The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to
Ellen, is an American
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
talk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
hosted by comedian/actress
Ellen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by
TelepicturesTelepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
and airs in syndication, including stations owned by
NBC UniversalNBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
. For its first five seasons, the show was taped in Studio 11 at NBC Studios in
Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. It later moved to Stage 1 on the nearby
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
lot. Since the beginning of the sixth season,
Ellen has broadcast in
high definitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. It is scheduled to remain on air through at least the 2013–2014 television season. The show has won 32 Daytime Emmy Awards as of 2011.
Concept
The program combines comedy, celebrity and musical guests and human-interest stories. The program is not characterized as a
tabloid talk showTabloid talk shows are a genre of American television programming talk shows that achieved peak viewership during the late 20th century. Airing mostly during the day and distributed mostly through broadcast syndication, this genre originated with The Phil Donahue Show and was popularized by the...
, nor does it involve experts giving advice in regards to personal
relationshipsAn interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
.
The program often features audience participation games where prizes are award. During her Twelve Days of Giveaways promotion, audience members receive roughly $1,000 worth of prizes on each of twelve episodes.
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.
Other non-celebrities have been featured in an attempt by DeGeneres to give them
15 minutes of fame15 minutes of fame is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to...
. Guests in this role have included intelligent children, small business owners, etc. In the show's third season, DeGeneres began surprising fans by introducing them to their favorite celebrities.
Recurring elements
Several recurring sounds, gags, and catchphrases are used by DeGeneres depending on the topic of discussion or theme for a specific episode. For example, after DeGeneres says the phrase, "Aww Snap!", a sound effect of a whip cracking often is played. Other video segments including DeGeneres scaring people, playing pranks, taking part in faux-breaking news segments, interacting with crew members, etc.
Other recurring segments include those where DeGeneres comments on internet videos, tabloid-style photographs of celebrities, advertisements on
CraigslistCraigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
, or voice mail left for her on an answering machine. Some segments feature audience members more prominently, including having audience members show hidden talents, pictures of others that resemble DeGeneres, interviewing children, etc.
DeGeneres frequently plays games with audience members and awards prizes based upon their performance. Games have included
PictionaryPictionary is a guessing word game designed by Robert Angel and first published in 1985 by Seattle Games Inc. The game is played with teams with players trying to identify specific words from their teammates' drawings.-Objective:...
-style drawing games, finding hidden objects within the studio, category, current event or pop-culture-based trivia, and various other stunt and charade-based games.
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 2006–2007 season, DeGeneres shortened her dance routine and did not go through the audience, making more time for segments. Upset fans sent thousands of e-mails to DeGeneres 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, where she straddles the coffee table and dances from one end to the other. Although she does not do it every day, dancing over the table is a recurring theme. As an
April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
prank in 2009, the show's staff placed a wider table top over her normal table. During the show when DeGeneres attempted to dance over it, she barely made it across, being forced on her tip-toes and using the table as leverage. On the seventh season premiere, DeGeneres performed a dance segment with the cast of "So You Think You Can Dance".
DeGeneres's mother
DeGeneres's mother, Betty, regularly attended the show and was frequently featured on camera, but her regular appearances ended in early 2006 when she relocated. The chair in which Betty sat has since been designated as the "Mama chair", and special privileges are given to the audience member who sits in it. While Betty continued to appear and since her departure, other older women have been featured as either a guest announcer, advice giver or sidekick, including Gladys Hardy, a grandmother from Austin, Texas, who originally left DeGeneres a voicemail message , and Charlotte Pope of
Riverside, CaliforniaRiverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, whom DeGeneres nicknamed "Kitty".
Reception
The show has met with considerable success, and has won several Daytime Emmy Awards. Additionally, as the show's popularity has increased, the program has appeared in plot elements of story lines in several scripted television programs, including
JoeyJoey is an American sitcom, which stars Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends. It premiered on the NBC television network, on September 9, 2004, in the former time slot of its parent series, Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m...
,
Six Feet Under and
The Bernie Mac ShowThe Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom featuring comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana and Vanessa. The show aired for five seasons , concluding with a half-hour series finale on Fox....
, among others.
Ratings
The show averages about 2.74 million viewers per episode, according to daytime television ratings, which makes it one of the highest-viewed daytime shows behind
Live with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
and
Dr. PhilDr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
.
Awards
The show has won a total of 32 Daytime Emmy Awards, including four for
Outstanding Talk ShowThe Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show was an award presented annually from 1974–2007 at the Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2008, the award was discontinued and replaced by two new categories: Outstanding Talk Show—Informative and Outstanding Talk Show—Entertainment.-List of winners:* 1974: The...
(
2004The 31st Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2003, was held on May 21, 2004 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Vanessa Marcil hosted. Creative Arts Emmy Awards were presented on May 15, 2004...
,
2005The 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2004, was held on Friday, May 20, 2005 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. CBS televised the ceremonies in the United States...
,
2006The 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2005, was held on Friday, April 28, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the first time that the Daytime Emmys were held outside of New York. ABC televised the ceremonies in the United States...
,
2007The 34th Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2006, was held on June 15, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. CBS televised the ceremonies in the United States...
) and two for
Outstanding Talk Show—EntertainmentThe Talk Show Entertainment and Outstanding Informative Talk Show category replaced the original Outstanding Talk Show category in 2008.2008:**Rachael Ray ****The Ellen DeGeneres Show**The View The Talk Show Entertainment and Outstanding Informative Talk Show category replaced the original...
(
2010The 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held on June 27, 2010, hosted by Regis Philbin and broadcast on the CBS network. Nominations were announced May 12 on The Early Show...
and
2011The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards was held on June 19, 2011, and broadcast on the CBS network live from Las Vegas. Pre-Nominations were announced on February 25. Nominations were announced on May 11. It was hosted by Wayne Brady. Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek both received a Lifetime Achievement...
). DeGeneres has won the
Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host- 1970s :*1974: Dinah Shore, Dinah's Place*1975: Barbara Walters, Today*1976: Dinah Shore, Dinah!*1977: Phil Donahue, Donahue*1978: Phil Donahue, Donahue*1979: Phil Donahue, Donahue- 1980s :*1980: Phil Donahue, Donahue...
four times (
2005The 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2004, was held on Friday, May 20, 2005 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. CBS televised the ceremonies in the United States...
,
2006The 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2005, was held on Friday, April 28, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the first time that the Daytime Emmys were held outside of New York. ABC televised the ceremonies in the United States...
,
2007The 34th Daytime Emmy Awards, commemorating excellence in American daytime programming from 2006, was held on June 15, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. CBS televised the ceremonies in the United States...
,
2008The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards was held on Friday, June 20, 2008 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and was televised in the United States on ABC. Creative Arts Emmy Awards were presented seven day earlier on June 13 at the Frederick P...
). The show has also won Emmys in numerous writing and technical categories. In 2009, the program won Best Talk Show at the
Genesis AwardsThe Genesis Awards are awarded annually to individuals in the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works which raise public awareness of animal issues. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States, the awards show takes place every March in California...
.
Taping location
The program was originally taped at
NBC StudiosThe NBC Studios in Burbank California is located at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, just a few miles northeast of the Hollywood area...
in Burbank, California. In 2008, production moved to
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Studios, also in Burbank. The final episode taped at NBC aired on May 27, 2008.
Personnel
The executive producers are DeGeneres, Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner and Jim Paratore. The writing staff has included
Karen KilgariffKaren Kilgariff is an actress and writer best known for her work on the late 1990s sketch comedy television program Mr. Show and the Glasgow-set situation comedy The Book Group. She was the head writer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show and occasionally appears on screen in sketches and other segments...
(
Head WriterA head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
), Karen Anderson,
Margaret SmithMargaret Smith is a six-time Emmy Award winning standup comic, actor, writer and producer.Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Smith is known for her deadpan and often acerbic delivery, reminiscent of Eve Arden...
and DeGeneres. Margaret Smith recently left the show to work on her own projects, including her first book,
What Was I Thinking? How Being a Stand Up Did Nothing to Prepare Me to Become a Single Mother (Crossroad Publishing, 2008). Amy Rhodes, a writer for the program, has regularly appeared on camera during various segments.
DJ
Unlike most talk shows, the show uses a
disc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
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 OkungbowaAnthony "Tony" Victor Okungbowa is an English actor, film producer, and disc jockey. He has been the resident DJ for The Ellen DeGeneres Show....
, 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 AbrahamsJon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
for the fourth season premiere. Abrahams stayed on the show for one season, and also left as his acting career grew.
Ted StrykerTheodore "Ted" Ramón Stryker known on-air as simply "Stryker", is an American radio personality and disc jockey.-Biography:...
of
KROQKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
, who is also co-host of
LovelineLoveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....
with
Dr. DrewDavid Drew Pinsky , best known as Dr. Drew, is an American board-certified internist, addiction medicine specialist, and radio and television personality. He has hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline since the show's inception in 1984. On television, he hosts the talk show Dr...
, was the DJ for the fifth season. Stryker stayed for one season when Okungbowa returned.
2007 Writers Guild strike
DeGeneres, a member of the
Writers Guild of AmericaThe Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
, 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's representatives asserted that she did not violate the WGA's agreement, arguing that she is competing with other first-run syndicated shows like
Dr. PhilDr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
and
Live with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
during the competitive November sweeps period, and that DeGeneres must fulfill her duties as host and producer, 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 did on her show during the strike constituted struck work.
In September 2009, four major record labels sued the producers of the show for unspecified damages over the dance routine, for allegedly using songs without permission.
Special episodes
Several episodes have aired with a special theme or format, including a "Backwards Show", entire episodes themed around Broadway productions, a Thanksgiving special taped in the
Ed Sullivan TheaterThe Ed Sullivan Theater, located at 1697-1699 Broadway between West 53rd and West 54th, in Manhattan, is a venerable radio and television studio in New York City...
in New York City, and an entire episode filmed on an airplane. Other recurring themes feature products from sponsors DeGeneres likes (similar to
Oprah's Favorite Things"Oprah's Favorite Things" was an annual segment that appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2002 to 2010, with a one-year hiatus in 2009. In the segment, which was typically aired during the holiday season, Winfrey shared products with her audience that she felt were noteworthy or that would make...
from
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
), specials following awards show telecasts (such as the
Academy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
), and numerous milestone episodes (e.g., DeGeneres's 1,000th, 2,000th, 3,000th , etc. broadcast).
The episode titled "Sirdeaner Walker Interview" was nominated for a
GLAAD Media AwardThe GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
for "Outstanding Talk Show Episode" during the
21st GLAAD Media AwardsThe 21st GLAAD Media Awards was the 2010 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accurately represent the LGBT community and issues...
.
Pet adoption incident
In October 2007, DeGeneres tearfully pleaded on-air with a private pet adoption agency. The agency took DeGeneres's dog back from her when it learned DeGeneres's 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 DeGeneres later regretted. DeGeneres canceled two days of taping her show to compose herself.
International broadcasts
The show has been syndicated around the world, including
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
,
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
,
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
,
The
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
,
RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
,
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
,
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
External links