It is comforting to disregard the notion that our time is limited, the time you’ve spent doing household chores, distracting yourself with entertainment or doing the things that matter. Whether big or small, we are always on the clock, and while on that clock, the magic will happen. In 2002, the hectic schedule for a musician was the source of comedy, and for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s next big break in Watching Ellie.

Watching Ellie follows Ellie Riggs, a typical L.A. struggling singer. She has the vocals (at least according to my ears) but has to deal with the semi-relatable pressures of living in the big city. She is secretly dating her guitarist, all while bumping into her ex. Helping out her sister and her neighbours complicate her life. Each episode (in season 1) deals with a 22-minute window into Ellie’s frantic life as she tries to balance her commitments, all while keeping on the clock.

For most of the season, the episodes happen in real-time, so you spend 20 minutes of your life watching 20 minutes of Ellie’s life. The episodes vary in their situation. They all end by watching the seconds click down, waiting in anticipation of the big comedic crescendo that the episode has built up. Season 2 for its remaining episodes is more of a conventional sitcom. The laugh track is back and the conceit of the timer is long gone, and the characters still stand on their own. Their attempt to do stories beyond the 22 minutes is a bold move, but you have to trade away that constant flow from the original set-up.

You might recognise some of the more constant characters in Ellie’s life. Darren Boyd, who has been a mainstay of a couple of cult classic British comedies that I enjoy dearly, plays her guitarist comma boyfriend (in secret of course, for added drama). Her Ex, played by Steve Carell, who you don’t need me to tell you is a massive talent in the comedy scene. Or the regular that-guy Peter Stormare plays the delightfully unusual Invgar. They all work well together despite the hectic pace of the first season and the change of pace in the second. Yet, of course, Julia Louis-Dreyfus feels like a natural for a leading comedy role here, graduating after playing Elaine for almost a decade. While Watching Ellie, did not last, she will take that star power onwards to new projects.

It can be a shame when a show doesn’t take off, especially in Watching Ellie’s case. It had an ambitious concept, and a good cast, yet sometimes that just isn’t enough. Yes, the show did have another chance, but that wasn’t enough to save it, and you can paradoxically make the worst discussions if you feel your back is against the wall. Sure, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep would continue cementing Louis-Dreyfus’s, and the other stars will do great things after the show’s second season. However, for two seasons in the early 2000s, we could have all been watching Ellie.

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