'Watching Ellie' Again, But Different

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday May 13, 2002 11:30 AM EDT

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In a decision that is being termed surprising, according to The New York Times, NBC, in announcing its upcoming fall season, said it will resurrect the previously canceled sitcom "Watching Ellie," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a put-upon lounge singer. The show, told in real time (with an onscreen clock to chart the passage of minutes), bore out the mythical "Seinfeld Curse" that also spelled death to the sitcoms of two other "Seinfeld" alums, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards. Jeff Zucker, president of NBC Entertainment, said that, despite the show's mediocre ratings, he considered Louis-Dreyfus, 41, a "major television star," reports The Times. But Zucker added that there would be changes made to the show, including dropping the clock. In other NBC scheduling news (announced by the network and reported by the Associated Press), the Thursday night comedy "Just Shoot Me" will move to Tuesday nights this fall to accommodate a highly promising sitcom called "Good Morning, Miami," from the producers of the Emmy-winning "Will & Grace." It's about the producer of a Florida TV show whose cast includes a nun who delivers the weather. Is there a Mary Richards in the house?