Year two of Ellen DeGeneres' 1990s series finds her character, Ellen Morgan, a bookstore owner and lovable neurotic, continuing to charm her way through many a strained situation at work, in romantic relationships, among friends, and at local hotspots such as health spas and art museums. Gone are first season cast members Holly Fulger and Maggie Wheeler, who played Ellen's friends Holly and Anita, and in their place is Joely Fisher as new gal-pal Paige. The change helps tighten storylines and gives Ellen a more focused female chum, while Arye Gross provides excellent second banana continuity as the returning Adam Green, underachieving photographer and platonic buddy. As in the first season, Ellen's scripts are a blend of Friends-like urbanity and I Love Lucy silliness. The episode "Mrs. Koger" is a perfect mix: Ellen chews out a crusty, unpleasant busybody of a neighbor only to discover later the woman died moments afterward; Ellen's guilt inspires much twitching and babbling during a police interview, as well as a crisis over the limits of her assertiveness. "Ballet Class" and "The Spa" take the Lucille Ball influence to new heights of physical comedy, while "Ellen's Improvement" is a rather sweet show in which our heroine revitalizes her old interest in art history--and meets a handsome college professor in the bargain. DVD extras on this 24-episode three-disc set include commentary by Fisher and costar David Anthony Higgins for the episodes "Mrs. Koger" and "The Trainer." Recommended. (T. Keogh)
Ellen: The Complete Season Two
A&E, 3 discs, 552 min., not rated, DVD: $49.95 Volume 20, Issue 3
Ellen: The Complete Season Two
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