Ellen - The Complete Season Three
Lest there be any doubt that Ellen DeGeneres is one of America's most fearless and hilarious comedians,Ellen's third season should dispel it once and for all. Considered by many to be the '90s series' best season, it showcases DeGeneres and the crackling interaction with her stellar supporting cast. This is the season that introduced the incomparable Jeremy Piven (who'd go on to shine in HBO'sEntourage) as Ellen's sad-sack cousin, Spence. Ellen's flawed but loyal collection of pals (and her mom) spins around her in their own ditsy or self-absorbed orbits, as Ellen the Everygal tries to navigate the challenges of her life, from rebuilding her bookstore after the '94 earthquake, to soul-searching What It All Means. Great bits abound, like the ongoing debate over the difference between "I loveyou" and "I loveya." And DeGeneres is never afraid to be silly, which often results in the biggest belly laughs (watch her perform defibrillation and CPR--on the cardboard patient in the game "Operation"). This was also the season in which a recurring gag involved the lack of a new credits-sequence, and the joke just gets funnier the longer it goes on. The set includes 24 episodes and a set of priceless bloopers. Ellen, we love ya. And you.--A.T. Hurley