Shark Bytes

ok, the show was bad. i LOVE ellen 2 bits and her 1st sitcom was mi fave show ever. it must have been hard for her, after coming out her whole career crumbled coz of something as petty as her sexuality, iy must have been hard to jump back in. the show was a flop but now she has her awsome talk show so we're all smiling!
nadaz
xxx

This was a low-key, charming show that was not about "normalizing" homosexuality, whatever the hell that means. The cast (except for the annoying sister) was top-notch and played off each other well. Keri Kenne was especially effective as Ellen's Sue Ann Nivens-esque rival at the school. CBS moved the show to several nights and the ratings were never very strong. I guess people thought this would be another variation on "Ellen" (which was, to me, never that great a show before or after the "coming out" episode), or they were used to shrill overacting and pathetic pratfalls on their sitcoms (Everybody Loves Raymond, Will & Grace, etc.) Once upon a time, quiet, simple, character-driven sitcoms could thrive on television. Sadly, those days are long gone.

This show is pretty good, but it was doomed. They put it on the Friday night death spot and had the ultimate collection of shark jumpers as the cast. The show had good old fashioned cornball humor that i enjoyed, and im a 20 yr old straight male. Very unassuming and funny, not preachy like her old show.

A disappointment considering the talent at hand. The concept of Ellen being a big city fish out of small-town water has its potential, but the script writing is pretty bland. Plus the show tries too hard at being "earnest" and having "small-town down-home goodness"; it could have used a really acidic touch a la Fawlty Towers. And they should have played up Ellen's conflicts with the housewife-like Home Ec teacher, they added some much-needed spice to this sitcom. Maybe it would have been better for everyone involved if Ellen and CBS had stuck to its original idea of the show being a comedy-variety show instead of switching over to this.

The Ellen Show jumped when we were all to believe that Betty White's character was only 65 years old in that episode where she played the high school bus driver. This woman is pushing like 80 years old (and looks it) and I think her playing someone that is AT LEAST a decade younger is an insult to all 65-year old people everywhere!

This show never had a chance. How could it with Ellen looking like she's just too pissed off to be there and doing all the work and directing herself. Jeeze, most of the characters in the show looked like they wanted to avoid her rather than get in her way. Kind of reminded me of the close-out days of Roseanne..

the canned laughter is louder than the rest of the audio....i can't stand watching even 5 minutes of this drivel.

I do like this show! I don't know if it will last though. I hope it does as long as it stays like this or maybe even gets funnier! I also like that she plays a gay character but lives a normal life like anyone else. Every gay person I know doesn't talk about being gay all the time! That why Ellen's last show jumped! Most gay people are gay but they go places, smoke pot, watch Tv, etc... I think she exaggerated the gay thing with her last show! This show doesn't do that.

This show jumped from the first day, because they figured Ellen DeGeneres is funny enough to draw viewers without the benefit of an original concept, interesting supporting characters, or a good timeslot. I actually liked "Ellen"...she was still funny even after she went gay (its just they tried too hard to shove gayness in our faces). At least "Ellen" had a great supporting cast (Spence, Paige, Audrey, Peter, Laurie). This one has so many people who just seem to go from bad sitcom to bad sitcom (Martin Mull, Cloris Leachman, Jim Gaffigan...check the TV journals for all the bones in their TV graveyards). Ellen DeGeneres is one of the funniest comedians working - but NOBODY can make this work. Get out while you can, Ellen!!!

Ellen violated 2 basic rules of television comedy. Rule 1, be funny. Rule 2, see Rule 1.

Ellen is a truly talented comedian. I always watched Ellen until a couple of episodes after the "coming out" and it became obvious that the show had jumped. Now Ellen is back, seemingly off her one track gay pride kick and producing good comedy again. Let's hope she can stay on track and the show may last a little while.

Sometimes an actor, writer, producer, or someone associated with a television show can commit a sin so grievous that it should preclude that person from ever being associated with any show for a long time - perhaps forever. I think of it as a career shark jump. For example, Jerry Van Dyke made the mistake of starring in My Mother the Car, one of the lamest, most pathetic shows ever conceived by man. As a result, he never had a significant role for almost 25 years, until he played Luther Van Dross on Coach. Ellen DeGeneris inflicted a season or so of the worst television ever on the viewing public once she decided to change her last show, Ellen, from a comedy to a gay advocacy show. Now she's ba-ack. It seems as if the network and a lot of her Hollywood friends are doing everything they can to resurrect her career. Not so fast. Three years is not enough penance for a show that not only was designed to normalize the gay lifestyle, but (almost as bad) stopped being funny. Back to the wilderness Ellen. More talented stars have made lesser errors and served more penance. I think Gavin McLeod is still suffering for The Love Boat. It will be a long time before I'm ready to consider watching any show starring Ellen, no matter how good the reviews. It would be like trying to take Scott Baio seriously after Joannie Loves Chachie or Ted McGinley in any role.

The Ellen Show completely jumped the shark with the taffy episode. Ellen's sister makes taffy that everyone loves and of course someone (Ellen) comes up with the idea of selling it. Of course by the end of the episode the whole situation blows up in there faces and the end up not doing it.

This show has not had the chance to jump the shark yet; as of this writing "The Ellen Show" is not even two months into its freshman season. But considering the talent involved (Writer Carol Leifer, not to mention a cast that includes Degeneres, Cloris Leachman and Martin Mull) I will admit the episodes I have seen have been disappointingly weak. But it usually takes a show a while to gain its footing, so I am willing to give "The Ellen Show" a chance. Ellen triumphed against great odds with her near-brilliant hosting of the Emmys following two postponements and a continuous state of fear and unrest in this country; her hosting combined a perfect mix of humor and compassion. Ellen has always had an engaging personality, but she really proved herself with the Emmy awards, and for that alone I think her show really deserves a chance. Unfortunately, the scheduling of "The Ellen Show" in the ghastly Friday night time slot is a bad move on CBS's part (it needs to be on Mondays at 8:30, instead of the awful "Yes, Dear.") However, I just read an article stating CBS has given "The Ellen Show" a full season pickup. I am glad the network is going to give this show a chance to grow artistically and develop an audience. Just please move it to a new night, and as for the writers, up the laugh quotient a little bit.It's great to see Ellen back on TV, and she deserves a chance.

OK, Here we go again, the big city person who comes home to a small town, and even though they grew up there keeps making wacky oh so fish out of water mistakes. Jesus, I don't get it, do all these sitcoms have one writer who rushes between sets writing the same script over and over? And what is with that laugh track? Did Anne Heche accidentally walk in to the editing room stoned and bump into the volume control? Heres a hint, Bring in Arie Gross and Jeremy Priven from her old series, They were the only ones that gave us any humor in that series, maybe they can save this one.