10 Most Groundbreaking TV Episodes Ever

Historic Impact: First Openly Gay Lead Character

“I mean, I knew that it would be big, but I had no idea that it would be this big." - Ellen Degeneres

Twenty years ago, the notion of an openly gay lead character in a sitcom was almost unfathomable. Sure, audiences had warmed to the idea of the saucy lesbian neighbor and the sassy gay guy as the peripheral sidekick, but having a homosexual front and center on weekly television was still a barrier to be broken down.

In the weeks leading up to "The Puppy Episode" -- so called because one studio exec scoffed at Ellen's character starting a lesbian relationship and suggested she simply "get a puppy" instead -- the hype around the show had reached a fever pitch. Ellen Degeneres had actually come out, in real life, a couple of weeks earlier in an interview with Time Magazine.

So her character's famous pronouncement -- spoken into a PA system no less -- wasn't really a shock to anyone watching. In fact, the episode drew 42 million viewers mostly because of all the build-up.

But that moment flicked a switch in the brains of many, especially in Middle America, who would later welcome Will & Grace and Modern Family into their living rooms with open hearts. There's no chance that happens without Ellen outing herself with a little help from Oprah Winfrey first.