stevearino
01-24-2018, 06:21 PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/murphy-brown-returning-cbs-13-episodes-1078071
Earlier today, it was announced that a 13-episode Series Order was given by the CBS Television Network to a revival of the hit '80s sitcom "Murphy Brown," with series creator Diane English and star Candy Bergen to return to the show.
Originally airing on CBS from November 14, 1988 - May 18, 1998, spanning 247 half-hour episodes in a 10-year run, "Murphy Brown" starred Candy Bergen as the titular character of Murphy Brown, who at the start of the series had returned to work in Washington, D.C. after a month at the Betty Ford Clinic.
Murphy's colleagues at the Washington-based fictional weekly newsmagazine show "F.Y.I." included Jim Dial (Charlie Kimbrough), the stiff anchorman, a newsman for 25 years who NEVER developed a sense of humor; Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), the bald Investigative Reporter who, in earlier episodes, wore a Toupee on the air; and Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), a former Miss America who at the start of the series joined "F.Y.I." on a permanent basis after filling in for Murphy while Murphy was in Rehab.
The original producer, Arvid, retired and was succeeded as executive producer by 25-year-old Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud), whose only prior working background was 3 years in Public Television.
A running gag on "Murphy Brown" was Murphy's inability to hold on to secretaries, having 93 over the course of the 10-year run of the show; also, though it didn't have a former opening montage like other shows of the '80s like "Mr. Belvedere" to name an example, several episodes (less common after the 2nd season) featured Motown songs while the opening credits rolled at the start of the first scene of the show.
On a personal note, I'm very lucky (besides the 1st-season DVD as well as a handful of episodes taped from the original CBS Television Network broadcasts WITH Original Commercials, as well as an episode from the series taped from Australia's 111 Hits Channel that was unremastered, uncut, AND unedited as well as complete) to own the complete series library of "Murphy Brown" and wish Candy Bergen a huge success to the series revival.
Among the many real-life journalists who made guest appearance throughout the original 10-year run of the show included Walter Cronkite, Linda Ellerbee, Paula Zahn, and Katie Couric to name but a few examples.
During the 2nd season, the recently-deceased Jay Thomas (who died last August of Cancer at age 69) joined the cast as Jerry Gold, a rival Anchor for a fictional tabloid news show titled "Headline News" (NOT to be confused with CNN's sister network now knows as HLN), who eventually joined the "F.Y.I." team; in late 1991, Diane English created a spin-off vehicle for Jay called "Love and War," with Jerry Gold re-tooled as Jack Stein, a fictional New York Post columnist who hung out regularly at the local bar/restaurant called the Blue Shamrock, which was bought on impulse by Wally Porter (Susan Dey), a former high-class Restaurant Chef who bought the restaurant/bar from Ike Johnson (John Hancock), the burly bartender. (FYI: John Hancock died of a Massive Heart Attack on October 12, 1992 at age 51. His death was subsequently written into "Love and War," with former "Night Court" actor Charlie Robinson joining mid-season as Ike's brother, Abe, a former Detroit auto worker who became owner after Wally left Jack for Paris and Annie Potts subsequently replaced the fired Susan Dey as Dana Palladino, Jack's new love). "Love and War" lasted 3 full seasons on CBS from 1992-1995.
In 1997, midway through Season 10, Diane English and Candy Bergen mutually decided to end "Murphy Brown," with an hour-long finale telecast that had Murphy given the all-clear after a season-long battle with Breast Cancer. Also featuring were a Plethora of guest stars bidding Murphy a fond farewell such as Julia Roberts, Mike Wallace, Alan King and George Clooney.
Reruns continue to flourish thanks to Syndicated stations as well as cable networks such as Lifetime, Nick at Nite, TV Land, and Antenna TV.
Earlier today, it was announced that a 13-episode Series Order was given by the CBS Television Network to a revival of the hit '80s sitcom "Murphy Brown," with series creator Diane English and star Candy Bergen to return to the show.
Originally airing on CBS from November 14, 1988 - May 18, 1998, spanning 247 half-hour episodes in a 10-year run, "Murphy Brown" starred Candy Bergen as the titular character of Murphy Brown, who at the start of the series had returned to work in Washington, D.C. after a month at the Betty Ford Clinic.
Murphy's colleagues at the Washington-based fictional weekly newsmagazine show "F.Y.I." included Jim Dial (Charlie Kimbrough), the stiff anchorman, a newsman for 25 years who NEVER developed a sense of humor; Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), the bald Investigative Reporter who, in earlier episodes, wore a Toupee on the air; and Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), a former Miss America who at the start of the series joined "F.Y.I." on a permanent basis after filling in for Murphy while Murphy was in Rehab.
The original producer, Arvid, retired and was succeeded as executive producer by 25-year-old Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud), whose only prior working background was 3 years in Public Television.
A running gag on "Murphy Brown" was Murphy's inability to hold on to secretaries, having 93 over the course of the 10-year run of the show; also, though it didn't have a former opening montage like other shows of the '80s like "Mr. Belvedere" to name an example, several episodes (less common after the 2nd season) featured Motown songs while the opening credits rolled at the start of the first scene of the show.
On a personal note, I'm very lucky (besides the 1st-season DVD as well as a handful of episodes taped from the original CBS Television Network broadcasts WITH Original Commercials, as well as an episode from the series taped from Australia's 111 Hits Channel that was unremastered, uncut, AND unedited as well as complete) to own the complete series library of "Murphy Brown" and wish Candy Bergen a huge success to the series revival.
Among the many real-life journalists who made guest appearance throughout the original 10-year run of the show included Walter Cronkite, Linda Ellerbee, Paula Zahn, and Katie Couric to name but a few examples.
During the 2nd season, the recently-deceased Jay Thomas (who died last August of Cancer at age 69) joined the cast as Jerry Gold, a rival Anchor for a fictional tabloid news show titled "Headline News" (NOT to be confused with CNN's sister network now knows as HLN), who eventually joined the "F.Y.I." team; in late 1991, Diane English created a spin-off vehicle for Jay called "Love and War," with Jerry Gold re-tooled as Jack Stein, a fictional New York Post columnist who hung out regularly at the local bar/restaurant called the Blue Shamrock, which was bought on impulse by Wally Porter (Susan Dey), a former high-class Restaurant Chef who bought the restaurant/bar from Ike Johnson (John Hancock), the burly bartender. (FYI: John Hancock died of a Massive Heart Attack on October 12, 1992 at age 51. His death was subsequently written into "Love and War," with former "Night Court" actor Charlie Robinson joining mid-season as Ike's brother, Abe, a former Detroit auto worker who became owner after Wally left Jack for Paris and Annie Potts subsequently replaced the fired Susan Dey as Dana Palladino, Jack's new love). "Love and War" lasted 3 full seasons on CBS from 1992-1995.
In 1997, midway through Season 10, Diane English and Candy Bergen mutually decided to end "Murphy Brown," with an hour-long finale telecast that had Murphy given the all-clear after a season-long battle with Breast Cancer. Also featuring were a Plethora of guest stars bidding Murphy a fond farewell such as Julia Roberts, Mike Wallace, Alan King and George Clooney.
Reruns continue to flourish thanks to Syndicated stations as well as cable networks such as Lifetime, Nick at Nite, TV Land, and Antenna TV.