Watching Ellie premiered on NBC on February 26, 2002. The series details the life of a Los Angeles club singer, Ellie Riggs, a single woman living in Los Angeles whose life is examined weekly in a 22-minute snapshot uniquely presented in real time. Each week, Ellie confronts all manner of annoyances, including her much-too-pretty, married younger sister Susan, mysterious international neighbor Ingvar, and ex-boyfriend Edgar. Meanwhile, Ellie is trying to figure out just where she stands with her current beau, Ben, who's a guitarist in her band.