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The first television season of Ellen was actually
called These Friends of Mine, and while the series sought to define
itself through various tones and shades of comedy, the best episodes captured a
middle ground between Seinfeld and Friends. Ellen DeGeneres is
both a brilliant centerpiece and generous ensemble player, constantly finding
fresh ways to mine laughs from her ever-rambling, guilt-ridden and perpetually
dissatisfied heroine. As Ellen Morgan, bookstore employee and platonic roommate
of semi-loser Adam (Arye Gross), DeGeneres finds plenty of opportunity to
explore humiliation. In the pilot episode, Ellen's unhappiness with
her bad photo on a driver's license prompts an obsessive (and
unsuccessful) quest to beautify her ID. |
