Ellen, which debuted under the title "These Friends of Mine", followed the misadventures of Ellen Morgan , a thirty-something bookstore employee who has to deal with the comedic ups and downs that come her way, as well as her overbearing parents, Harold (recurring guest star ) and Lois (recurring guest star ). But with help from her close friends, Paige , Adam , an insecure photographer, Joe , the big-egoed coffee shop guy, her self-conscious cousin Spence , and the obnoxious, yet lovable Audrey , Ellen is able to make it through the insanity she calls life. / The show made history during its fourth season when, in a controversial one-hour episode, Ellen (similar to Ellen Degeneres in real life) decided to come out of the closet as a lesbian. The fifth and final season dealt with controversial topics involving Ellen's sexual preferences. But with the controversy came a decline in ratings, causing ABC to cancel the sitcom in 1998. / Ellen currently airs on the Oxygen Channel and TVTropolis in Canada. Currently 7.3/10