Ellen DeGeneres Is Returning to Television
Ellen DeGeneres is back. Although she won’t be doing another daytime show in her name, she will be part of a special new TV documentary on Discovery Channel, entitled Saving the Gorillas: Ellen’s Next Adventure. It launches on September 23, a day before Gorilla Day.
If you might recall, this is an apt project for Ellen who has showcased her passion for animals in many of her previous shows. In addition to teaching us more about endangered gorillas, it will also promote The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund which was established last year in Rwanda.
The organization focuses on protecting gorillas, advancing scientific research about the primates and their environments, training conservationists, and helping local communities in the East African country. It has so far accommodated more than 40,000 visitors, with half of them coming from Rwanda and the rest from other parts of the world.
It is committed to raising awareness which is critical in safeguarding the gorillas. To help the organization realize its goal, more than 7,500 local schoolchildren have visited the center as part of their educational field trips. This helps educate them at an early age and gives them ideas of how they can help.
Ellen’s commitment to animals and her great admiration for Dian Fossey, one of the world’s renowned primatologists, is at the heart of the two-hour special.
Part of the documentary is about following and fulfilling Ellen’s dream of protecting Fossey’s legacy which is a large part of why she founded The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.
Ellen is not embarking on this journey alone. It all started when Portia de Rossi wanted to give her partner a memorable birthday gift in 2018. Today, that gift has turned into something with more purpose than Portia and Ellen could ever have imagined.
It wasn’t an easy journey for Ellen, her wife Portia, and the rest of their team. They undertook one of Rwanda’s most significant landscaping projects. This meant going head-to-head against natural challenges, including earthquakes, volcanoes, and a global pandemic.
But for Ellen, it’s a dream come true to help mountain gorillas survive and multiply. It has also proved to be a life-changing experience for the people who are involved with the foundation.
According to Zero Point Production Executive Producer Craig Shepherd, “We are thrilled to partner with Ellen, Portia, and their team to bring this amazing gorilla conservation journey to life on screen. Their impact on conservation and the immediate community in Rwanda inspires all.”
Last year in May, Ellen hosted her last Ellen Degeneres Show, a daily talk show that aired for 19 years. When rumors circulated that the comedian was cultivating a toxic workplace environment that was filled with racism and other forms of harassment, viewership tumbled down. It was a big blow for the host whose signature catchphrase was, “Be kind to one another.”
She publicly apologized by saying, “I learned that things happen here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected.”
Despite these words, she ultimately chose to sign off and pursue other projects. In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, she explained her decision, “I just feel like there’s something more I could be doing. I care about the environment. I care about animals. I care about design and furniture… So, definitely people have been saying, ‘Why don’t we just try to go a little longer?’ But 19 years is a long time to do anything.”
