Ellen season 4
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox television season
| season_number = 4
| bgcolour = #FFCC00
| image = Ellen S4.jpg
| num_episodes = 25
| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{Start date|1996|9|17}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1997|5|13}}
| prev_season = Season 3
| next_season = Season 5
| episode_list = List of Ellen episodes
}}
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.Dow, Bonnie J. "Ellen, Television and the Politics of Gay and Lesbian Visibility" Critical Studies in Media Communication 18.2 (2001): 123 – 141. Almost every episode beforehand contained several hints.
Cast
=Main cast=
- Ellen DeGeneres as Ellen Morgan
- Joely Fisher as Paige Clark
- David Anthony Higgins as Joe Farrell
- Clea Lewis as Audrey Penney
- Jeremy Piven as Spence Kovak
Episodes
{{See also|List of Ellen episodes}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 63
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Give Me Equity or Give Me Death
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Dava Savel
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|9|18}}
|ProdCode = C364
|Viewers = 12.7{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=September 25, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = Ellen complains she can't afford her own home while rejecting offers to sell her bookstore.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 64
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = A Deer Head for Joe
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Mark Driscoll
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|9|25}}
|ProdCode = C365
|Viewers = 12.3{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 2, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 65
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Splitsville, Man
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Matt Goldman
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|2}}
|ProdCode = C366
|Viewers = 13.4{{cite news|title=Baseball on NBC helps CBS|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 9, 1996|author=Graham, Jefferson}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 66
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = The Parent Trap
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Jonathan Stark & Tracy Newman
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|16}}
|ProdCode = C368
|Viewers = 12.3{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 25, 1995}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 67
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Looking Out for Number One
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = David Flebotte
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|23}}
|ProdCode = C367
|Viewers = 11.6{{cite news|title=World Series lineup gives Fox a major win|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 30, 1996|author=Bush, Alan}}
|ShortSummary = Ellen sees her psychiatrist urinating in a parking lot, causing her not to take her advice seriously.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 68
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = The Bubble Gum Incident
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = David Walpert
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|30}}
|ProdCode = C369
|Viewers = 11.7{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 6, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 69
|EpisodeNumber2 = 7
|Title = Harold and Ellen
|DirectedBy = Michael Lembeck
|WrittenBy = Alex Herschlag
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|6}}
|ProdCode = C370
|Viewers = 11.8{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 13, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 70
|EpisodeNumber2 = 8
|Title = Not So Great Expectations
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Ellen Idelson & Rob Lotterstein
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|13}}
|ProdCode = C372
|Viewers = 13.1{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 20, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 71
|EpisodeNumber2 = 9
|Title = The Pregnancy Test
|DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
|WrittenBy = Mark Driscoll
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|20}}
|ProdCode = C371
|Viewers = 12.7{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 27, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 72
|EpisodeNumber2 = 10
|Title = Kiss My Bum
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = David Walpert
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|27}}
|ProdCode = C373
|Viewers = 13.3{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=December 4, 1996}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 73
|EpisodeNumber2 = 11
|Title = Bowl, Baby, Bowl
|DirectedBy = Lorraine Sevre-Richmond
|WrittenBy = Vance DeGeneres
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|12|4}}
|ProdCode = C374
|Viewers = 15.86{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatetv.com/news/nielsen/networks/961135networks.html|title=Top Ranked Programs in Primetime for the Week of 12/2-12/8 as ranked by Nielsen Media Research|publisher=UltimateTV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991014020100/http://www.ultimatetv.com/news/nielsen/networks/961202networks.html|archive-date=October 14, 1999|accessdate=April 15, 2023}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 74
|EpisodeNumber2 = 12
|Title = Fleas Navidad
|DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
|WrittenBy = Jonathan Stark & Tracy Newman
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|12|18}}
|ProdCode = C375
|Viewers = 16.18{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatetv.com/news/nielsen/networks/961216networks.html|title=Top Ranked Programs in Primetime for the Week of 12/16-12/22 as ranked by Nielsen Media Research|publisher=UltimateTV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991014033322/http://www.ultimatetv.com/news/nielsen/networks/961216networks.html |archive-date=October 14, 1999|access-date=April 15, 2023}}
|ShortSummary = 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."
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 75
|EpisodeNumber2 = 13
|Title = Alone Again... Naturally
|DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
|WrittenBy = Mark Wilding
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|1|8}}
|ProdCode = C376
|Viewers = 17.09{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41385853/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 6-12, 1997)|date=January 15, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 76
|EpisodeNumber2 = 14
|Title = Joe's Kept Secret
|DirectedBy = John Tracy
|WrittenBy = Dava Savel
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|1|15}}
|ProdCode = C377
|Viewers = 17.38{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41303321/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13-19, 1997)|date=January 22, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 77
|EpisodeNumber2 = 15
|Title = Makin' Whoopie
|DirectedBy = Iris Dugow
|WrittenBy = David Flebotte
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|1|22}}
|ProdCode = C378
|Viewers = 14.68{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41385500/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 20–26, 1997)|date=January 29, 1997|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 78
|EpisodeNumber2 = 16
|Title = Ellen Unplugged
|DirectedBy = David Owen Trainor
|WrittenBy = Alex Herschlag
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|2|5}}
|ProdCode = C379
|Viewers = 15.51{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41304408/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 3-9, 1997)|date=February 12, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 79
|EpisodeNumber2 = 17
|Title = Ellen's Deaf Comedy Jam
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Jennifer Fisher
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|2|12}}
|ProdCode = C380
|Viewers = 15.61{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41315405/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16, 1997)|date=February 20, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 80
|EpisodeNumber2 = 18
|Title = Hello, Dalai
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Ellen Idelson & Rob Lotterstein
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|2|19}}
|ProdCode = C381
|Viewers = 15.21{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41313412/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 17–23, 1997)|date=February 26, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 81
|EpisodeNumber2 = 19
|Title = Secrets & Ellen
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Peter Tolan
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|2|26}}
|ProdCode = C382
|Viewers = 14.57{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41294963/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 24–March 2, 1997)|date=March 5, 1997|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 82
|EpisodeNumber2 = 20
|Title = Reversal of Misfortune
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Matt Goldman
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|3|4}}{{cite news|url=https://www.tvtango.com/listings/1997/03/04|title=TV Listings for - March 4, 1997|work=TV Tango|access-date=April 10, 2025}}
|ProdCode = C383
|Viewers = 12.73{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41385437/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (March 3–9, 1997)|date=March 12, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
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}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 83
|EpisodeNumber2 = 21
|Title = The Clip Show Patient
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Vance DeGeneres & David Walpert
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|4|8}}{{cite news|title=April 8, 1997|work=The Hour|page=22|date=April 8, 1997}}
|ProdCode = C384
|Viewers = 12.20{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41315176/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (April 7–13, 1997)|date=April 16, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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).
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|NumParts = 2
|EpisodeNumber_1 = 84
|EpisodeNumber_2 = 85
|EpisodeNumber2_1 = 22
|EpisodeNumber2_2 = 23
|Title = The Puppy Episode
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Ellen DeGeneres|t=Mark Driscoll & Dava Savel & Tracy Newman & Jonathan Stark}}
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|4|30}}
|ProdCode_1 = C385
|ProdCode_2 = C386
|Viewers = 36.15{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41384884/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (April 28–May 4, 1997)|date=May 7, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 86
|EpisodeNumber2 = 24
|Title = Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Jan Nash
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|5|7}}
|ProdCode = C387
|Viewers = 17.95{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41385049/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 5–11, 1997)|date=May 14, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Ellen season 4
|EpisodeNumber = 87
|EpisodeNumber2 = 25
|Title = Moving On
|DirectedBy = Gil Junger
|WrittenBy = Alex Herschlag & David Flebotte
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1997|5|14}}
|ProdCode = C388
|Viewers =16.35{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/41317470/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 12–18, 1997)|date=May 21, 1997|work=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 15, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}
|ShortSummary = 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.
|LineColor = FFCC00
}}
}}