ABC
March 29, 1994
Sitcom
DVD
B-
This aired as These Friends of Mine but is retroactively (including on the DVD set) seen as the first episode of Ellen. Besides the Danzaly named Ellen Morgan, these friends are the also not creatively named Holly Fulger as Holly Jamison, Arye Gross as Adam Green (subtle, matching initials), and Maggie Wheeler as bizarrely Anita Warwheel. Yes, it's the What's Happening!! syndrome.
Anyway, the thirtysomething singletons hang out and deal with important issues like unflattering DMV photos and dates who bark like Arsenio. It's hard to believe that three or four seasons later this would be a controversial series. And ironically, Ellen would have trouble getting an onscreen lesbian kiss past the censors, but they seem to have had no more problem with Holly heterosexually sleeping around than with Jackie Harris doing so on Roseanne.
William Bumiller, who was Derrick on Mork & Mindy, plays Roger. Matt Landers, who was the Courier on a Night Court episode I reviewed, is the Photographer here. Creators Carol Black, Neal Marlens, and David S. Rosenthal wrote this episode, and Marlens directed. (Marlens also wrote a couple Three's Company episodes.) Judging by the copyright date, this was made in '93 before it ended up as a mid-season replacement, debuting right after Roseanne in the Coach spot, before moving over to Wednesdays.
No comments:
Post a Comment