The Real Ellen Story is an in-depth documentary detailing the story behind the historic “coming-out” episode of Ellen. The program takes a unique behind-the-scenes approach in encapsulating the time-line detailing the conception of the episode, the rumours, the controversy and Ellen DeGeneres’ own declaration in Time magazine.

The Real Ellen Story by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (1998, 52 min.) tells the behind-the-scenes story of the outing of Ellen DeGeneres. It traces the famous coming-out episode that 42 million Americans tuned in to. Candid interviews with Ellen, her partner, Anne Heche; her mother Betty; her brother; the show's writers; a former Disney executive; and gay and lesbian activists emphasize the impact this show had on people around the world. Find out, among other things, why the episode was code-named by the network The Puppy Episode. Off the Straight and Narrow by Katherine Sender (1998, 63 min.) is a comprehensive history of gay, lesbian, and bisexual representation on American television. It travels from the near invisibili- ty of gays and lesbians before the '70's to the reportage of AIDS in the '90's. Clips from famous gay and lesbian moments in television history are used in this intriguing documentary to investigate media representations and to challenge stereotypes.