Ellen
Season 4
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes25
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 17, 1996 (1996-09-17) –
May 13, 1997 (1997-05-13)
Season chronology

The fourth season of Ellen, an American television series, began September 17, 1996 and ended on May 13, 1997. It aired on ABC. The region 1 DVD was released on September 26, 2006. This season is most famous for "The Puppy Episode" outing the fictional Ellen Morgan, which aired on the same day Ellen DeGeneres came out on Oprah.[1] Almost every episode beforehand contained several hints.

Cast

Main cast

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
631"Give Me Equity or Give Me Death"Gil JungerDava SavelSeptember 18, 1996 (1996-09-18)C36412.7[2]
Ellen complains she can't afford her own home while rejecting offers to sell her bookstore.
642"A Deer Head for Joe"Gil JungerMark DriscollSeptember 25, 1996 (1996-09-25)C36512.3[3]
Having sold her bookstore, Ellen has a new boss, Ed, who mounts a deer head on the wall and refuses to take it down. When he fires Joe, Ellen steals the head and blackmails Ed for it.
653"Splitsville, Man"Gil JungerMatt GoldmanOctober 2, 1996 (1996-10-02)C36613.4[4]
At the beginning of the episode, Ellen literally comes out of the closet of a home she's considering purchasing. Ellen's parents decide to separate, and Ellen has more of a problem with it than they do. Ellen calls a family meeting, then runs away from home.
664"The Parent Trap"Gil JungerJonathan Stark & Tracy NewmanOctober 16, 1996 (1996-10-16)C36812.3[5]
Ellen tries to get her parents back together by recreating their honeymoon. She enlists all of her friends to help, but the plan fails. Meanwhile, Spence gets a job at Paige's office, and causes Barrett to quit. Paige orders Spence to get Barrett back.
675"Looking Out for Number One"Gil JungerDavid FlebotteOctober 23, 1996 (1996-10-23)C36711.6[6]
Ellen sees her psychiatrist urinating in a parking lot, causing her not to take her advice seriously.
686"The Bubble Gum Incident"Gil JungerDavid WalpertOctober 30, 1996 (1996-10-30)C36911.7[7]
More than twenty-five years later, Ellen still can't tell Paige that she's the one who put bubble gum in her hair at camp. Paige looks forward to the summer camp reunion because she wants revenge on Megan, who she believed had put bubble gum in her hair at summer camp one year.
697"Harold and Ellen"Michael LembeckAlex HerschlagNovember 6, 1996 (1996-11-06)C37011.8[8]
When Ellen's father, Harold, injures his back and Ellen accidentally falls off a ladder, injuring her neck, she must spend an entire evening caring for her father, while wearing a neck brace. Meanwhile, Spence gets a wedding invitation from an ex, irritating Paige.
708"Not So Great Expectations"Gil JungerEllen Idelson & Rob LottersteinNovember 13, 1996 (1996-11-13)C37213.1[9]
Ellen's mother, Lois, signs up with a dating agency and meets a man named Vic. Ellen is worried about what Vic is like, but must sign up to the agency herself in order to investigate him. She then follows the two to a Country and Western club to try and break them up.
719"The Pregnancy Test"Alan MyersonMark DriscollNovember 20, 1996 (1996-11-20)C37112.7[10]
To ease Paige's worries about a missed period, Ellen and Audrey take a pregnancy test with her. However, an accidental mix-up and a single positive test means one of the three is pregnant but no-one knows who. Meanwhile, a life saving experience at the hospital causes Spence to rethink his life of being a doctor.
7210"Kiss My Bum"Gil JungerDavid WalpertNovember 27, 1996 (1996-11-27)C37313.3[11]
Ellen volunteers at a homeless shelter, and invites a man she meets, Perry, to Thanksgiving dinner. All goes well until the guests realise Perry is homeless, and react negatively.
7311"Bowl, Baby, Bowl"Lorraine Sevre-RichmondVance DeGeneresDecember 4, 1996 (1996-12-04)C37415.86[12]
After a friendly bowling game, Ellen and her boss become very competitive. Ed is a sore loser and takes it out on the rest of staff. In an attempt to make up for his grouchiness, Ed takes Ellen out to dinner and a game of pool, which he wins, and Ellen becomes a sore loser herself.
7412"Fleas Navidad"Alan MyersonJonathan Stark & Tracy NewmanDecember 18, 1996 (1996-12-18)C37516.18[13]
Ellen tries to find a dog-sitter so she and Paige can go on holiday to Mexico. She sends Paige on ahead while she drops the dog off at a shelter, but finds herself caring for him instead. Ellen Morgan shamelessly plugs Ellen DeGeneres's new comedy CD and wonders "if the rumors about her are true."
7513"Alone Again... Naturally"Alan MyersonMark WildingJanuary 8, 1997 (1997-01-08)C37617.09[14]
Ellen tries going to a romantic French restaurant all by herself. Meanwhile Spence and Joe house-sit for Paige, but accidentally set her kitchen on fire.
7614"Joe's Kept Secret"John TracyDava SavelJanuary 15, 1997 (1997-01-15)C37717.38[15]
Joe is being kept by a wealthy woman, Madeleine (Florence Henderson), but after she dumps him, she starts spoiling Ellen with expensive gifts and matching outfits. Ellen goes along with it at first because Madeleine helped Ellen get a building permit to add an extension to her house.
7715"Makin' Whoopie"Iris DugowDavid FlebotteJanuary 22, 1997 (1997-01-22)C37814.68[16]
Ellen gives blood and then goes to a wine-tasting party held by Spence's boss. Alcohol and blood loss combine to have a strong effect on Ellen's inhibitions.
7816"Ellen Unplugged"David Owen TrainorAlex HerschlagFebruary 5, 1997 (1997-02-05)C37915.51[17]
For her birthday, Ellen gets to go to Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp. Her friends tell her she can be anyone she wants: Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, the Indigo Girls... Tina Turner. Ellen wants to leave after a traumatic duet with Bonnie Raitt, but Paige tells her she needs to be bolder. Ellen is inspired to write a song.
7917"Ellen's Deaf Comedy Jam"Gil JungerJennifer FisherFebruary 12, 1997 (1997-02-12)C38015.61[18]
Audrey falls in love with Brian, a deaf actor in a sign language production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ellen and Audrey have a fight when Ellen claims Brian made a pass at her in sign language.
8018"Hello, Dalai"Gil JungerEllen Idelson & Rob LottersteinFebruary 19, 1997 (1997-02-19)C38115.21[19]
Peter and Ellen go to the Dalai's spiritual workshop. There Peter tries to trick Ellen into admitting she's gay. Meanwhile, the book store is robbed, and Audrey, Joe, Spence, and Paige are trapped together.
8119"Secrets & Ellen"Gil JungerPeter TolanFebruary 26, 1997 (1997-02-26)C38214.57[20]
Ellen's grandmother comes to town, and her parents ask her to pretend they're still married, and that Ellen is married to Joe. Meanwhile, Paige takes Spence to Las Vegas, where he develops amnesia.
8220"Reversal of Misfortune"Gil JungerMatt GoldmanMarch 5, 1997 (1997-03-05)C38312.73[21]
Ellen has come to terms with her parents' divorce, so much so that she is pushing them to sign the papers to make it final. But it turns out they want to get back together but Ellen has been getting in the way.
8321"The Clip Show Patient"Gil JungerVance DeGeneres & David WalpertApril 9, 1997 (1997-04-09)C38412.20[22]
Ellen volunteers at a local hospital and gets talking to a patient about how he ended up in hospital. However, her constant interruptions with stories about herself annoy him. (This episode is a clip show: the frame story is Ellen talking to a hospital patient who is bandaged up from head to toe).
8422"The Puppy Episode"Gil JungerStory by : Ellen DeGeneres
Teleplay by : Mark Driscoll & Dava Savel & Tracy Newman & Jonathan Stark		April 30, 1997 (1997-04-30)C38536.15[23]
8523C386
A visit from Richard, an old boyfriend, and his female boss, Susan (Laura Dern), makes Ellen gradually realize she's gay. Ellen has dinner with Richard but winds up in a late-night conversation with Susan after being unable to have sex with Richard. Ellen discusses these developments with her new therapist (Oprah Winfrey).
Ellen comes out to her friends, who all take it well except Paige, and thinks she is getting closer to Susan. She is disappointed to learn that Susan is in a long-term committed relationship.
8624"Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah"Gil JungerJan NashMay 7, 1997 (1997-05-07)C38717.95[24]
Ellen takes her parents to dinner and tells them she is gay. Her mother is bewildered and convinced it is a phase, and her father storms out. Lois agrees to attend a support group however, and both parents change their minds when a member abuses Ellen.
8725"Moving On"Gil JungerAlex Herschlag & David FlebotteMay 14, 1997 (1997-05-14)C38816.35[25]
Ellen comes out to her boss, Ed, who expresses a homophobic attitude and refuses to let her babysit his children because of it, and she quits her job. Paige, however, comes round and accepts Ellen's sexuality.

References

  1. ↑ Dow, Bonnie J. "Ellen, Television and the Politics of Gay and Lesbian Visibility" Critical Studies in Media Communication 18.2 (2001): 123 – 141.
  2. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. September 25, 1996. p. 3D.
  3. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 2, 1996. p. 3D.
  4. ↑ Graham, Jefferson (October 9, 1996). "Baseball on NBC helps CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  5. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 25, 1995. p. 3D.
  6. ↑ Bush, Alan (October 30, 1996). "World Series lineup gives Fox a major win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  7. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 6, 1996. p. 3D.
  8. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 13, 1996. p. 3D.
  9. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 20, 1996. p. 3D.
  10. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 27, 1996. p. 3D.
  11. ↑ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 4, 1996. p. 3D.
  12. ↑ "Top Ranked Programs in Primetime for the Week of 12/2-12/8 as ranked by Nielsen Media Research". UltimateTV. Archived from the original on October 14, 1999. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Top Ranked Programs in Primetime for the Week of 12/16-12/22 as ranked by Nielsen Media Research". UltimateTV. Archived from the original on October 14, 1999. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  14. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 6-12)". The Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  15. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13-19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  16. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 20–26)". Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  17. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  18. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. February 20, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  19. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 17–23)". The Los Angeles Times. February 26, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  20. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 24–March 2)". Los Angeles Times. March 5, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  21. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 3–9)". The Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  22. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 7–13)". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  23. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 28–May 4)". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  24. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  25. ↑ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 12–18)". The Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
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