The Ellen Show

When her high-profile start-up Internet company goes belly up, Ellen gives up her high-powered career and heads back to her small hometown to put her life together. She gets a counselor at her old high school and moves in with her eccentric mother and unlucky-in-love sister.

Directed by Mitchell Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen Show leans on a strong ensemble — Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherfurd — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2001.