Episode guide

Ellen

109 episodes · 5 seasons · 1994–1998 · ABC

← Show package · 1990s

Season 1

11 episodes

  1. S01E01 Pilot

    In the series pilot, Ellen is concerned that Holly might be getting involved with a creep.

  2. S01E02 The Anchor

    A call-waiting snafu causes an awkward incident between Ellen and an acquaintance she'd like to avoid.

  3. S01E03 A Kiss Is Still a Kiss

    Ellen, Holly and Adam respond to personal ads, and Ellen finds a great guy---whose kisses aren't so great.

  4. S01E04 The Class Reunion

    Ellen lies about her marital and career status at a class reunion, but then she meets an old heartthrob.

  5. S01E05 The Promotion

    Problems are born when Ellen seeks a promotion by buying a gift for her boss's baby.

  6. S01E06 The Hand That Robs the Cradle

    Dating a younger guy makes Ellen insecure about the status of her hipness---or what's left of it.

  7. S01E07 The Go-Between

    Ellen arranges for Adam to escort her boss to a wedding.

  8. S01E08 The Houseguest

    Ellen's cousin visits, but her vacation is spoiled by a flat tire, beach pollution and conterfeit theater tickets.

  9. S01E09 The Refrigerator

    Adam and Ellen get a discount on a refrigerator, but Ellen must move it around town herself after Adam fakes a back injury.

  10. S01E10 The Soft Touch

    Ellen pities a hapless car salesman, who gets fired after she backs out of a deal.

  11. S01E11 The Boyfriend Stealer

    Ellen believes that Holly's boyfriend is making passes at her, but has trouble proving her case.

Season 2

24 episodes

  1. S02E01 The Dentist

    Adam finds that being in a secure relationship makes him attractive to other women.

  2. S02E02 Saint Ellen

    Ellen has the urge to work for a charity after crashing a fund-raiser.

  3. S02E03 The Thirty-Minute Man

    A pizza deliveryman takes Ellen out, but his lack of ambition is hard for her to swallow.

  4. S02E04 The Note

    Ellen doesn't like it when she discovers someone in her book-store reading group doesn't like her.

  5. S02E05 The Fix-Up

    Ellen's mom fixes her up with a guy whom Ellen remembers as being freaky.

  6. S02E06 So Funny

    Ellen is jealous of the attention Adam gives to his witty pal. Meanwhile, Paige and her boyfriend aren't in synch romantically.

  7. S02E07 The Toast

    Ellen says the wrong thing during her toast at the rehearsal dinner for her brother's wedding.

  8. S02E08 Adam's Birthday

    On his birthday, Adam thinks his life isn't going anywhere, and he decides to move out.

  9. S02E09 The Trainer

    Ellen poses as the personal trainer for Paige's boss, who offers Ellen a movie-development job.

  10. S02E10 Mrs. Koger

    Ellen's cranky neighbor dies after Ellen tells her off.

  11. S02E11 Ellen's New Friend

    Ellen wants to be friends with a travel writer, but their mutual friend keeps getting in the way.

  12. S02E12 The Christmas Show

    At Christmastime, Ellen wants to wrap up her relationship with her boyfriend.

  13. S02E13 Ellen's Improvement

    Ellen hits the books to increase her knowledge, then hits it off with a professor.

  14. S02E14 The Apartment Hunt

    Ellen helps Audrey find an apartment far, far away.

  15. S02E15 The Spa

    Paige persuades Ellen to go to a spa that puts the "hell" in health. Meanwhile, Adam seeks a friendship with Joe.

  16. S02E16 Ballet Class

    Ellen makes an ungraceful attempt to dance the lead in her ballet class's recital.

  17. S02E17 Guns 'n Ellen

    Ellen's apartment is burglarized, and she seeks to protect herself.

  18. S02E18 The Sleep Clinic

    Ellen goes to a sleep clinic when she's plagued by dreams about Adam.

  19. S02E19 Gladiators

    Ellen qualifies as a contestant on "American Gladiators".

  20. S02E20 $5,000

    The IRS mistakenly gives Ellen $5000, which she gives to charity.

  21. S02E21 Three Strikes

    Ellen is jailed after an animal-rights protest, but is released into the custody of her parents.

  22. S02E22 The Therapy Episode

    A white lie and a terrifying experience send Ellen to therapy, where she realizes that she needs to be more honest with her mother.

  23. S02E23 Thirty Kilo Man (1)

    The hapless pizza deliveryman, whom Ellen once labeled a loser, returns from Italy and wins her heart.

  24. S02E24 Thirty Kilo Man (2)

    Ellen has fallen in love with Dan, and Paige doesn't like being the odd man out.

Season 3

27 episodes

  1. S03E01 Shake, Rattle and Rubble

    Ellen's world is shaken up by an earthquake and the arrival of her cousin Spence.

  2. S03E02 These Successful Friends of Mine

    Inspired by Paige and Adam's successes after the earthquake, Ellen hits the road in search of a dream...any dream.

  3. S03E03 The Shower Scene

    Ellen is angst-ridden after she tapes an episode of "thirtysomething" over a video of Paige's sister giving birth to twins.

  4. S03E04 The Bridges of L.A. County

    Spence has a one-night stand with a woman but is not inclined to call her again, even though Ellen thinks he should.

  5. S03E05 Hello, I Must Be Going

    Adam is leaving to take a job in London, and the parting is such sweet sorrow for Ellen.

  6. S03E06 Trick or Treat---Who Cares?

    Spence is in a dark mood on Halloween; Audrey treats herself to a job at Ellen's bookstore.

  7. S03E07 She Ain't Friendly, She's My Mother

    After going through therapy, Ellen's mom decides she wants to be her pal, which is more than Ellen can handle.

  8. S03E08 Salad Days

    Martha Stewart appears at a book-signing at Ellen's store, inspiring Ellen to plan a dinner party for a few friends.

  9. S03E09 The Movie Show

    Carrie Fisher plays the "best friend" in Paige's first film, which features Ellen's bookstore as a location.

  10. S03E10 What's Up, Ex-Doc?

    Spence's dad wants him to return to medical practice.

  11. S03E11 Ellen's Choice

    Ellen has to choose which members of her reading group will appear on a highbrow TV show called "Book Chat."

  12. S03E12 Do You Fear What I Fear?

    Ellen's parents give her a burial plot for Christmas, leaving her to ponder how wonderful her life is.

  13. S03E13 Horshack's Law

    Everyone's along for the limo ride when Paige gets invited to a bash for John Travolta in a secret locale.

  14. S03E14 Morgan, P.I.

    Ellen's bookstore is robbed, and a detective steals Paige's heart.

  15. S03E15 Oh, Sweet Rapture

    When Audrey buys a car, she becomes part of a cultish club of auto owners who really---really---love their wheels.

  16. S03E16 Witness

    As a faux witness, Ellen makes a mockery of Spence's mock trial for law school.

  17. S03E17 Ellen: With Child

    Curious about how she would be as a mom, Ellen volunteers to look after the daughter of Paige's boyfriend.

  18. S03E18 Lobster Diary

    Ellen tries to save a 65-year-old lobster from a restaurant's pot---an act that mirrors a real-life effort by Mary Tyler Moore (who appears as herself).

  19. S03E19 Two Ring Circus

    Paige accepts Matt's marriage proposal, but finds the small diamond on her engagement ring unacceptable.

  20. S03E20 A Penney Saved...

    Ellen puts off firing Audrey when Audrey's wealthy parents give Ellen a large sum to keep her employed.

  21. S03E21 Too Hip for the Room

    Hipsters come to hang out when a musical-comedy duo---who are so bad they're good---entertain at Ellen's bookstore.

  22. S03E22 Two Mammograms and a Wedding

    While at the doctor's office for a mammogram, Ellen becomes buddies with another patient.

  23. S03E23 Go Girlz

    Bad omens loom over the bachelorette party that Ellen and Audrey throw for Paige.

  24. S03E24 When the Vow Breaks (1)

    Ellen is given the task of making everything run smoothly for Paige's wedding. But everything doesn't.

  25. S03E25 The Tape

    In an unaired episode from the show's first season, Ellen and her friends must retrieve a racy videotape of one of Ellen's pals.

  26. S03E26 When the Vow Breaks (2)

    Ellen discovers Spence and Paige in a liplock before Paige's wedding ceremony.

  27. S03E27 The Mugging

    Ellen comes forward as a witness to a mugging she didn't actually see.

Season 4

25 episodes

  1. S04E01 Give Me Equity or Give Me Death

    Ellen longs to buy a home, but she'll have to sell her bookstore to do so.

  2. S04E02 A Deer Head for Joe

    The bookstore's new manager, whose hobby is hunting, wants to bag Joe, whom he finds beastly.

  3. S04E03 Splitsville, Man

    Ellen comes unglued when her parents reveal that they intend to separate.

  4. S04E04 The Parent Trap

    Desperate to reunite her parents, Ellen re-creates their Cuban honeymoon, circa 1958, complete with the musical stylings of Eddie Fisher (who appears as himself).

  5. S04E05 Looking Out for Number One

    Ellen's therapist counsels her to speak her mind, but Ellen's speechless when she spies the good doctor in a compromising position.

  6. S04E06 The Bubble Gum Incident

    At a camp reunion, Paige intends to get even for a childhood incident that Ellen was secretly behind.

  7. S04E07 Harold and Ellen

    Ellen insists on mothering her ailing father.

  8. S04E08 Not So Great Expectations

    Lois accepts a date with a man she meets through a dating service.

  9. S04E09 The Pregnancy Test

    As Spence's passion for medicine is reborn, Paige takes a test to find out if she's pregnant. But Audrey is the one who's positive.

  10. S04E10 Kiss My Bum

    Ellen invites a nice guy to Thanksgiving dinner, not knowing that he's homeless.

  11. S04E11 Bowl, Baby, Bowl

    Ed becomes fiercely competitive after Ellen beats him in a bowling match.

  12. S04E12 Fleas Navidad

    Ellen's attachment to a stray dog upsets her Christmas vacation plans.

  13. S04E13 Alone Again... Naturally

    As a New Year's resolution, Ellen pledges not to let being unattached prevent her from doing the things she wants to do.

  14. S04E14 Joe's Kept Secret

    Ellen comes in contact with Joe's friend when she seeks a permit to remodel her house.

  15. S04E15 Makin' Whoopie

    Ellen has one too many at a wine-tasting party given by an M.D. whom Spence wants to impress.

  16. S04E16 Ellen Unplugged

    Ellen and the group attend "Rock and Roll Dream Camp."

  17. S04E17 Ellen's Deaf Comedy Jam

    Ellen thinks she's gotten signals of attraction from a hearing-impaired actor with whom Audrey is infatuated.

  18. S04E18 Hello, Dalai

    Ellen and Peter attend a new-age retreat, where Peter offers the insight that Ellen is not really as happy as she claims to be.

  19. S04E19 Secrets & Ellen

    Ellen and her parents conspire to keep up appearances for Ellen's grandmother; Paige and Spence go to Las Vegas.

  20. S04E20 Reversal of Misfortune

    Ellen is finally reconciled to the impending divorce of her parents, but they don't appear to be in any rush to finalize the matter.

  21. S04E21 The Clip Show Patient

    Spoofing "The English Patient," Ellen provides a burn victim with a litany of memories (shown via clips from previous episodes).

  22. S04E22 The Puppy Episode (1)

    Part 1 of two. Ellen discovers her true sexual identity when she finds that she has a decided preference for her male friend's female pal.

  23. S04E23 The Puppy Episode (2)

    Conclusion. Ellen discovers her true sexual identity when she finds that she has a decided preference for her male friend's female pal.

  24. S04E24 Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

    Ellen comes out to her parents.

  25. S04E25 Moving On

    As Ellen prepares to move into her house, she runs into trouble at the bookstore when she learns that Ed has an aversion to gays.

Season 5

22 episodes

  1. S05E01 Guys or Dolls

    Ellen's friendship with an old boyfriend takes a romantic turn that confuses Ellen about her sexuality.

  2. S05E02 Social Climber

    Ellen tries rock climbing in a rather rugged effort to impress an outdoorsy fitness instructor.

  3. S05E03 Roommates

    When neighbors recommend a "roommate" for Ellen, she assumes she's being fixed up.

  4. S05E04 Gay Yellow Pages

    Ellen consults a "gay" business directory to find a plumber to repair a sink as she prepares a party for members of the gay community.

  5. S05E05 Just Coffee

    Ellen still doesn't know where she stands after a few dates with her mortgage broker, so she hopes to ask a few bold questions.

  6. S05E06 G.I. Ellen

    Ellen soldiers on as a participant in her dad's Civil War re-enactment.

  7. S05E07 Public Display of Affection

    Ellen's awkwardness about public displays of affection with Laurie has an effect on Laurie's daughter, Holly.

  8. S05E08 Emma

    Ellen discovers that Oscar winner Emma Thompson is a closet lesbian.

  9. S05E09 Like a Virgin

    With Laurie poised to take the next step in the romantic relationship, a nervous Ellen flees.

  10. S05E10 All Ellen, All the Time

    Ellen gets a job at a talk-radio station, where she's harassed by the lecherous sports-show host.

  11. S05E11 Break Up

    Ellen and Laurie's relationship unravels after they exchange gifts for their one-month anniversary.

  12. S05E12 Womyn Fest

    Paige reveals her intention to marry Spence on the way to a women's music fest, where Ellen gets clues about her Ms. Right from a fortune teller.

  13. S05E13 The Funeral

    Ellen's dying to know what Laurie is doing on Saturday that she doesn't want Ellen to know about. Turns out it's her father's funeral.

  14. S05E14 Escape from L.A.

    Ellen and Laurie take a vacation, and Laurie's instinct for organization clashes with Ellen's spontaneity.

  15. S05E15 Ellen in Focus

    Paige and Ellen scheme to have Ellen infiltrate the focus group slated to evaluate a TV cop show Paige developed.

  16. S05E16 Neighbors

    Circumstances conspire to make Ellen look like a fool in front of her neighbors.

  17. S05E17 It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay World!

    Accidental exposure to bug spray sends Spence into a dream world where what's gay is straight and what's straight is gay.

  18. S05E18 Hospital

    After Laurie's in a car accident, Ellen meets a woman in the hospital waiting room who doesn't reveal that she's Laurie's ex.

  19. S05E19 Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (1)

    Part 1 of Two. An irreverent mockumentary celebrates Ellen's career in entertainment, including her landmark sitcom that premiered "way back in 1959." "Hosted" by Linda Ellerbee.

  20. S05E20 Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (2)

    Conclution. An irreverent mockumentary celebrates Ellen's career in entertainment, including her landmark sitcom that premiered "way back in 1959." "Hosted" by Linda Ellerbee.

  21. S05E21 When Ellen Talks, People Listen

    Ellen's espousal of neighborly behavior inspires listeners of her radio program.

  22. S05E22 Vows

    Ellen's parents' plan to renew their wedding vows inspires Ellen to propose to Laurie.