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''Murphy Brown'' is an American television
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
created by
Diane English Diane English (born May 18, 1948) is an American screenwriter, producer and director, best known for creating the television show ''Murphy Brown'' and writing and directing the 2008 feature film '' The Women''. Early life English was born in Buf ...
that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
as the
eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
ous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and
news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...
for ''FYI'', a fictional CBS television
newsmagazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or n ...
, and later for ''Murphy in the Morning'', a cable morning news show. The series originally ran until May 18, 1998, after airing a total of 247 episodes over ten seasons. In January 2018, it was announced that CBS ordered a 13-episode revival of ''Murphy Brown'', which premiered on September 27, 2018. CBS canceled the revival after one season on May 10, 2019.


Plot


Original run

Murphy Brown (
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
) is a recovering
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
who, in the show's first episode, returns to the fictional newsmagazine ''FYI'' for the first time following a stay at the
Betty Ford Clinic The Betty Ford Center (BFC) is a non-profit, residential treatment center for persons with substance dependence in Rancho Mirage, California. It offers inpatient, outpatient, and residential day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions, ...
residential treatment center A residential treatment center (RTC), sometimes called a rehab, is a live-in health care facility providing therapy for substance use disorders, mental illness, or other behavioral problems. Residential treatment may be considered the "last-ditch ...
. Over 40 and single, she is sharp-tongued and hard as nails. In her profession, she is considered one of the boys, having shattered many
glass ceiling A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Full ...
s encountered during her career. Dominating the ''FYI'' news magazine, she is portrayed as one of America's hardest-hitting (though not the warmest or most sympathetic) media personalities. Her colleagues at ''FYI'' include stuffy veteran anchor Jim Dial ( Charles Kimbrough), who affectionately addresses Murphy as "Slugger" and reminisces about the glory days of Murrow and Cronkite. Murphy's best friend and sometime competitor is investigative reporter Frank Fontana (
Joe Regalbuto Joe Regalbuto (born August 24, 1949) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1989. Early life Regalbuto gra ...
), the only person who addresses her as "Murph". Though a daredevil reporter, insecurities regarding fame and (especially) his personal relationships have him in
psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
for the majority of the series. In early seasons, there was a running gag about Frank's
toupée A toupée ( ) is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to leng ...
, which he hated, but which producers insisted he wear on the show. Also present are the two newest members of the ''FYI'' team. Miles Silverberg ( Grant Shaud), a 25-year-old
yuppie Yuppie, short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional", is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city. The term is first attested in 1980, when it was used as a fairly neu ...
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
graduate and overachiever fresh from
public television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
, is appointed the new executive producer of ''FYI'' during Murphy's stay at Betty Ford. Naive and neurotic despite his lightning intellect, Miles is the perfect foil for Murphy's wit. Shaud left at the end of the eighth season, and his character was replaced during Season 9 by veteran TV producer Kay Carter-Shepley (
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...
). Kay did not have a background in journalism but instead had made a career as a producer of game shows. The other new-kid-on-the-block is Corky Sherwood (
Faith Ford Faith Alexis Ford (born September 14, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Corky Sherwood on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and as Hope Shanowski on the ABC ...
), who replaced Murphy during her stint in rehab. A former
Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
from the (fictional) town of Neebo,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
, Corky is the bane of the other journalists with her perky, relentlessly sunny personality—and dumbfounding lack of sophistication. Due to overwhelming audience reaction, management decides to retain Corky's services after Murphy's return, usually assigning her to lifestyle pieces or lightweight celebrity profiles. Despite her omnipresent perkiness, Corky does mature and acquires a fair amount of worldliness over the years, not the least of which comes courtesy of her marriage to high school classmate and writer Will Forest (during which she humorously and cluelessly amends her on-air surname to "Corky Sherwood-Forest"), subsequent divorce, and later elopement with Miles, immediately after which the couple has second thoughts — even before consummating the relationship — and decides they should "first" date (despite already being married to one another), eventually separating on good terms. The ''FYI'' team also frequently socializes at Phil's, a bar-and-grill across the street from their office/studio in Washington, D.C. Phil, the bar owner, was played by
Pat Corley Pat Corley (June 1, 1930 â€“ September 11, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his role as bar owner Phil on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' from 1988 to 1996. He also had a recurring role as Chief Coroner Wally Nydorf on the tel ...
. Phil's was portrayed as a Washington institution, whose owner knew everything about everybody who had ever been anybody in the capital—ranging from what brand of lingerie
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 â€“ May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation  ...
preferred to the identity of Deep Throat (unknown to the public at the time of the series' production). In a
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
during early seasons, whenever someone entered Phil's (casting bright sunlight from the open door into the dark, murky bar), the patrons shouted in
unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or per ...
, "Close the door!" Brown was unmarried, but had a home life as well: she hired a laid-back,
New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...
philosophy-dispensing house painter named Eldin Bernecky (
Robert Pastorelli Robert Joseph Pastorelli (June 21, 1954 – March 8, 2004) was an American actor. After he acquired a reputation as a skilled character actor in the 1980s and 1990s, Pastorelli's career went into decline after the death of his girlfriend under my ...
) to repaint her house. He had so many grand ideas that he was in her employ for six seasons. Because he was a highly talented artist, his renovations were often delayed when he was struck by the urge to paint socially relevant murals throughout the house.


Revival

Some twenty years later, Murphy has been retired from broadcast journalism for a few years but constantly receives offers to return to the air. Following
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's election as president of the United States, Brown decides to accept an offer from fictional cable news network CNC to host a new morning news show titled ''Murphy in the Morning''. She brings along her former ''FYI'' colleagues including Frank and Corky to co-host the program and Miles to produce it. The crew is joined by newcomer Pat Patel ( Nik Dodani), who serves as the show's social media manager. As the program gets closer to air, Brown is startled to learn that her son Avery ( Jake McDorman) has been given his own morning news program on Murphy's competitor, conservative cable news network Wolf News, with both of their shows scheduled to air against one another. Meanwhile, Murphy and the gang continue to spend their off-time at the bar and grill "Phil's Bar", now run by Phil's sister Phyllis ( Tyne Daly) following Phil's death. Jim Dial, now in his 80s, widowed and retired, comes back on an occasional basis to act as an informal mentor to the ''Murphy In The Morning'' gang.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
as Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for ''FYI''. In seasons 8 and 9, she also co-hosts a second show called ''Front and Center''. Following a brief retirement, in 2018 Brown returns to television in her own morning news show ''Murphy in the Morning''. *
Faith Ford Faith Alexis Ford (born September 14, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Corky Sherwood on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and as Hope Shanowski on the ABC ...
as Corky Sherwood, a perky reporter (and former Miss America) hired to replace Murphy during her stay at the
Betty Ford Clinic The Betty Ford Center (BFC) is a non-profit, residential treatment center for persons with substance dependence in Rancho Mirage, California. It offers inpatient, outpatient, and residential day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions, ...
. Years later, she joins ''Murphy in the Morning'' as a co-host after getting fired from her job on another morning talk show. *
Pat Corley Pat Corley (June 1, 1930 â€“ September 11, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for his role as bar owner Phil on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' from 1988 to 1996. He also had a recurring role as Chief Coroner Wally Nydorf on the tel ...
as Phil (seasons 1–8; guest season 10), the extremely well-connected owner of Phil's Bar where the staff of ''FYI'' are regulars. * Charles Kimbrough as Jim Dial (seasons 1–10; recurring season 11), the trustworthy veteran news anchor for ''FYI''. *
Robert Pastorelli Robert Joseph Pastorelli (June 21, 1954 – March 8, 2004) was an American actor. After he acquired a reputation as a skilled character actor in the 1980s and 1990s, Pastorelli's career went into decline after the death of his girlfriend under my ...
as Eldin Bernecky (seasons 1–7; guest season 10), an eccentric house painter that Murphy hires to renovate her house (and later employs as a live-in nanny). *
Joe Regalbuto Joe Regalbuto (born August 24, 1949) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1989. Early life Regalbuto gra ...
as Frank Fontana, an investigative reporter on ''FYI'' and later ''Murphy in the Morning'', and Murphy's best friend. * Grant Shaud as Miles Silverberg (seasons 1–8, 11), the very young and nervous, but also bright and competent, executive producer at ''FYI'' and later ''Murphy in the Morning''. *
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...
as Kay Carter-Shepley (seasons 9–10), a crafty veteran television producer who has absolutely no news experience, and who replaces Miles at ''FYI''. * Dyllan Christopher (recurring seasons 7–8), Jackson Buckley (guest season 9), Haley Joel Osment (recurring season 10), and Jake McDorman (season 11) as Avery Brown, Murphy's son and a journalist and a liberal commentator on the conservative-leaning Wolf Network. In the original run of the series, he appears as a young child while in the revival he is some twenty years older. * Nik Dodani as Pat Patel (season 11), the director of social media for ''Murphy in the Morning''. * Adan Rocha as Miguel Gonzales (season 11), a college student working at Phil's Bar in order to make extra money for his tuition. * Tyne Daly as Phyllis (Season 11), the sister of Phil and the current owner of Phil's Bar.


Recurring

:Behind the scenes at FYI * John Hostetter as John, the stage manager at ''FYI''. * Ritch Brinkley as Carl Wishnitski, a cameraman at ''FYI'' who has an ongoing attraction to Murphy. *
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
as Gene Kinsella, a news-division executive. Seen as a recurring character in seasons 1–5, Kinsella is generally supportive of and liked by his FYI staff. In-show, the character is let go from his position and replaced with... *
Julius Carry Julius John Carry III (March 12, 1952 – August 19, 2008) was an American actor. He made his acting debut in the 1979 film '' Disco Godfather'' starring Rudy Ray Moore. He played Sho'Nuff in the martial arts film ''The Last Dragon''. He also act ...
as Mitchell Baldwin, the Machiavellian new boss who replaces Gene Kinsella. Baldwin, a Black man used the team's liberal-Caucasian guilt to railroad through changes in ''FYI''s format and content. Appears in seasons 5 and 6, and in a dream sequence in season 8. Essentially superseded as the network thorn in ''FYI''s side by... *
Garry Marshall Garry Kent Marshall (November 13, 1934 – July 19, 2016) was an American filmmaker and actor. He started his career in the 1960s writing for ''The Lucy Show'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' before he developed Neil Simon's 1965 play '' The Odd C ...
as Stan Lansing, the very excitable, aggressive, and micro-managing network president. His frequent and impromptu whims are the bane of the ''FYI'' staff. Seen fairly regularly in seasons 6–9, and one final time in season 10. * Paul Reubens as Andrew J. Lansing III, Stan Lansing's sociopathic nephew. He is introduced as one of Murphy's 93 secretaries ''du jour'' and was one of only three who measure up to Murphy's standards. Like the few other secretaries who were actually competent, Andrew is lured away from Murphy by another job by the end of the episode; in his case, he is promoted to a network executive position through nepotism. He periodically appears in later episodes, although his network career is wildly unpredictable, largely due to the mercurial nature of his uncle and mentor—at various times, Andrew is a network VP, an executive producer, and a mailboy. Seen as an occasional character in seasons 7–9. :On camera at FYI * Christopher Rich as Miller Redfield, an empty-headed, pretty-boy reporter with a local affiliate who had semi-regular appearances on the show. At first, he was a recurring substitute anchor, but after a gap of a few years, he became a regular member of the ''FYI'' team —- although the rest of the team frequently (usually unsuccessfully) conspired to get rid of him. Later co-hosted a separate news show with Murphy called ''Front and Center'', produced out of the same office. Seen once per season in seasons 2–4, he was then seen very frequently in seasons 7–9. * Wallace Shawn as Stuart Best, a buffoonish former ''FYI'' reporter who annoyed Murphy, Jim, and Frank to the point that the three colluded to have him fired —- twice. After the second firing, Stuart returned as a hopelessly inept party-line politician who invariably broke down under even the most sympathetic questions by Murphy while on-air. Appeared once a season in seasons 6–9. *
Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on '' Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantu ...
as Peter Hunt, a reporter and occasional love interest of Murphy's. Seen in seasons 6 through 8. *
Paula Cale Paula Cale (born June 2, 1970) is an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series '' Providence''. Early life Cale was born Paula Korologos in Great Falls, Virginia. Her father, Tom C. Korologos, worked as ...
as McGovern, a conservative young reporter based on MTV's Kennedy. She was added to the program when management tried to appeal to a younger demographic. Seen for a run of episodes as a regular towards the end of season 7, the character was then quietly dropped without explanation and never mentioned again. :Family and love interests *
Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...
as Avery Brown, a museum curator and Murphy's opinionated mother. Dewhurst won two
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s for her appearances, appearing in a total of four episodes in seasons 1–3. When Dewhurst died in 1991, the writers chose to have her character die as well, and dedicated the episode to the memory of Dewhurst. Murphy, who was pregnant at the time of her mother's death, named her son Avery in her mother's memory the following season. *
Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...
as Bill Brown, a newspaper publisher and Murphy's father. Bill shared an adversarial relationship with his ex-wife Avery—especially after marrying Karen, a fresh-faced twenty-something who taught
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
. McGavin appeared in four episodes as Bill Brown (in seasons 2, 4 and 5) and earned an Emmy nomination in 1990 for his performance. *
Jay Thomas Jay Thomas (born Jon Thomas Terrell; July 12, 1948 – August 24, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976–1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in ...
as Jerry Gold, an abrasive tabloid talk show host who became a friend of Murphy's and an occasional love interest, despite their significantly different journalistic values. Seen in seasons 2–4; returns in a dream sequence in 8, and in one episode (now about to get married) during season 10. * Robin Thomas as Jake Lowenstein, an underground leftist radical and Murphy's ex-husband from long before her FYI days. Seen very infrequently, for a total of five episodes in seasons 1, 3, 4 and 8. Murphy and Jake had a brief relationship during season three, which resulted in Jake becoming the father of her child. * Jane Leeves as Audrey Cohen, Miles' girlfriend, seen occasionally in seasons 2–5. Though she and Miles were headed for marriage, the relationship ended abruptly—offscreen, Leeves joined the cast of ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'' in 1993, and was no longer available to appear on ''Murphy Brown''. *
Janet Carroll Janet Carroll (December 24, 1940 – May 22, 2012) was an American film, stage and television character actress. Carroll's career spanned more than four decades and included major and supporting roles in Broadway musicals, television and Ho ...
(seasons 2–9) and Concetta Tomei (season 10) as Doris Dial, anchorman Jim Dial's equally stoic, but kind-hearted wife. * Pat Finn (actor) as Phil Jr. (ten episodes in Seasons 8 and 9), Phil's son who, though somewhat empty-headed, takes on running Phil's Bar after his father dies. * Dena Dietrich as Phyllis (two episodes in Season 2 & one episode in Season 9), Phil's wife and mother of their four children: Little Phil, Phillip, Felicia, & Phil Jr. : :Behind the scenes at ''Murphy in the Morning'' (season 11 only) * Andre Ward as Julius, the stage manager of ''Murphy in the Morning''. * Merle Dandridge as Diana Macomber, the head of cable news network CNC, which airs ''Murphy in the Morning''.


Episodes


Production


Early seasons

The first season saw Murphy relearning her job without the use of two crutches—alcohol and cigarettes. In the pilot episode, she complained the only vice she had left herself was chewing yellow number-two pencils. It also set up the series-long running gag of Murphy's battles with the off-beat and sometimes downright bizarre characters that were sent by Personnel to act as her secretary, none of whom ever last for more than an episode, save two; one played by Paul Reubens. Action was divided between the ''FYI'' suite of offices and Murphy's Georgetown townhouse. Reality often blended with fiction with the many cameos of then-current media and political personalities. The most prominent was when Murphy Brown was asked to guest star as herself in the pilot of a
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
entitled ''Kelly Green'', about a female investigative journalist. Life imitated art when, after a less-than stellar performance, Murphy was berated by television journalist
Connie Chung Constance Yu-Hwa Chung (born August 20, 1946) is an American journalist. She has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von BÃ ...
(herself in a ''Murphy Brown'' cameo appearance) for crossing the line and compromising her credibility. Subsequent seasons saw the emergence of story arcs involving network politics with Gene Kinsella, Frank and Murphy's rivalry and Eldin's ongoing infatuation with Corky. A standout event was Miss Sherwood's marriage to Louisiana lawyer Will Forrest. During the brief engagement, a horrified Corky comes to the realization that she will now be "Corky Sherwood-Forrest". In the wedding episode, maid-of-honor Murphy, dressed as an antebellum belle in a hoop-skirted nightmare of a bridemaid's dress, rages her way through the entire affair while thwarting the press's attempts to photograph the nuptials (mirroring the
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
/
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
wedding a few years earlier).


Later seasons

The fifth season continued after the departure of series creator and showrunner Diane English. Murphy's struggles with parenthood were highlighted, as were the revolving-door of nanny characters mirroring her office tribulations. Corky's marriage unraveled and ended in divorce as she and Will grew apart. (Right before the wedding, Forrest had decided to abandon the practice of law and follow his true calling—creative writing.) This tragedy saw Corky become less the Pollyanna as she began to model herself after role-model Murphy. The show went on, and ''FYI'' featured several changes in on- and off-camera staff: Peter Hunt, McGovern and Miller Redfield temporarily joined the regulars at the anchor desk. The network moved ''FYI'' to a new studio with a trendy exterior "Window on America". A significant
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vid ...
saw the network squelch an ''FYI'' exposé on the tobacco industry, leading to the resignation of first Dial, then the remainder of the cast. They all went to work reorganizing the poorly-performing news division of a fledgling network. In the end, Miles faced down the network; the "suits" relented, the staffers returned and the story aired. For his courage in standing up to the network brass, Miles was promoted to the news division's headquarters in New York—to the detriment of his new marriage to Corky. As well, after years of working as her housepainter, and later nanny, Eldin (who was seen increasingly infrequently after season 5) left Murphy's employ during season 7 to study painting in Spain. (Actor Robert Pastorelli left ''Murphy Brown'' for his own starring vehicle, the sitcom ''
Double Rush ''Double Rush'' is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from January 4 to April 12, 1995. The series stars Robert Pastorelli as the manager of a bicycle messenger service in New York City.McNeil, Alex, ''Total Television: The Comprehens ...
'', which lasted one season in 1995.) By the start of the 1996–97 season, viewership was beginning to decline. Shaud left the series and comedian
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...
was brought in to replace him in the role of executive producer Kay Carter-Shepley to help bolster the sitcom's ratings. Kay proved that she had just as little journalistic experience as Miles Silverberg when he started with the show; the only experience Kay had in television—in spite of her venerable connections—was producing daytime
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
s. Where Murphy had terrorized the younger Miles, the Machiavellian Kay often emerged victorious in her dealings with Murphy. Tomlin remained with the series for its last two years but ratings continued to drop, especially after a move off of Monday nights in favor of a slot on Wednesday nights. CBS did renew ''Murphy Brown'' for a tenth season, which was to be its last. In the fall of 1997, the final season premiered and the entire season served as a story arc in which Murphy battled
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
. The storyline was not without controversy; an episode in which she used
medical marijuana Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restriction ...
to relieve side effects of
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...
was attacked by conservative groups, and a women's health group protested an episode in which Murphy, while shopping for prosthetic breasts, uttered the line "Should I go with
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Br ...
or
Elsie the Cow Elsie the Cow is a cartoon cow developed as a mascot for the Borden Dairy Company in 1936 to symbolize the "perfect dairy product". Since the demise of Borden in the mid-1990s, the character has continued to be used in the same capacity for the c ...
?" However, the show's handling of the subject was credited with a 30 percent increase in the number of women getting mammograms that year, and Bergen was presented an award from the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
in honor of her role in educating women on the importance of breast cancer prevention and screening. In the original run's final episode, Murphy met and interviewed God (played by
Alan King Alan King (born Irwin Alan Kniberg; December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American actor and comedian known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a Jewish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious a ...
) and Edward R. Murrow in a dream while undergoing surgery. Computer editing was used to insert footage of the real Murrow, who died in 1965, into the show.
Diane English Diane English (born May 18, 1948) is an American screenwriter, producer and director, best known for creating the television show ''Murphy Brown'' and writing and directing the 2008 feature film '' The Women''. Early life English was born in Buf ...
, who created the show, made a
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
as a nurse who delivered the results to Murphy after her surgery. At the end of the episode, Murphy walks through her house seemingly alone, only to have Eldin appear at the end, offering to "touch up" her house.


Continuation


Development

Following the end of the show's original run, series creator Diane English had been approached multiple times about potentially reviving the series. Around 2008, the show came the closest to being brought back to the air following
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
's nomination as the Republican vice-presidential nominee with comparisons being drawn between her and former ''Murphy Brown'' critic
Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...
. In 2017,
Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
again approached English about reviving the series following the election of Donald Trump as president. English spent nine months developing an idea for a new iteration of the series before finally composing a script.
Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
was then approached about signing on to the project and she agreed on the condition that
Faith Ford Faith Alexis Ford (born September 14, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Corky Sherwood on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and as Hope Shanowski on the ABC ...
,
Joe Regalbuto Joe Regalbuto (born August 24, 1949) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television sitcom ''Murphy Brown'', which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1989. Early life Regalbuto gra ...
, and Grant Shaud join as well. On January 24, 2018, it was announced that CBS had given the production a series order for one season consisting of thirteen episodes set to air during the 2018–2019 season. English and Bergen were set to serve as executive producers of the revival which would, according to CBS, be set in "a world of cable news,
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
, fake news and a very different political and cultural climate." Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Bend in the Road Productions and Warner Bros. Television. On February 27, 2018, it was announced that Pam Fryman would direct the revival's pilot episode. On May 16, 2018, it was announced during the CBS upfronts presentation that the revival would now have Murphy anchoring a cable morning show, ''Murphy In the Morning'', with her old team, lifestyle reporter Corky Sherwood, investigative journalist Frank Fontana, and producer Miles Silverberg, while Murphy's son Avery would host a rival, cable morning show that airs opposite his mother's program. On July 9, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on September 27, 2018. On September 21, 2018, it was reported that CBS had extended the running time of the premiere episode of the revival by five minutes. On November 28, 2018, it was reported that the season would end after the thirteen episodes ordered by CBS had aired. However, it was further reported that the series was still under consideration by CBS to be renewed for another season. On May 10, 2019, CBS canceled the revival series after a single season.


Casting

Alongside the initial announcement of the revival, it was confirmed that Candice Bergen would reprise her role as Murphy Brown. On February 26, 2018, it was announced that Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto, and Grant Shaud were joining the main cast and reprising their roles from the series' original run. It was also reported Charles Kimbrough would not be returning to the series full-time, but might make a guest appearance in the revival. On March 16, 2018, it was announced that Jake McDorman and Nik Dodani had also joined the main cast. McDorman is set to assume the role of Murphy Brown's now adult son Avery. On April 19, 2018, it was announced that Tyne Daly had joined the main cast in the role of Phyllis, the sister of the deceased bar owner Phil from the series' original run. On August 5, 2018, it was confirmed during the
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canada, Canadian television television criticism, critics, journalists and columnists who cover television television programme, programming for newspapers, ...
's annual summer press tour that Kimbrough would reprise his role from the series' original run in a three episode story arc. On September 13, 2018, it was reported that Adan Rocha had been cast in a series regular role. In October 2018, it was announced that Merle Dandridge had joined the cast in a recurring capacity and that
Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...
,
Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film '' Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...
,
John Larroquette John Bernard Larroquette (; born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' (1984–1992; for which he rec ...
,
Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...
, and Peter Gallagher would appear in guest-starring roles. Before the premiere of the season, it was reported that the first episode would feature a guest appearance from a prominent individual. The identity of the guest was being kept secret until the episode aired with the network going so far as to not include the scene in which they appeared in screeners for the press. Upon the episode's release, it was revealed that the guest star was in fact former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
.


Critical response

On the review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, the season holds an approval rating of 40% with an average rating of 5.9 out of 10, based on 35 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "This just in: while the nostalgia and wit are welcome, ''Murphy Brown''s dated messaging tactics feel heavy-handed and smug, leaving this formerly formidably timely series feeling like a reboot reaching for the headlines."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 53 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


Cultural impact


Murphy as a single mother

In the show's 1991–92 season, Murphy became pregnant. When her baby's father (ex-husband and current underground radical Jake Lowenstein) expressed his unwillingness to give up his own lifestyle to be a parent, Murphy chose to have the child and raise it alone. Another major fiction-reality blending came at Murphy's baby shower: the invited guests were journalists
Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...
, Joan Lunden,
Paula Zahn Paula Ann Zahn (; born February 24, 1956) is an American journalist and newscaster who has been an anchor at ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and CNN. She currently produces and hosts the true crime documentary series ''On the Case with Paula Zah ...
, Mary Alice Williams and
Faith Daniels Faith Daniels (born March 9, 1957) is an American television news anchor, reporter, and talk show host. Early life Daniels was born to an unwed mother and lived eight months in a Catholic orphanage before being adopted by Steven A. Skowronski, a ...
, who treated the fictional Murphy and Corky as friends and peers. At the point where she was about to give birth, she had stated that "several people do not want me to have the baby.
Pat Robertson Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...
;
Phyllis Schlafly Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, conservative activist, author, and anti-feminist spokesperson for the national conservative movement. She held paleocons ...
; half of Utah!" Right after giving birth to her son Avery, Murphy sang the song "
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was compose ...
". This storyline made the show a subject of political controversy during the 1992 American presidential campaign. On May 19, 1992,
Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...
spoke at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. During his speech, he criticized the Murphy Brown character for "mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone".Excerpts from Dan Quayle's speech
at Forerunner.com
Quayle's remarks caused a public discussion on
family values Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. In the social sciences and U.S. political discourse, the convent ...
, culminating in the 1992–93 season premiere, "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato", where the television characters reacted to Quayle's comments and produced a special episode of ''FYI'' showcasing and celebrating the diversity of the modern American family. Because Quayle's actual speech made little reference to Murphy Brown's fictional nature (other than the use of the word ''character''), the show was able to use actual footage from his speech to make it appear that, within the fictional world of the show, Quayle was referring to Murphy Brown personally, rather than to the fictional character. At the end, Brown helps organize a special edition of ''FYI'' focusing on different kinds of families, then arranges a retaliatory prank in which a truckload of potatoes is dumped in front of Quayle's residence while a disc jockey playfully commenting on the incident notes the Vice President should be glad people were not making fun of him for misspelling "fertilizer". This referenced how, on June 15, 1992, at a spelling bee in
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
that year, she thanked Dan Quayle. The feud was cited by E! as #81 on its list of "101 Reasons the '90s Ruled"."Reasons the '90's Ruled 101 – 81"
TV.com
In 2002, Bergen said in an interview that she personally agreed with much of Quayle's speech, calling it "a perfectly intelligent speech about fathers not being dispensable" and adding that "nobody agreed with that more than I did."Associated Press
"Bergen: Quayle Was Right About Murphy"
July 11, 2002
Quayle eventually displayed a sense of humor about the incident—after the controversy died down, he appeared for an interview on an independent Los Angeles TV station and for his final question was asked what his favorite TV show was. He responded with "''Murphy Brown''—Not!" The station later used the clip of Quayle's response to promote its showing of ''Murphy Brown'' re-runs in
syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...
. Quayle's complaint notwithstanding, prime-time TV in 1992 was "boosting family values more aggressively than it has in decades", wrote ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine critic Richard Zoglin, citing everything from ''
Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...
'' to ''
Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
''. ''Murphy Brown'' was worth highlighting in a vice-presidential speech "not because it represented the state of television and the culture in general" but because Murphy's choice of single motherhood departed from it. The show has been seen as blazing a trail for single-mother characters in '' Ally McBeal'', ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'', ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a t ...
'', and '' The Good Wife''—and "benefited from Bergen's character going through a political maelstrom so none of them had to." In 2010, ''Murphy Brown'' was ranked #25 on the TV Guide Network special, ''25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time''.


Syndication

''Murphy Brown'' was unsuccessful when it was introduced in off-network syndication in the 1990s, in part because of high music rights fees and that the topical references in the show quickly had become dated. It was reintroduced to cable and digital multicast networks in the 2010s, beginning with a run on Encore Classic in 2013, with the series airing on
Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operati ...
as of 2018.


Home media

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...
released the first season of ''Murphy Brown'' on DVD in Region 1 on February 8, 2005. Due to low sales and high music licensing costs, no future releases are planned.


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control 1980s American sitcoms 1990s American sitcoms 2010s American sitcoms 1988 American television series debuts 1998 American television series endings 2018 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings 1980s American workplace comedy television series 1990s American workplace comedy television series 2010s American workplace comedy television series Television series about television Television series about single parent families Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners CBS original programming English-language television shows Brown, Murphy Brown, Murphy Brown, Murphy Midlife crisis in television Peabody Award-winning television programs Television news sitcoms Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television shows set in Washington, D.C. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series winners Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television series created by Diane English American television series revived after cancellation