Did they really cancel it because it was "too gay"

[Shady]

I was reading an atricle...if forget what magazine but they said "after canceling the sitcom b/c it was "too gay"...."


was that true? or wats the whole story

[ellen_is_my_idol]

yeah, ive always wanted to know the story behind that too. i didnt know about the show until it was over, and from what i heard, the best shows were when she came out.

[Shady]

yea i was a lot younger wen the sitcom was out so i didn't really watch tv at all... But now i do and i watch her sitcom every time i can possibly catch it and the episodes do get better and better after she comes out but i never heard the whole story bout why it got cancled

[breeze]

oh that's a looong story. But in a nutshell - YES, the show was cancelled because ABC thought it was getting too gay. Some say it wasn't the reason, but the facts are that the critics were raving about the show after she came out (personally I agree. the last season was definitely THE BEST season of the whole run). ABC put a warning notice in the beginning of the show (!!) 8O and then they stopped publicizing it totally. So the ratings were going down. Also, there was the case with the advertisers who pulled out their commercials because of the gay issue. Many, many different reasons. But in the end it was the fact that Ellen's character came out that was the core of all that stuff. Sad but true. :-(

[ellen_is_my_idol]

aw, thats so stupid. tv people are idiots. yeah, and then u see will and grace go on and be huge, ellen wouldve been just as big, if not bigger. hmph is all i have to say to u abc.

[breeze]

if it wasn't for "Ellen", Will & Grace would have a much more difficult time.

But Ellen was much more edgy than W&G. they are getting close to that "Ellen" '97 right about now. Still, anyone who majors in TV/media has to learn about her sitcom at college, and that's fun.
those WERE different times... and even now you wouldn't see"the L word" on network TV. It's still pretty much a closed market at this point.
I was hoping Melissa would change that with her sitcom but her cancer blew the plans and schedules. Since she's HEALTHY :D now, maybe it is still going to work out.

[ellen_is_my_idol]

man i wish i was older. i hate how i missed ellen, and ive never seen any episodes past season 2 cause i dont get the oxygen channel. soo wait, ur sayin that if i major in tv/media i get to learn about her sitcom...inschool!? thats soooo cool! lol. i think i have finally found my major! oo i hope melissa's works out, since its her, it'll prob be huge.

[breeze]

Ha!
yeah, most communication courses, broadcasting programming, electronic media history courses etc have Ellen and her sitcom as the subtopic. But don't decide on your major just because of that. It is not an easy field of study and you really have to love it, to get through it and appreciate it (especially all the technical stuff). So you can learn about Ellen on your own, you don't have to do that in college, lol! :D

[ellen_is_my_idol]

lol, na, its just that im a jr in high school and everyone is shocked that i havent picked my college and major yet. i really have always been interested in the media/entertainment field, so its good to know that if i do go into somethin like that, it could be fun.

[NurseMandy]

I know exactly what your saying.
The episodes where she was out were the best ones. She was so much more captivating, when shes always captivating don't get me wrong but I absolutly loved her fearlessness and I didn't know about the show when it was on because at that point I was watching Sabrina or something like that lol but I think that it just wasn't the right time, USA wasn't ready for that much homosexual publicity. I mean now they show it like ten times a day on Oxygen I watch it all the time.

[Shady]

Yea i think the sitcom was sooo great and when she came out it was even better cause it haden't really been done before so it was more interesting then the average sitcom thats mostly about the same stuff... but the world doesn't like different they want everything/one to be the same :?

[mom_of_12]

Yes, the programme really did some good in the last season, but it seemed that
the average American (@ that time, before the ground was really broken for such
entertainment) was uncomfortable watching the relationships that ensued. Due to
the combination of lack of viewership & the pulling of sponsorship, there was little
choice but to cancel the programme altogether.

You see the difference less than a decade can make though? If not for her show,
there could be no success for many of the shows out there today. They owe their
successes to her pioneering spirit.

[ang1]

WE DIDNT GET IT HERE IN AUSTRALIA , EXCEPT FROM MEMORY I THINK WE GOT A RANDOM EPISODE HERE AND THERE AT 3 AM.

[Ronja]

I just don't understand that whole thing.

I mean....series like "Desperate housewifes" or "Sex and the city" are much more "abnormal" (i hate that word but I don't find another one).

It's just NOT FAIR in my eyes..and everytime I really start thinking about it it makes me SOOOOO ANGRY!!!!

(sorry for venting..but had to be)

[tedsmaniac]

don`t forget that ellen`s sitcom was taken off the air a little less then ten years ago.things have changed but real gay oriented shows are still relagated to cable television.it`s` now ok for heterosexual`s to do bed scene on the three major network but you still have to have pricey cable networks to see two woman or two guys do the same.so its getting better but slooooooooooowly very slowly.and to think ellen got a advisory warning for holding hands ...........
teds

[Ronja]

Yeah...sure..I know that time is changing and so...but it's just sad that such a great series got taken off for those reasons.

[tedsmaniac]

yes it was a great series and it was getting better .the story arc was going in the right direction and for the first time in five years ellen morgan was finnally herself and had something important to say.but the brass at abc took the easy way out on this one , wich only shows that ellen had more testicular fortitude than a company full of powerfull men.golden rule of tvland be funny but dont make waves.
teds

[itrack4u]

This subject is discussed in the following new article:

http://www.afterellen.com/People/2006/7/maxine.html

[kyle57]

If I owned a network and a show on it was too gay, I'd cancel it, too.

[ellenstar]

Why Kyle 57??????

I am straight, but that doesn't stop me adoring Ellen. I have all the seasons of "Ellen" and all her films, and yes I admit that the season 4 and 5 were better than the earlier seasons but I think that was because Ellen became herself after she came out and it was more comfortable for her. Also during Season 4 there were a lot of clues leading up to the Puppy Episode.

With all the gay programmes now on TV, it is much more acceptable by the public at large, which Ellen can be thanked for. There are still certain states in the US I believe that are a bit behind in accepting this.

[kyle57]

Certain states are behind and they should stay that way.

[RedFlame55]

why should they stay that way? Are you not in favor of glbt people?

[ohyeaah]

Certain states are behind and they should stay that way.

I think kyle57 might just be mean. I'm not sure what her deal is...

michelle

[kyle57]

Show's like Ellen's should not even be allowed to air. She really destroyed how TV is supposed to work. Freaks like Ellen should not be allowed to live much less have a show. She sucks and she is a female fag. I wish she would go away!

[hasidichyena]

I was reading an atricle...if forget what magazine but they said "after canceling the sitcom b/c it was "too gay"...."


was that true? or wats the whole story

Strange!What exactly is "Too Gay" anyway?I miss Will and Grace,too!Remember when they were trying to jump into bed and make a baby together? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[bekcat]

Show's like Ellen's should not even be allowed to air. She really destroyed how TV is supposed to work. Freaks like Ellen should not be allowed to live much less have a show. She sucks and she is a female fag. I wish she would go away! Seems to me this guy really is secretly in love with Ellen..C'mon, Kyle...come out of the closet. Seems to me you are posting a lot at a site dedicated to someone you supposedly hate.

[lostioz]

Show's like Ellen's should not even be allowed to air. She really destroyed how TV is supposed to work. Freaks like Ellen should not be allowed to live much less have a show. She sucks and she is a female fag. I wish she would go away! Seems to me this guy really is secretly in love with Ellen..C'mon, Kyle...come out of the closet. Seems to me you are posting a lot at a site dedicated to someone you supposedly hate.

kyle57 is already banned, so this topic is over

[ossyshaz57]

I saw the whole series a few years ago i think series 4 and 5 were the best when she could really be herself to cancel it was pathetic probably some scared tv execs of the day It was a ground breaking show that opened up the way for many others Ellen has proved her talent time and time again bouncing back with a brilliant tv chat show which we now get in the uk roll on the oscars Ellen you deserve that spot

[Stevearino]

:cool: Are there reruns of "Ellen" on a channel somewhere?

[ossyshaz57]

There are reruns in the uk on the cable channel ABC only at the weekends though its on about 12.30am