The Ellen Show

When Ellen counsels the superficial daughter of an ex-school cheerleader on the importance of being yourself and not to follow the popular cliques, she realises she was that unpopular geek in school. Ellen is feeling isolated and alone in Clark since she her move from LA. She's desparate for new friends, so when the opportunity arises to hangout with that former ex-head cheerleader from her year at school, she soon begins to feel included and popular. It's time for the High school Charity fundraiser, which is being held at the Clark Roller-rink. Tickets for tables are going fast, and although her fellow teacher friends assume Ellen will be sitting with them, Ellen has another agenda. She's been offered a seat at the Platinum Table with her new, popular friends. Of course, she instantly accepts! At the fundraiser, and Ellen's old friends have clearly become alienated. But while hanging out with her new gang, Ellen soon realizes they haven't changed at all since high school and finally

In order to boost Catherine's self-esteem, Ellen encourages her to accompany her to a seminar by popular motivational speaker, Percy Moss. Catherine and Ellen attend the session on self-actualization, where they both learn how to ""see it, want it and take it."" But after the seminar, they leave with vastly different opinions of Moss. Ellen sees him as a scam artist, only interested in sucking as much money from his followers as possible, while Catherine believes that he might just be the person capable of turning her life around.

Mr. Munn is going out of town for a principal's conference and leaves Ellen in charge. She decides she'll rule the school differently, with lighter rules, no detention and more field trips. Of course, her plan backfires when all the detention kids take over Catherine's pharmacy, someone cleans up the principal's room, Pam spends the entire French club budget redesigning the teacher's lounge in 17th Century France style, Rusty is almost electrocuted while taking the kids to a field trip and much more. Ellen decides then to have a 8:30pm basketball to help the kids release their anger, but the gym is locked. She goes to Mr. Munn's place to get the key and finds him sitting watching television. Turns out he just wanted a little time off and thought Ellen was doing a better work than he.

An Internet entrepreneur returns to live in her hometown after her new business venture suddenly collapses.

Now that Ellen has decided to stay in Clark, she has to think what she'll do with her life. Mr. Munn offers her a position as counselor at the school, but she doesn't think it's the right job for her. So she goes to a pond and tries to read the book "Walden", but it's way too boring for her. Later she runs into a suspended student and the two start to throw fruits at Clark's statue and get arrested. While waiting downtown, Ellen talks to the kid, and realizes she might be better in counseling than she thought. Ellen takes the job and becomes the new counselor at the school.

When Ellen finds out that a P.J. Knockers is opening in Clark, she tries to start a petition to stop Clark from being invaded by all the chain stores and lose its small town aspect. But everybody seems blinded by the wonder they think a new restaurant will be. To make things even worse, Catherine quits her job and becomes a waitress at P.J. Knockers, and it takes Dot to convince Ellen to support her sister and ease off on the protest. Meanwhile, the new home economics teacher, Pam, takes over Ellen's office and turns it into a mini bakery room.