Murphy Brown

From left: Charles Kimbrough, Candice Bergen, Joe Regalbuto, Faith Ford, and Grant Shaud.

Murphy Brown is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from 1988 to 1998, and 2018 to the present. It stars Candice Bergen as the titular television journalist Murphy Brown, a reporter on the news program FYI. Her cohorts include Faith Ford as dimwitted Corky Sherwood; Joe Regalbuto as investigative journalist Frank Fontana; and Charles Kimbrough as stiff-as-a-board veteran newsman Jim Dial. Just 26 years old at the start of the series, Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud) executive produces FYI.

The original series also featured the late Joe Pastorelli as housepainter Eldin; the late Pat Corley as bartender Phil; the late Ritch Brinkley as Murphy-infatuated cameraman Carl; and Lily Tomlin as Miles's replacement, whatshername.

Each episode of the original series used a different Motown hit as its theme song.

The left-leaning sitcom gained popularity and controversy for its vicious attacks on conservatives, particularly Vice President Dan Quayle and the George H.W. Bush administration.

Plot

Original run

Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) is a recovering alcoholic 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 residential treatment center. 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 ceilings encountered during her career. Dominating the FYI news magazine, she is portrayed as one of America's hardest-hitting (though not the warmest or more 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 "Hannah" Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), the only person who addresses her as "Murph". Though a daredevil reporter, insecurities regarding fame and (especially) his personal relationships have him in psychotherapy for the majority of the series. In early seasons, there was a running gag about Frank's toupée, 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 Harvard graduate and overachiever fresh from public television, 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 skewering 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). Kay did not have a background in journalism but instead had made a career as a producer of game shows. You know, those little shows with Republican hosts and such C-list "stars" as Carrot Top, Charo, Paul Lynde, Hal Sparks, Betsy Palmer and Nell Carter.

The other new-kid-on-the-block is Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), who replaced Murphy during her stint in rehab. A former Miss America from the (fictional) town of Neebo, Louisiana, 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 with apparent naiveté amends her on-air surname to become the Robin Hood-esque Corky Sherwood-Forest), subsequent divorce, and later elopement with Silverberg, 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. 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 preferred to the identity of Deep Throat (unknown to the public at the time of the series' production). In a running gag during early seasons, whenever someone entered Phil's (casting bright sunlight from the open door into the dark, murky bar), the patrons would all shout in unison "close the door!"

Brown was unmarried, but had a home life as well: she hired a laid-back, New Age philosophy-dispensing house painter named Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli) 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

The new Jim Dial (right) with Miles.

The plot of the revival is basically the same -- except Eldin, Phil, and Carl the cameraman are dead. And Miles is in his fifties. And we have a president in 2018 who spells worse than the vice president from 1989. The election of Donald Trump lures Murphy and the FYI crew out of retirement, sans Jim, who somehow isn't the slab of wood he once was. In fact, Al Gore makes 2018/2019 Jim look like a member of NSYNC. FYI has long signed off, and its news team get a morning show on CNN stand-in CNC. Meanwhile, Avery, now in his 20s, lands a competing gig on conservative rival network Wolf. I'll let you figure that one out.

After Phil's death, his sister Phyllis (Tyne Daly) takes over the bar, which turns 100 in the season finale. No, not her, the bar turns 100. Though she's not exactly Miles's original age herself.

Despite reports to the contrary Murphy Brown is not cancelled. It was always intended to be a 13-episode season. A decision won't be made until May 2019. It's not cancelled unless we hear it from the horse's mouth. And I don't mean any of the horses in the White House.

Cast and characters

• Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown. Murphy is a hard hitting, stubborn, opinionated journalist who is widely respected in her field. She is unmarried and gives birth to Avery, named after her late mother, in the season 4 finale. In the first episode of the original series, Murphy returns from a stint at Betty Ford. Who can blame her? Have you seen her secretaries, let alone 1988's Republicans? Then again, just wait till you get a load of Trump-era 2018 Murphy.

• Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood. The anti-Murphy, Corky is, let's just say it, dumber than shit. She's usually relegated to fluff pieces such as roller skating with Wayne Gretzky or cooking with O.J. Simpson. In her first appearance, she almost pronounced Shiite as "shit" on the air. "That would have been quite embarrassing." At one time, she was married, hence the name "Corky Sherwood-Forrest."

• Joe Regalbuto as Frank Fontana. Frank is an investigative reporter for '"FYI. He often goes on assignment. He was once falsely accused of having an affair with the network boss's wife. He's the only character to refer to Murphy as "Murph."

• Charles Kimbrough as Jim Dial. An old school, conservative, traditional newsman with a wooden board's pulse, Jim Dial smiles so rarely that his attempts to do so look creepier than Roy Moore. He is the lead anchor of FYI up until the show's end or his retirement, whichever came first. In the reboot, he receives a Lifetime Achievement Award and celebrates Phil's 100th anniversary. His nickname for Murphy is slugger.

• Grant Shaud as Miles Silverberg. Miles is the 25-year-old executive producer of FYI, hired during Murphy's stint in rehab. In the reboot, he somehow becomes an old man. He's usually at odds with Murphy in the original series.

Revival

In 2018, in the wake of such revivals as Roseanne, Will & Grace, Rugrats: 20 years later, Sanford's Son and Son, and I Love Lucy Except Everyone is Dead, and in response to Donald Trump, CBS announced a revival of Murphy Brown. Creator Diane English would return alongside Candice Bergen and the surviving original cast, plus new editions Jake McDorman as grown-up Avery Brown and Nik Dodani as social media whiz-kid Pat Patel. Tyne Daly plays Phil's sister, Phyllis. Apparently, Cloris Leachman was unavailable.

The first season of the revival ran for 13 episodes, as intended. It is currently unknown if the show will be renewed, despite misinformed news reports suggesting it was cancelled. And yet American Idol is coming back. And Survivor is still on. And the Kardashians still exist... and not the Cardassians from Star Trek.

Syndication

Murphy Brown has had a spotty life in syndication. In 2004, the show joined the Nick at Nite lineup, despite the fact that Dan Quayle was long-forgotten by that point and a different Bush was president.

It currently airs on Antenna TV, which is basically everything current Nick at Nite wishes it could once again be. Quayle has yet to re-emerge.

Home media

The first season of Murphy Brown was released on DVD in 2005. It was reissued in 2007 and 2018. However, Motown music rights (and poor sales) have prevented the rest of the series from being released. Now the only (legal) way to watch all but the original series beyond the first season is on Antenna TV. One more reason why copyright sucks.