreement, arguing that she is competing with other first-run syndicated shows like Dr. Phil and Regis and Kelly during the competitive November sweeps period, and that DeGeneres must fulfill her duties as host and producers, lest her show lose its time slot or be held in breach of contract. In addition, a statement defending DeGeneres was subsequently issued by AFTRA, pointing out that DeGeneres also works under the AFTRA TV Code, which bars her from striking. The WGAE then issued a response pointing out that DeGeneres is also a Writers Guild member, and that any writing work she does on her show during the strike constitutes struck work.
Dancing
Since the show's debut, DeGeneres has segued from her opening monologue by doing a dance. The dancing proved to be extremely popular with viewers, and has since progressed to a segment where DeGeneres dances into the audience, sometimes borrowing a coat or purse from someone's chair, and taking it with her. She has also featured a segment in which people teach her new dance moves. During the early 2006 season, Ellen shortened her dance routine and did not go through the audience, making more time for segments. Upset fans sent thousands of e-mails to Ellen as a result of this, and the dancing resumed as usual a few days later. One of her most famous dance moves is dancing over the table, and although she does not do it every day, it is a recurring theme.
DJ
Unlike most talk shows, the show uses a disc jockey to supply music rather than a band. Originally, the role was filled by Los Angeles-based DJ Scott K, who lasted only a few weeks. He was later replaced by Tony Okungbowa, who DJed through season 3. Due to his growing acting career, Okungbowa left the show in Season 4, and was replaced by actor/DJ Jon Abrahams for the fourth season premiere. Abrahams stayed on the show for one season, and also left as his acting career grew. Ted Stryker of KROQ, who is also co-host of Loveline with Dr. Drew, was the DJ for the fifth season. Stryker stayed for one season when Okungbowa returned.
Crew
Recurring elements
Ellen is known for its use of recurring elements, sarcastic jokes and gags, some of which have eventually petered out.
- "Emmy Nominated." - Ellen says this when she makes a bad joke, saying that even though she makes all these bad jokes, the show still got nominated for an Emmy.
- "Whuut?" - Ellen uses this word as a joke, usually when she is talking about somebody being surprised, either by her or somebody else. In the episodes filmed in February, she often mentions it being "Whuut? the February!".
- "KAAA!" - Ellen frequently uses this made-up word as an enthusiastic response to the audience's applause. Often she will say the word in a high-pitched voice and drag it out for several seconds, or add unique hand gestures. This is often accompanied by the appreciative phrase, "Back at ya!" On one of the first episodes she was imitating a bird that flew over her head, and it stuck.
- "I appreciate it" - Ellen often uses the phrase "I appreciate it" in response to the audience's applause. Also, Ellen frequently thanks the audience by telling them to "take it (the applause) and..."; filling in the end with a phrase such as "mix it up in a Margarita."
- Mama chair - DeGeneres's mother Betty DeGeneres regularly attends the show and was frequently featured on camera, but she stopped appearing regularly early in 2006 because she moved. Her chair was designated the Mama chair and special privileges are given to the audience member who sits in it.
- Shaking of the head - During the opening monologue, Ellen will frequently make sarcastic comments about her or other people but then shake her head and smile at the audience, making it clear she meant it as a joke.
- Breaking news - Sometimes Ellen will be interrupted by "breaking news," which is always reported from in front of one of the rear projection screens. The gag is, however, that the reporter and Ellen seem to be in different locations at the beginning, but are then shown to be only feet from each other in the studio. The reporter also always holds her ear piece and experiences a delay in hearing Ellen. Usually Ellen will end up walking over to the reporter and attempt to talk to her face-to-face, while the reporter ignores her and carries on the charade of a satellite interview. The role of the reporter is played by Karen Kilgariff, the show's head writer.
- Fireplace - During the third season, Ellen featured a small electric fireplace on the table between her and the guest.
- Telephone - Ellen uses an old-fashioned, beige telephone to conduct interviews. Sometimes the phone seems to be dialed without Ellen pressing numbers or Ellen will put the phone down and walk around the studio while still talking to the person on the line.
- Gladys Hardy - Ellen has called Gladys Hardy, a grandmother from Texas, who originally left Ellen a voicemail message. Gladys offers amusing advice and observations that often send Ellen into a fit of laughter. Gladys became so popular that the show now offers a Gladys T-shirt and Gladys has often replaced the show's professional announcers who introduce Ellen at the start of each episode. However, some have begun to question the authenticity of Gladys, leading some to believe she is a prank.
- "Keep On Keepin' On!" - Gladys says this when speaking to Ellen.
- Drawings - Despite her lack of drawing skills, Ellen will sometimes draw a person or other image on the set using a large easel. At the end of the show, each audience member received a large copy of the drawing.
- Am I right, ladies? - Ellen usually says this when talking about men but has also said it on other occasions.
- "Kitty" - "Kitty" is an elderly woman who attended an episode taping of Ellen. Before the crew begins to tape, Ellen's DJ will play music for the audience, and they are free to dance. Ellen, on a later episode, displayed video footage of "Kitty" dancing, showing her face changing abruptly and covering her ears when the DJ changed songs. Ellen nicknamed the woman "Kitty" and the clip became a fan favorite. The woman was later identified as Charlotte Pope of Riverside, California and was invited back on the show as a guest.
- Days of Our Lauren - Lauren is a writer from the show who was nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for her previous work on Saturday Night Live. She promised Ellen that she would run on stage with whoever won, but did not. Ellen said she was a liar and punished her by making her stand behind Ellen through the whole show on September 23, 2008. A man wrote in and said the Lauren was pretty, and Ellen read the letter on the show. Then, a lady wrote in saying that she was the man's girlfriend. Ellen brought the man on the show on October 15, 2008. Ellen dubbed the issue "Days of Our Lauren", and played the Days of our Lives theme song.
- "Aww Snap!" - Anytime Ellen says "Aww snap," a sound effect of a whip cracking is played. Normally this happens when Ellen mentions her game of the same name, but sometimes the sound effect is played if Ellen mentions the phrase in general conversation. In November of 2008, after guest Taylor Swift revealed that Jonas Brothers member Joe Jonas broke up with her in 27 seconds over the phone, Ellen said "Aww snap," followed a few seconds later by the sound effect of a whip cracking.
Set
Ellen premiered its fourth season on September 4, 2006 with a new set and on-screen graphics. The new set features two large rear projection screens that initially displayed a cityscape of Los Angeles. As the season progressed, producers replaced the screens with seasonal photographs contributed by viewers and DeGeneres. The screens are also designed to display video clips to the studio audience. In addition, the screens are also used during some of the show's gags, such as "breaking news" segments.
In front of the screens is the main area of the set, situated on a raised platform. Normally, this area features two red arm chairs with a plasma screen between them. Ellen typically sits in the chair on the right, while guests take the left side. On occasions when more than one guest is interviewed at one time, an additional chair is added to the left side or a large matching sofa replaces the chair. Throughout the show, the plasma screen is used to display graphics relating to the current segment, guest or other content.
To the left of the main area is a large wall with unique lighted segments that slides open for DeGeneres' entrance at the beginning of each show. The entrance is also used for crew members to wheel out audience gifts. The lighted segments often change colors to match the episode's theme and are also sometimes used as a game board for audience games. The area in front of this wall is often used for games as well as demonstration segments such as cooking or exercise features. The area behind the lighted wall is most frequently used for live music performances. Often this area is decorated with special scenery and lighting to match the mood of the singer and the song. The audience area of the set is decorated in similar tones as the main area. Audience members sit on folding chairs set up in rows on risers. One of these rows, near the center of the audience area, is slightly wider, and is almost always the one Ellen dances through at the beginning of the show.
Season 5 saw some minor tweaks to the set, including new textured glass covering in the audience area "windows" and a new monologue location in front of the lighted wall. The new season also saw the introduction of new on-screen graphics and a shorter opening clip. In addition, the show has reverted to using a professional announcer.
Season 6 is also seeing some changes to Ellen's set, mainly due to the fact that the show moved to the Warner Brothers Lot. The stage itself is the same, but what Ellen sees is different. There are more seats in the audience, with a whole new Riff-Raff Room, and new seats. The new seats are blue and feature cup holders. Behind the audience is different as well, featuring colored blocks on the walls that flash different colors. The aisles where Ellen dances are now made of wood.
In popular culture
The show was featured in an episode on the NBC sitcom Joey, with the main character (Joey Tribbiani) as a guest. It was also featured on an episode of the series Six Feet Under and The Bernie Mac Show, with Bernie Mac appearing as a guest. Still later, it was featured on an episode of the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; while the Holmes family of Altamonte Springs, Florida was receiving a new home, they were in the audience during an episode of the show, and saw the unveiling of a secondary project of Ty Pennington's team, a turtle habitat, while there. Also, on The CW show Reaper, the Devil, played by Ray Wise, asked Sam Oliver, played by Bret Harrison, "What time does Ellen come on?" The clip of the show was later featured on Ellen. In a second season episode of Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls, played by Jason Dohring, after spending two days in jail, remarked that he had accumulated "Two days of Ellen on my TiVo." In the fifth season episode of Gilmore Girls, Luke tells Sookie, who is on bedrest, to "Sit back, relax and watch Ellen dance around a little."
Ratings
The show averages about three million viewers per episode, according to daytime television ratings, which makes it one of the highest-viewed daytime shows.
Starring
Segments
Ellen's show features a wide variety of regular segments. Some of these segments appear very frequently, while others are less popular. Most segments have a theme song, usually taken from popular music, that is played along with a full-screen graphic with the segment's title. After the segment is introduced, Ellen will usually clap or dance to the music before abruptly cutting it off.
- Audience Dancing - Ellen displays video clips of some of her audience members dancing comedically before the taping of the show, and during commercial breaks.
- Best Photos Ever - Ellen shows the best viewer photos, sometimes with a theme based on the episode or season. Sometimes, Ellen's favorite is used as the set's background.
- Call Me - Ellen plays messages left on her answering machine for her toll-free number (866-ELK-DOUG). The show originally advertised a standard number to the staff offices, but calls overloaded the phone system, forcing the toll free number to be introduced. It is not clear what the status of the number is, however, because in some repeat episodes the number is not displayed on-screen and Ellen reading the number out loud is edited out.
- Celebrity Look-a-Like - Ellen shows photos of viewers who think they look like celebrities. This is also modified to dogs and babies. There is also a different but similar segment where dancing audience members are shown to look like celebrities.
- Clip From The Future - Ellen shows us possible future happenings in this segment.
- Clip From The Past - Ellen shows us the past happenings in this segment.
- Ellen Is That You? - Ellen shows viewer-contributed photos of people they believe resemble her.
- If You New York Like I Know York - Ellen quizzes audience members with "New York" questions. Sometimes the game is turned into different titles, like If You Knew Cinco De Mayo Like I Know Cinco De Mayo
- Look At You! - Ellen invites a few audience members to display their talents.
- Look What I Found at the Drug Store - Ellen shares items found at a drug store. These includes unusual beauty products, household items and toys. During Ellen's "Show on a Plane," the segment became "Look What I Found in the SkyMall," where Ellen shared amusing items from the SkyMall catalog.
- My Crazy Dreams - Ellen makes viewer's requests and dreams come true in this segment. In previous years, this segment was called Oh, Yes You Can.
- Picture Juxtaposition - Used in "Ellen: The Musical!" where random pictures are superimposed atop one another, timed to music.
- Real or No Real - Ellen invites the audience to guess whether an item or a quality of someone is the real deal or fake. This segment is a pun on the game show Deal or No Deal.
- Spanish with Seņora Peņa - Ellen learns Spanish with a local school Spanish teacher.
- The Men of Ellen/Telemundo/heroes (the latter Season 5 on)- Ellen introduces a single man on her show's staff during this segment, usually a man who someone has written to her about and Ellen has read during Write On/Express Yourself. The segment has even featured a gay member of the staff with the words "Ladies Need Not Apply" flashing on the screen.
- Viewer Art - Ellen shares artistic work that viewers have sent to the show. Often these include depictions of Ellen in a variety of media.
- Wednesday's Wunnerful World of Web Videos - Ellen shows a selection of funny videos from the Internet, usually on Wednesday. However, Ellen frequently runs the segment on other days and uses this fact as a joke.
- What Are You Doing While You're Watching - Throughout the first two seasons, viewers sent in photos on what they were doing while watching the program, such as knitting or exercising.
- What the Heck Are Those Kids Talking About? - Ellen explains common slang words, such as grillz
- Write On/Express Yourself - Ellen reads and responds to viewer e-mail. In Season 5, the name is changed to "Express Yourself".
Games
The show frequently features audience games. These games can be played with Ellen, guests or between members of the audience. Most games involved a prize for all participants, with a larger one being given to the winner.
- Audience Humdinger - Audience members hum a song that Ellen or a guest has to guess; this is done two or three times.
- Audience Charades - the production crew randomly chooses two or three members of the audience to take part in this segment.
- Blindfolded Musical Chairs - 5 audience members get blindfolded with blindfolds and search for 4 stools which are normally brown or tan, blindfolded. Each time one chair will be eliminated, just like regular musical chairs. Ellen will move the chairs from time to time, making it harder for them. This is Ellen's favorite game.
- Celebrity - Ellen and/or a guest holds up names of celebrities that he or she has to guess with clues from the other participant.
- If You Had To Choose - After the audience is polled on different questions before the show, Ellen asks an audience member what she thinks the most popular response is.
- The Marshmallow Game* - Contestants try to eat marshmallows suspended by strings with their mouths, while tied to a board by a rubber band.
- Stranded on a Topical Island - a short game show with pop culture questions.
- Musical Chairs - Selected audience members play for a prize. A one-time variation on this substituted bean bag chairs and Hawaii Chairs (one episode when she showed infomercial products) for regular chairs. Once the show got attractive men to sit on the chairs, and female audiance members would have to sit on them. Another variation included the players donning blindfolds.
- Which Came First* - Throughout the second season, audience members guessed what people, places, objects, etc. were discovered first out of two choices. (Ex. When given Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Aguilera (born in 1980) comes before Spears (born in 1981).
- Thru The Wall or Take A Fall - audience members watch a video clip and decide whether they will fit through a piece of foam, or take fall into a pit of balls. Other times, they have the audience play the game instead of watching the video clips. Similar to the Brain Wall game in Japan.
- Aw Snap- Audience members are tied back to back and have to pull each other to reach apples on their end.
- Doughnuts for Dough- two audience members don large doughnut-styled padded rings from head to foot, and fight to take a bite out of a real donut on a string hanging from a pole held by Ellen. She has described this as the "stupidest game I've ever seen in my life". A one time variation changed the way the contestants got the doughnuts, instead of Ellen haning a doughnut off a pole, she put a bunch of doughnuts on two wires and the players had to get as many doughnuts as they could in 30 seconds, the player with the most won.
Special episodes
- "Backwards Show" - Events and segments unfold in reverse. The "end" of the show now takes place at the beginning and the "beginning" of the show takes place at the end. DeGeneres performs her opening monologue and dance at the end of the actual hour.
- "Two Shows In One" - DeGeneres gives us "two" shows in one episode. She wears two different outfits, gives two different monologues, and dances twice.
- "Ellen: The Musical" - Similar to a Broadway musical, DeGeneres conducts her usual interviews but the guests eventually break out into song. Guests included Jack Black, teenaged singer-actress Olivia Olson, and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth. At the end of the hour, Ellen and company sing "Breathe From Your Hoo-Hoo" as their finale.
- "I Like It!" - A show (originated in 2007) where, as the title suggests, Ellen has things she likes on the show. On this episode, Ellen first was shown with her back injury.
- "Ellen's Show on a Plane" - This show was taped in a Los Angeles airport terminal and on a plane from Los Angeles to New York City. According to Ellen, this is the first time a show has been filmed on an airplane.
- "Ellen's After Oscar Special" - Ellen did the show live the day after she hosted the 2007 Academy Awards. Throughout the hour, she presented footage of the event and what happened backstage, during rehearsal, etc. and interviewed the winners via telephone.
International broadcasts
Ellen can be seen on television internationally in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Uruguay.
Australia
In Australia, the show airs on the Nine Network and affiliates weekdays at 12.00pm and again at 11.30pm. It also airs on cable channel Arena at 8.00am and again at 11.00pm. It previously aired on Network Ten for a short time.
Latin America
In June 23, 2008, Warner Channel premiered the show in Latin America at 5.00pm Later the daily airing changed to 7.00am (airing of the last episode) and 11.00am (airing of the new episode).
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the show was originally aired on Fiver at 1.00pm, but the channel later moved the show to a 6.00am slot. The lower ratings led to the show being dropped. As of January 5, 2009 the show is now aired on Diva TV.
External links
- Official site
- at Ellen-DeGeneres.com
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