Watching Ellie


Watching Ellie is an American television sitcom that starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus and was created by her husband, Brad Hall and was aired on NBC from February 26, 2002 to May 20, 2003. Sixteen episodes were broadcast before it was canceled due to low ratings.

Premise and formats

There were two incarnations of Watching Ellie, neither of which met with any success. Both focused on the character of cabaret singer Ellie Riggs, with markedly different approaches.
The first was directed by Ken Kwapis, known for his innovative work in single-camera sitcoms such as The Larry Sanders Show, Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show. Each 22-minute episode was meant to portray a 22-minute slice of Ellie's life, in real time. In the earliest episodes, a clock was even shown in the corner of the screen. Thirteen episodes were filmed but only ten aired before the series was put on indefinite hiatus.
Nearly a full year later, the show reappeared as a more traditional sitcom, with multiple cameras and a live studio audience. This version fared even worse than its predecessor and was canceled after six episodes.
The show also cast Lauren Bowles as Ellie's sister, Susan. In real life, Bowles is Louis-Dreyfus' half-sister.

Production

Louis-Dreyfus and Hall earned salaries of $350,000 each per episode and their contracts stipulated 15 episodes per season, rather than the usual 22. Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Productions, the original production company, dropped out because of the high costs, and was replaced by NBC Studios.
The show was pitched to ABC, CBS, Fox and HBO, who all turned down the series.

Cast

Season 1 (2002)

Season 2 (2003)