‘Ellen’ Renewed Again, Dakota Johnson On Dating After ’50 Shades,’ Flashback To Hilarious ‘Madonna Week’


Ellen isn’t going to be leaving our TV sets anytime soon. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ellen’s show has once again been renewed, and the station couldn’t be happier.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been renewed through the 2016-17 season in 96 percent of the country. The renewal includes all 10 NBC owned and operated stations and 179 additional stations.”

The announcement came Monday, September 21, 2015, from president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Ken Werner and the president of NBC Owned Television Stations Valari Staab.

“Ellen is quite simply the best. Day in and day out she and her team produce a unique and compelling hour of entertainment, which is appointment television for legions of women. We are absolutely thrilled that NBC, Ellen, Warner Bros. and all of our station partners will be continuing our successful relationship for years to come.”

Ellen’s guests encompass the known to the unknown, and everyone in between. And Ellen is comfortable with all of them, even when the subject of the interview may be somewhat controversial. The proof is in the pudding when another rising star sat down with Ellen on September 18, 2015. Dakota Johnson’s star began rising when she signed on with Fifty Shades of Grey, the somewhat controversial movie based on the E.L. James erotica trilogy. Ellen asked Dakota if her love life was affected by her role in Fifty Shades of Grey, and, as Just Jared reported, Dakota was quick with her comeback.

“You mean, like when they run away from me?. I don’t know… I guess that if those are the two options, I guess they’re scared of me. They either love me or they’re running for the hills.”

Dakota has signed on for the sequel of Fifty Shades of Grey, called Fifty Shades Darker.

To celebrate Ellen’s show being renewed once again, let’s look back at one of the laugh-out-loud funniest moments on Ellen earlier this year.

Of course, we’re talking about Ellen hosting “Madonna Week,” in which the indomitable Madonna herself visited the show each day of the week. Poor Ellie Kemper, however, wasn’t aware what the week itself stood for, and assumed that everyone was to come on the show with a Madonna-themed outfit (it had all been cleverly set up in advance by trickster Ellen and her crew, of course).

Ellie Kemper is known for her roles in The Office, the movies Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street, as well as well as the recent sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Those who don’t know Kemper might have been surprised at her amazingly hilarious antics and perfectly timed humour – she’s a comedian to be reckoned with.

The comedian busted out on to the stage in a conical bra, black lace gloves, and a little lace headdress, pulling out her best Madonna moves to “Vogue” for her big entrance.

E! noted Ellie’s hilarious reaction when asked about her outfit: “I am standing way out,” she said, referring to her Madonna-esque cone-shaped bra.

Then came Ellen’s chance to reveal that Madonna Week was not actually intended to be a dress-up-like-Madonna week. This, of course, was the moment Ellen had been waiting for: her big prank on Ellie Kemper. Ellie was as shocked and horrified, as Ellen had hoped she would be.

“That was not communicated to me. So no one, I’m noticing, is dressed as Madonna.”

Ellie didn’t just come to show off her cone bra, however: her interview with Ellen was sweet, adorable, and surprisingly hilarious. One of the topics she discussed was her experiences on the red carpet, and being completely passed over by photographers because she’s an “unknown.” Kemper was invited to the Golden Globes this year as a guest, and was prepared to have her picture taken. When she approached the spot on the carpet where the paparazzi snap photos, “all the cameras went down.” One woman exclaimed, “Oh, Anna!” Ellie began looking around for someone matching the name, and then realized that she was being mistaken for someone named “Anna,” though she was unsure who.

Crushable noted that Ellie’s response to the awkward situation was anything but awkward, and Ellen loved the entire story.

“So what did Ellie do? Did she tell them her real name? Did she give them the finger? Did she storm off and refuse to pose? Nope. She just went with it and pretended to be whatever Anna they thought she was. She even demonstrates how she posed for the audience. Ellen, meanwhile, is laughing her ass off. Genuinely laughing her ass off, not the uncomfortable laugh she does sometimes when celebrities are acting weird but she wants to be polite. Ellen thinks Ellie is hilarious; as she should, because she is. Hilarious, that is.”

While she may have been an “unknown” before, Ellie’s interview with Ellen is a great leap in getting her comedic genius (and correct name) spread around Hollywood. Her sweet demeanour mixed with an undeniable penchant for comedy makes her a perfect line-up for the next hit comedic movie. It’s clear that the star deserves more attention, which she’s likely to receive after this episode!

And with Ellen being renewed yet again, fans have only more of these priceless comedic moments to look forward to. He is hoping the Ellen DeGeneres show continues long into the future.

[Photo: The Ellen Show / YouTube]

Share this article: ‘Ellen’ Renewed Again, Dakota Johnson On Dating After ’50 Shades,’ Flashback To Hilarious ‘Madonna Week’
More from Inquisitr