Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute

Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute
ABC
May 13, 1998
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Linda Ellerbee hosts this hour-long mockumentary about Ellen's career, going back to the 1920s, with this sitcom starting in 1959.  The writing by Tim Doyle, who wrote a couple Roseanne episodes, is uneven but I like the various pastiches of different eras and styles.  My favorites are the 1950s guess-the-Commie game show and the early '70s cartoon about "Ellen and the Fun Bunch" (in outer space with the Harlem Globetrotters, of course).

Celebrities I didn't tag include Jennifer Aniston, Bea Arthur, Orson Bean, Richard Benjamin, Diahann Carroll, Glenn Close, Tim Conway, Cindy Crawford, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Christine Lahti, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Mary Steenburgen.

Steven Anderson, who was a Young Man on The Bob Newhart Show in 1976 and Higgins on Three's Company in '81, is a Bookish Man here.  Jim Doughan played Amazing Dave on Who's the Boss? and is a Camera Assistant here.  Phil Leeds, who was on a few Roseanne episodes, is one of the Comedians here.  Man #1 Gene Allan Poe played a Salesman before.  Dan Finnerty, who previously was a Doorman on this show, plays both Crew Member Dan and Tom.

Ellen: Go Girlz

Ellen: Go Girlz
ABC
May 1, 1996
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this DeBenedictis & Rowland story with a very '90s title, Paige and Matt have a fight over his bachelor party, but then she ends up having a wilder time at the slumber party that Ellen throws for her.  There's ominous foreshadowing about the wedding, although the resolution implies that it was really Spence's car that was in danger.  Note that this contains at least the third line of Audrey's this season about three girls drinking wine and doing another activity or two.

Staff writer Jonathan Stark appears onscreen as Gus.  Leno reads "funny headlines" in the title sequence.  Najimy's character of Paige's boss Lorna Irons is very different than her previous role of Adam's other best friend.

Ellen: So Funny

Ellen: So Funny
ABC
October 26, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In her first of three appearances on the series, Kathy Najimy plays Adam's "second-best friend" Theresa.  Ellen is jealous because Theresa is also funny, but Maria Semple seems to have forgotten to write anything genuinely funny for Theresa to say.  We see that she amuses everyone, other than Ellen, but sometimes we're just hearing bits and pieces of anecdotes.  We have to take it on faith that she's funny.  Still, it's a likable episode, and the tag is good, with Ellen and Theresa comparing notes on Adam.