Changes

The ABC show had difficulty finding a formula to bring in a large audience, having frequent cast changes.  While not a ratings hit, it did do well enough to be renewed for four seasons.

The ABC show had difficulty finding a formula to bring in a large audience, having frequent cast changes.  While not a ratings hit, it did do well enough to be renewed for four seasons.

Ellen made her [[homosexuality]] public on ''The [[Oprah Winfrey]] Show'' in February 1997, surprising few people.  The resulting media attention highlighting this event (including being put on the front cover of ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine) caused a stir.  Subsequently her character on the sitcom came out of the closet in April of that same year, admitting she was gay to her therapist (portrayed by Oprah Winfrey). After a great deal of media attention highlighting the outing episode, entitled "The Puppy Episode," the showing was the highest-rated episode of the sitcom.  But the bounce proved to be short lived.  The show became a constant weekly refrain of lesbian themes and viewers stopped watching rather quickly.  Even Chastity Bono, the media director of GLAAD, a homosexual group, criticized the show for going over the top on the gay issue.<ref>http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=544</ref>  After the ratings rapidly declined, the show was canceled.

Ellen made her [[homosexuality]] public on ''The [[Oprah Winfrey]] Show'' in February 1997, surprising few people.  The resulting media attention highlighting this event (including being put on the front cover of ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine) caused a stir.  Subsequently her character on the sitcom came out of the closet in April of that same year, admitting she was gay to her therapist (portrayed by Oprah Winfrey). After a great deal of media attention highlighting the outing episode, entitled "The Puppy Episode," the showing was the highest-rated episode of the sitcom.  But the bounce proved to be short lived.  The show became a constant weekly refrain of lesbian themes and viewers stopped watching rather quickly.  Even Chastity Bono, the media director of the [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] criticized the show for going over the top on the gay issue.<ref>http://www.planetout.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=544</ref>  After the ratings rapidly declined, the show was canceled.

DeGeneres later returned to the stand-up comedy circuit. She had another stab at a sitcom on network television in 2001, ''The Ellen Show''.  By this time DeGeneres diversified away from a constant gay theme, but the show failed to catch on with viewers and was canceled in its first season.  She would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host starting in 2003 with ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''.  Her talk show is still on the air.  In 2007 she hosted the 79th [[Academy Awards]]. She replaces [[Paula Abdul]] in the current season of [[American Idol]].

DeGeneres later returned to the stand-up comedy circuit. She had another stab at a sitcom on network television in 2001, ''The Ellen Show''.  By this time DeGeneres diversified away from a constant gay theme, but the show failed to catch on with viewers and was canceled in its first season.  She would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host starting in 2003 with ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''.  Her talk show is still on the air.  In 2007 she hosted the 79th [[Academy Awards]]. She replaces [[Paula Abdul]] in the current season of [[American Idol]].