Ellen Morgan is a neurotic bookstore owner who deals with life through comedy and extensive rambling.

Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres) is a neurotic thirtysomething bookstore owner who tries to get by in life dealing with her various friends, including outgoing redhead Paige Clark (Joely Fisher), insecure photographer Adam Green (Arye Gross), her own unsure-of-himself cousin Spence Kovak (Jeremy Piven), coffee-shop guy Joe Farrell (David Anthony Higgins), and critical and obnoxious Audrey Penney (Clea Lewis). Her biggest challenge is being around her annoying, overbearing parents, Lois (Alice Hirson) and Harold (Steve Gilborn).