''Father Murphy'' is an American Western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983.

Michael Landon Michael Landon Sr. (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in ''Bonanza'' (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in ''Little House on th ...

created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership with William F. Claxton,

Maury Dexter Maury Dexter (born Morris Gene Poindexter; June 12, 1927 – May 28, 2017) was an American producer and director of film and TV. He worked several times for Robert L. Lippert and American International Pictures. Life and career Dexter was born i ...

, Victor French, and Leo Penn.

Synopsis

The series stars former NFL

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

football player and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' actor

Merlin Olsen Merlin Jay Olsen (; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the Nationa ...

as an 1870s frontiersman named John Michael Murphy, who teams up with prospector Moses Gage (

Moses Gunn Moses Gunn (October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993) was an American actor of stage and screen. An Obie Award-winning stage player, he is an alumnus of the Negro Ensemble Company. His 1962 off-Broadway debut was in Jean Genet's ''The Blacks,'' and ...

) to shelter a group of orphans who are being threatened with internment in a

workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

. Murphy disguises himself as a priest and befriends a schoolmarm to help the children find a home. At the end of the first season, John's true identity is revealed to the head of the workhouse, and the orphans seem destined for a life of labor. Instead, Murphy marries the schoolmarm and they get custody of the children.

Production

Many of the episodes were filmed at the Old Tucson Studios and theme park just outside

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

. The main village featured in the show was located at Big Sky Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, California; this was also the filming location for the television series ''Little House on the Prairie''. The village was located about uphill from the Ingalls' farm set. ''Father Murphy'' is an NBC production and is syndicated outside of the U.S. by MGM Worldwide Television, but MGM does not own the video rights.

Cast

Notable guest appearances on the series include:

Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...

, Mykelti Williamson, Kellie Martin, John M. Pickard, Eddie Quillan,

Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. With a career spanning five decades, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, along with nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. After appearing in se ...

, Amanda Peterson, Donna Wilkes, Tina Yothers, Mary Beth Evans, Wilfrid Hyde-White,

Jerry Hardin Jerry Hardin (born November 20, 1929) is an American actor. Hardin has appeared in film and television roles, including the character nicknamed Deep Throat in ''The X-Files''. He has guest starred in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and '' St ...

, James Cromwell, and Christopher Stone.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1981–82)

Season 2 (1982–83)

Home media

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

(under license from NBC Studios) released both seasons of ''Father Murphy'' on DVD in Region 1 in 2004/2005.

References

External links

* * {{epguides, id= FatherMurphy, title=Father Murphy 1981 American television series debuts 1983 American television series endings 1980s American drama television series 1980s Western (genre) television series Period family drama television series Television series by Universal Television American English-language television shows Catholic drama television series Television shows set in Kansas Television series set in the 1870s NBC television dramas