Ellen

American television program

Also known as: “These Friends of Mine”

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July 23, 2026

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The television program Ellen starred comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres. DeGeneres, known for her quirky observational humor, began her career in stand-up comedy in the late 1970s. Her act gained national attention after a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Ellen premiered in 1994 and was successful, earning award nominations. In 1997, DeGeneres publicly came out as gay, and the show made history by featuring an openly gay lead character in prime time. After Ellen concluded in 1998, DeGeneres launched her highly successful daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which aired from 2003 to 2022 and won numerous Daytime Emmy Awards.12

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Ellen DeGeneres
…Mine; its name changed to Ellen the following season. The show was a success, earning nominations for Golden Globe, American Comedy, and Emmy awards. In 1997 DeGeneres revealed that she was gay, and Ellen became the first prime-time show to feature an openly gay lead character. After the show ended…
Read More
…Mine; its name changed to Ellen the following season. The show was a success, earning nominations for Golden Globe, American Comedy, and Emmy awards. In 1997 DeGeneres revealed that she was gay, and Ellen became the first prime-time show to feature an openly gay lead character. After the show ended…
Read More

Laura Dern
Blue Velvet, Jurassic Park, and Ellen
…landmark episode of the sitcom Ellen, playing a lesbian whose flirtation with the lead character (Ellen DeGeneres) prompts the latter to declare that she too is a lesbian.
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…landmark episode of the sitcom Ellen, playing a lesbian whose flirtation with the lead character (Ellen DeGeneres) prompts the latter to declare that she too is a lesbian.
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Television in the United States
Urban humour
Ellen (ABC, 1994–98), originally titled These Friends of Mine, also featured a standup comic (Ellen DeGeneres) and an ensemble of unmarried friends in the big city (in this case Los Angeles). The show was only a modest hit with both critics and audiences until DeGeneres…
Read More
Ellen (ABC, 1994–98), originally titled These Friends of Mine, also featured a standup comic (Ellen DeGeneres) and an ensemble of unmarried friends in the big city (in this case Los Angeles). The show was only a modest hit with both critics and audiences until DeGeneres…
Read More