Catholic World News News Feature
ABC Cancels Ellen TV Show April 24, 1998
LOS ANGELES (CWNews.com) - The ABC television network on Thursday confirmed it had canceled the controversial six-year-old sitcom "Ellen" but declined further comment.
The program began in 1994 and reached its highest ratings in 1997 when the lead character Ellen Morgan -- and Ellen DeGeneres, the actress who plays her -- announced she was a lesbian. Since then the show has averaged fewer than 11 million viewers this year, a 22 percent drop from last year. More than 36 million people watched the April 30, 1997, episode when Ellen revealed her sexual orientation, making her the first openly homosexual lead character on television.
The sitcom elicited criticism from groups including the American Family Association, the Southern Baptist Convention, and other pro-family, pro-Christian groups. Critics had urged viewers to boycott ABC and its corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co.
Ways to
Get
Involved
-
Catholic Credit Card
Donates 1% of total bill.
-
Buy through Amazon
We earn up to 7.5% when you use our link.
-
Direct Donations
CatholicCulture.org depends on your help.
-
Learn More
There are many ways to help CatholicCulture.org.