Murphy Brown
Encyclopedia
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy
which aired on CBS
from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen
as the eponym
ous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine
.
mentioned the show in a campaign speech, afterwards known as the "Murphy Brown speech".
The show began in the Monday 9/8PM timeslot and remained there until its final season when it was moved to Wednesday at 8:30/7:30PM. The series finale aired in its original Monday timeslot.
) is a recovering alcoholic, who, in the show's first episode, returns to FYI
for the first time following a stay at the Betty Ford Clinic. Over forty and single, she is sharp-tongued and hard as nails. In her profession, she is considered "one of the boys", having shattered any and all "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 Fontana (Joe Regalbuto
), the only person who addresses her as "Murph". Though a daredevil reporter, insecurities regarding fame and (especailly) 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.
In the pilot, there were two "new" members of the FYI team introduced to Murphy. A new executive producer was appointed during her stay at Betty Ford: Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud
), a yuppie
overachiever who was 25 and fresh from public television. Naive and neurotic despite his lightning intellect, Miles is the perfect object for Murphy's skewering wit. Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford
) was Murphy's replacement during her "sabbatical". A former Miss America
from the (fictional) town of Neebo, Louisiana
, Corky is the bane of the other journalists with her perky personality—and utter lack of sophistication when it comes to world affairs. (Sherwood was the first runner-up until the winner was forced to resign—Sherwood remarked in the first episode, "She told everyone she loved animals, but who knew to take her literally?"), Due to overwhelming audience reaction, management decides to retain her services after Murphy's return.
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 is/was anybody in the capital—ranging from what brand lingerie J. Edgar Hoover
preferred to the identity of Deep Throat
(unknown to the public at the time of the series' production).
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 with in her employ for six seasons. Being a highly talented artist, his renovations were often delayed when struck by the urge to paint socially-relevant murals throughtout the house.
In 2010, Murphy Brown was ranked #25 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
Like The Mary Tyler Moore Show
, the 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 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
(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 nuptuals (mirroring the Sean Penn
/Madonna
wedding a few years earlier).
, Joan Lunden
, Paula Zahn, Mary Alice Williams
and Faith Daniels
, 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
; Phyllis Schlafly
; half of Utah!" Right after giving birth to her son, Avery, Murphy sang the song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
" by Aretha Franklin
. This storyline made the show a subject of political controversy during the 1992 American presidential campaign
. On May 19, 1992, then Vice President
Dan Quayle
spoke at the Commonwealth Club
in San Francisco. During his speech, he criticized the Murphy Brown character for "ignoring the importance of fathers by birthing a child alone".
Quayle's remarks caused a public discussion on family values
, 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 commenting on the incident notes the Vice President should be glad people were not making fun of him for misspelling "fertilizer". (On June 15, 1992, at a spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey
, Quayle had erroneously corrected an elementary school student's spelling of "potato" to "potatoe".) When Candice Bergen won another Emmy that year, she thanked Dan Quayle. The feud was cited by E!
as #81 on its list of "101 Reasons the '90s Ruled."
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."
Quayle would eventually display 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 would later use the clip of Quayle's response to promote its showing of Murphy Brown re-runs in syndication
.
as she began to model herself after role-model Murphy.
The show would go on, and FYI would see several changes in on- and off-camera staff: Peter Hunt, McGovern and Miller Redfield would temporarily join the regulars at the anchor desk. The network would move FYI to a new studio with a trendy exterior "Window on America". A significant story-arc would see the network squelch an FYI expose on the tobacco industry, leading to the resignation of first Dial, then the remainder of the cast. They would all go to work reorganizing the poorly-performing news division of a fledging network. In the end, Miles would face down the network; the "suits" relented, the staffers returned and the story aired. For his courage in standing up to the network brass, Miles would be promoted to the news division's headquarters in New York—to the detriment of his new marriage to Corky.
Shaud left the series in 1996, and was replaced by Lily Tomlin
as executive producer Kay Carter-Shepley for the show's final two seasons. 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 shows. Where Murphy had terrorized the younger Miles, the Machiavellian Kay often emerged victorious in her dealings with Murphy.
In the show's final season, a year-long story arc aired in which Murphy battled breast cancer
. The show's handling of the subject was credited with a 30 percent increase in the number of women getting mammograms. The storyline was not without controversy; an episode in which she used medical marijuana to relieve side effects of chemotherapy
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
or Elsie the Cow
?"
However, Bergen was presented an award from the American Cancer Society
in honor of her role in educating women on the importance of breast cancer prevention and screening.
In the show's final episode, Murphy met and interviewed God
(played by Alan King
) 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
, who created the show, made a cameo appearance
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.
released the first season of Murphy Brown on DVD in Region 1 on February 8, 2005. Due to low sales and high music costs, no future releases are planned. Should a surge in sales arise, however, the studio would "happily consider" releasing additional season sets.
five times over the course of the series, a record for a television actress in a continuing role. After her fifth Emmy, Bergen voluntarily withdrew her name from the Emmy nominations.
Golden Globe Awards:
Golden Globe Awards:
Screen Actors Guild
:
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
as the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
.
Overview
The program was well-known for "torn-from-the-headlines" stories and blatant political satire. It achieved a high level of political notoriety in the 1992 presidential election when Dan QuayleDan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
mentioned the show in a campaign speech, afterwards known as the "Murphy Brown speech".
The show began in the Monday 9/8PM timeslot and remained there until its final season when it was moved to Wednesday at 8:30/7:30PM. The series finale aired in its original Monday timeslot.
Characters
Murphy Brown (Candice BergenCandice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
) is a recovering alcoholic, who, in the show's first episode, returns to FYI
FYI
FYI is a common abbreviation of for your information . It is especially common in American English....
for the first time following a stay at the Betty Ford Clinic. Over forty and single, she is sharp-tongued and hard as nails. In her profession, she is considered "one of the boys", having shattered any and all "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
Charles Kimbrough
Charles Kimbrough is an American character actor known for playing the straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on Murphy Brown. In 1990, his performance in the role earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series".-Biography:Born in St. Paul, Minnesota,...
), who affectionately addresses Murphy as "Slugger" and reminisces about the glory days of Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
and Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
. Murphy's best friend and sometime competitor is investigative reporter Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto
Joe Regalbuto
Joe Regalbuto is an American actor and director known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television comedy Murphy Brown. He also starred in the 1986 TV movie Fuzz Bucket and the short-lived series Street Hawk. He played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film Missing in 1982...
), the only person who addresses her as "Murph". Though a daredevil reporter, insecurities regarding fame and (especailly) his personal relationships have him in psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
for the majority of the series. In early seasons, there was a running gag about Frank's toupée
Toupee
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 lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
, which he hated, but which producers insisted he wear on the show.
In the pilot, there were two "new" members of the FYI team introduced to Murphy. A new executive producer was appointed during her stay at Betty Ford: Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud
Grant Shaud
Grant Shaud is an American actor known for having played the character of Miles Silverberg on the 1990s TV sitcom Murphy Brown.-Early life:...
), a yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
overachiever who was 25 and fresh from public television. Naive and neurotic despite his lightning intellect, Miles is the perfect object for Murphy's skewering wit. Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford
Faith Ford
Faith Ford is an American television and film actress, known for having played the roles of Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown and Hope Fairfield-Shanowski on Hope & Faith.-Early life:...
) was Murphy's replacement during her "sabbatical". A former Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
from the (fictional) town of Neebo, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Corky is the bane of the other journalists with her perky personality—and utter lack of sophistication when it comes to world affairs. (Sherwood was the first runner-up until the winner was forced to resign—Sherwood remarked in the first episode, "She told everyone she loved animals, but who knew to take her literally?"), Due to overwhelming audience reaction, management decides to retain her services after Murphy's return.
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
Pat Corley was an American actor. He was known for his role as bar owner Phil on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown from 1988–1996. He also had a recurring role as Chief Coroner Wally Nydorf on the television drama Hill Street Blues...
. Phil's was portrayed as a Washington institution, whose owner knew everything about everybody who is/was anybody in the capital—ranging from what brand lingerie J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
preferred to the identity of Deep Throat
Deep Throat
Deep Throat is the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon's administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal...
(unknown to the public at the time of the series' production).
Brown was unmarried, but had a home life as well: she hired a laid-back, New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
philosophy-dispensing house painter named Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli
Robert Pastorelli
Robert Joseph Pastorelli was an American actor. He had many roles on TV, in movies, and on the stage, including the seven years he played the portly painter Eldin Bernecky on the television series Murphy Brown. His last role was as an oddball hit man in Be Cool, reuniting him with Michael star...
) to repaint her house. He had so many grand ideas that he was with in her employ for six seasons. Being a highly talented artist, his renovations were often delayed when struck by the urge to paint socially-relevant murals throughtout the house.
In 2010, Murphy Brown was ranked #25 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.
Recurring characters
A number of recurring characters also appeared during the show's run:- John Hostetter played John, the unflappable stage manager in 62 episodes.
- Janet Carroll appeared frequently as Doris Dial, anchorman Jim Dial's equally stoic wife, in several episodes. In one episode she performed and sang, expressing her singing talents. In the final season the role of Doris was portrayed by Concetta TomeiConcetta TomeiConcetta Tomei is an American theatre, film and television character actress, best known for her roles as Maj. Lila Garreau on the ABC series China Beach and as Lynda Hansen on the NBC series Providence ....
. - Jay ThomasJay ThomasJay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....
appeared in several episodes as tabloid talk show host Jerry Gold, who became a friend of Murphy's and an occasional love interest, despite their significantly different journalistic values. - Colleen DewhurstColleen DewhurstColleen Rose Dewhurst was a Canadian-American actress known for a while as "the Queen of Off-Broadway." In her autobiography, Dewhurst wrote: "I had moved so quickly from one Off-Broadway production to the next that I was known, at one point, as the 'Queen of Off-Broadway'...
appeared in a number of episodes as Murphy's opinionated museum-curator mother, Avery Brown. Dewhurst won several Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s for her appearances. 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 McGavinDarren McGavinDarren McGavin was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker and his portrayal in the film A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given to bursts of profanity that he never realizes his son overhears...
appeared in several episodes as Murphy's driven father, newspaper publisher Bill Brown. Brown shared an adversarial relationship with his ex-wife Avery—especially after marrying a fresh-faced twentysomething who taught yogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. He earned an Emmy nomination in 1990 for his performance as Bill Brown. - Scott BakulaScott BakulaScott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
appeared as reporter (and occasional love interest for Murphy) Peter Hunt. - Jane LeevesJane LeevesJane Leeves is an English film, stage, and television actress, comedienne and dancer.Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in the 1983 popular British comedy television show The Benny Hill Show. Leeves moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles until she secured a...
appeared in a number of episodes as Miles' girlfriend Audrey Cohen. Though they were headed for marriage, the relationship ended when Leeves joined the cast of FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
as Martin Crane's physiotherapist and Niles' love-interest, Daphne. - Robin ThomasRobin ThomasRobin Thomas is an American film and television actor.He was born Robin Thomas Grossman in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His best-known television roles are as Mark Singleton in the soap opera Another World , and as Geoffrey Wells on the 1980s series Who's the Boss?...
appeared as Jake Lowenstein, underground leftist radical and Murphy's ex-husband. Murphy and Jake had another brief relationship, and Jake was the father of her child. - Christopher RichChristopher Rich (American actor)Christopher Rich Wilson is an American actor, best known for his roles on Murphy Brown and Reba .-Career:...
played Miller Redfield, an empty-headed, pretty-boy reporter with a local affiliate who had semi-regular appearances on the show, first as a substitute anchor when Jim was on leave, and also when the team went on strikeStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. - Paula CalePaula CalePaula Korologos Cale is an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series Providence.-Early life:...
appeared as McGovern, a conservative young reporter based on MTV's KennedyLisa Kennedy MontgomeryLisa Kennedy Montgomery is an American political satirist, radio personality, and former MTV VJ...
. She was added to the program when management tried to appeal to a younger demographic. - Alan OppenheimerAlan OppenheimerAlan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
appeared as news-division executive Gene Kinsela. - Garry MarshallGarry MarshallGarry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
appeared as micro-managing network president Stan Lansing. His frequent and impromptu whims were the bane of the staff. - Jean Stapleton appeared a few times, playing Miles' grandmother, Nana Silverberg.
- Rose MarieRose MarieRose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
appeared as Frank Fontana's mother. - Paul ReubensPaul ReubensPaul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
, better known as Pee-Wee HermanPee-wee HermanPee-wee Herman is a comic fictional character created and portrayed by American comedian Paul Reubens. He is best known for his two television series and film series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an HBO special in 1981...
, appeared as Lansing's sociopathic nephew Andrew J. Lansing, III, in several episodes. He is introduced as one of Murphy's 93 secretaries du jour and, with Carol Kester (Marcia WallaceMarcia WallaceMarcia Karen Wallace is an American character actress, comedienne and game show panelist, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies...
), is one of only two who measure up to Murphy's standards. Like Carol, 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 in that capacity, mostly as his uncle's "black-ops" expert. - Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
appeared in one episode, having a crush on Frank. - Marian SeldesMarian SeldesMarian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
appeared as Murphy's eccentric and often-married aunt Brooke. - In the show's final seasons, when the younger Avery Brown was of school age, he was played by Haley Joel OsmentHaley Joel OsmentHaley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
. He replaced child actor Dylan Christopher. - Julius CarryJulius CarryJulius J. Carry III was an American actor. Carry appeared primarily in numerous television roles, including Dr. Abraham Butterfield on Doctor, Doctor and the bounty hunter Lord Bowler in the The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He also portrayed the main villain Sho'nuff in the cult classic film...
appeared as Mitchell Baldwin, the new boss who replaced Gene Kinsela. Baldwin, an African-American, would use the team's liberal-Caucasian guilt to railroad through changes in FYI′s format and content.
The early seasons
The first season saw Murphy relearning her job without the use of two crutches—alcohol and cigarettes. In an early 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 would be sent by Personnel to act as her secretary.Like The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, the action was divided between the FYI suite of offices and Murphy's Georgetown
Georgetown
-Africa:*Georgetown, Ascension Island, main settlement of the British territory of Ascension Island*George, Western Cape, South Africa, formerly known as Georgetown*Janjanbureh, The Gambia, formerly known as Georgetown-Asia:*Georgetown, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh...
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 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
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who 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 Bülow and U.S...
(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
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
". 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 nuptuals (mirroring the Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
/Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
wedding a few years earlier).
Murphy becomes a single mother
In the show's 1991–1992 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 CouricKatie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
, Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden is an American journalist, author and television host. She was the co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 through 1997 and is the author of 8 books...
, Paula Zahn, Mary Alice Williams
Mary Alice Williams
Mary Alice Williams is a former co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today and a former anchor and news division Vice President on CNN....
and Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels became nationally known for her role in anchoring some of America's most popular news and talk show programs....
, 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
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
; Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly is a Constitutional lawyer and an American politically conservative activist and author who founded the Eagle Forum. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism ideas and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment...
; 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
" A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her...
" by Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
. This storyline made the show a subject of political controversy during the 1992 American presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
. On May 19, 1992, then Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
spoke at the Commonwealth Club
Commonwealth Club of California
The Commonwealth Club of California is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization based in Northern California. Founded in 1903, it is the oldest and largest public affairs forum in the United States...
in San Francisco. During his speech, he criticized the Murphy Brown character for "ignoring the importance of fathers by birthing a child alone".
Quayle's remarks caused a public discussion on family values
Family values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
, 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 commenting on the incident notes the Vice President should be glad people were not making fun of him for misspelling "fertilizer". (On June 15, 1992, at a spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, Quayle had erroneously corrected an elementary school student's spelling of "potato" to "potatoe".) When Candice Bergen won another Emmy that year, she thanked Dan Quayle. The feud was cited by E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
as #81 on its list of "101 Reasons the '90s Ruled."
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."
Quayle would eventually display 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 would later use the clip of Quayle's response to promote its showing of Murphy Brown re-runs in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
.
Later years
The fifth season would continue on after the departure of series-creator and showrunner Diane English. Murphy's struggles with parenthood would be highlighted, as would the revolving-door of nanny characters mirroring her office tribulations. Corky's marriage would unravel and end 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 would see Corky become less the PollyannaPollyanna
Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a classic of children's literature, with the title character's name becoming a popular term for someone with the same optimistic outlook. The book was such a success, that Porter soon produced a sequel, Pollyanna...
as she began to model herself after role-model Murphy.
The show would go on, and FYI would see several changes in on- and off-camera staff: Peter Hunt, McGovern and Miller Redfield would temporarily join the regulars at the anchor desk. The network would move FYI to a new studio with a trendy exterior "Window on America". A significant story-arc would see the network squelch an FYI expose on the tobacco industry, leading to the resignation of first Dial, then the remainder of the cast. They would all go to work reorganizing the poorly-performing news division of a fledging network. In the end, Miles would face down the network; the "suits" relented, the staffers returned and the story aired. For his courage in standing up to the network brass, Miles would be promoted to the news division's headquarters in New York—to the detriment of his new marriage to Corky.
Shaud left the series in 1996, and was replaced by Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
as executive producer Kay Carter-Shepley for the show's final two seasons. 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 shows. Where Murphy had terrorized the younger Miles, the Machiavellian Kay often emerged victorious in her dealings with Murphy.
In the show's final season, a year-long story arc aired in which Murphy battled breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. The show's handling of the subject was credited with a 30 percent increase in the number of women getting mammograms. The storyline was not without controversy; an episode in which she used medical marijuana to relieve side effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
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 Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
or Elsie the Cow
Elsie the Cow
Elsie the Cow has been the spokescow for the Borden Dairy Company since her introduction in 1936.Elsie was created in the 1930s to symbolize the “Perfect Dairy Product,” and made an appearance at the New York World's Fair in 1939. She also starred in a movie, RKO's Little Men, in 1940...
?"
However, Bergen was presented an award from the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
in honor of her role in educating women on the importance of breast cancer prevention and screening.
In the show's final episode, Murphy met and interviewed God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(played by Alan King
Alan King (comedian)
Alan King 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 actor who appeared in a number of movies and television shows. King wrote several books, produced films, and...
) and Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
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
Diane English is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, known for creating the sitcom Murphy Brown. She also served as writer and executive producer of the sitcom My Sister Sam.-Life and career:...
, who created the show, made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
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.
Ratings
| Season | Premiere | Finale | Episodes | Timeslot | Rank | Households (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | November 14, 1988 | May 22, 1989 | 22 | Monday 9:00 pm | #34 | 14.6 |
| Season 2 | September 18, 1989 | May 21, 1990 | 27 | #27 | 13.5 | |
| Season 3 | September 17, 1990 | May 20, 1991 | 26 | #6 | 16.9 | |
| Season 4 | September 16, 1991 | May 18, 1992 | 26 | #3 | 18.6 | |
| Season 5 | September 21, 1992 | May 17, 1993 | 25 | #4 | 17.9 | |
| Season 6 | September 20, 1993 | May 16, 1994 | 25 | #9 | 16.3 | |
| Season 7 | September 19, 1994 | May 22, 1995 | 26 | #16 | 14.1 | |
| Season 8 | September 18, 1995 | May 20, 1996 | 24 | #20 | 12.3 | |
| Season 9 | September 24, 1996 | May 12, 1997 | 24 | #34 | 10.4 | |
| Season 10 | October 1, 1997 | May 18, 1998 | 22 | #69 | 7.8 |
Main directors
- Peter BonerzPeter BonerzPeter Bonerz is an American actor and director who is best known as the character Dr. Jerry Robinson on The Bob Newhart Show....
(93 episodes, 1991-1998) - Barnet KellmanBarnet KellmanBarnet Kellman is a television and film director, television producer and film actor.- Director:* Samantha Who?* Notes from the Underbelly* Four Kings* Living with Fran* George Lopez* Alias* Mary and Rhoda* Felicity...
(76 episodes, 1988-1998) - Lee Shallat Chemel (26 episodes, 1992-1994)
- Joe RegalbutoJoe RegalbutoJoe Regalbuto is an American actor and director known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television comedy Murphy Brown. He also starred in the 1986 TV movie Fuzz Bucket and the short-lived series Street Hawk. He played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film Missing in 1982...
(20 episodes, 1993-1998) - Alan RafkinAlan RafkinAlan Rafkin was an American Emmy Award-winning director, producer, and actor for television.-Biography:Born in New York City, Rafkin attended Admiral Farragut Academy in Pine Beach, New Jersey....
(11 episodes, 1994-1995) - Steve ZuckermanSteve ZuckermanSteve Zuckerman is an American television director.Since 1987, He has amassed a number television credits including Full House, The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest, Friends, The Drew Carey Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, According to Jim and among other series.He began his career in theater...
(11 episodes, 1997-1998) - Peter BaldwinPeter Baldwin (director)Peter Baldwin is an American actor and director of film and television.Baldwin started his career as a contract player at Paramount Studios. He played the character Johnson in Stalag 17. He eventually became a television director with an extensive résumé. As well as directing all of the episode's...
(6 episodes, 1991-1992) - Eric Schotz (2 episodes, 1995)
Writers
- Diane EnglishDiane EnglishDiane English is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, known for creating the sitcom Murphy Brown. She also served as writer and executive producer of the sitcom My Sister Sam.-Life and career:...
(Head WriterHead writerA head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
/showrunner) (110 episodes, 1988-1998) - Gary DontzigGary Dontzig-External links:...
(24 episodes, 1989-1994) - Steven PetermanSteven Peterman-External links:...
(24 episodes, 1989-1994) - Tom PalmerTom Palmer (writer)Tom Palmer is an American television writer and producer. He served as a co-executive producer on the first season of Mad Men and wrote two episodes of the season. Alongside his colleagues on the writing staff he won a WGA award for best new series and was nominated for the award for best dramatic...
(16 episodes, 1990-1997) - Bill Diamond (16 episodes, 1993-1997)
- Korby Siamis (15 episodes, 1988-1994)
- Norm Gunzenhauser (15 episodes, 1989-1998)
- Rob Bragin (15 episodes, 1993-1997)
- Tom Seeley (14 episodes, 1989-1998)
- Michael Saltzman (13 episodes, 1993-1996)
- Sy Dukane (12 episodes, 1989-1991)
- Denise Moss (12 episodes, 1989-1991)
- Peter TolanPeter TolanPeter James Tolan III is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts where he was a perrenial favorite in the high school's dramatic productions. Before leaving to pursue a career in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater...
(11 episodes, 1991-1993) - Michael Patrick KingMichael Patrick KingMichael Patrick King is an American director, writer and producer for television shows.-Life and career:King was born to an Irish American family in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was raised as a Roman Catholic...
(10 episodes, 1991-1993) - Joshua SterninJoshua Sternin-Career:Among Sternin's producer credits include 23 episodes of Murphy Brown in 1996 through 1997 and as writer for 10 of them, as well as producer for 64 episodes of That 70's Show in 1998 through 2001 and as a writer for 8 of them. In 2002, he and Jeffrey Ventimilia created a show for Fox called...
(10 episodes, 1995-1997) - Jeffrey VentimiliaJeffrey VentimiliaJeffrey Ventimilia is an American television writer. Ventimilia wrote The Simpsons episode "Simpson Tide" and the teleplay of the episode "'Round Springfield", based on a story idea by Al Jean and Mike Reiss. Other credits include Murphy Brown, That '70s Show, and The Critic...
(10 episodes, 1995-1997) - Russ WoodyRuss WoodyRuss Woody is an American author, television producer and writer.-Career:Woody grew up in Walnut Creek, California In 1979, He graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Speech and Drama....
(9 episodes, 1988-1998) - Eileen Heisler (8 episodes, 1993-1995)
- DeAnn Heline (8 episodes, 1993-1995)
- Adam Belanoff
DVD releases
Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
released the first season of Murphy Brown on DVD in Region 1 on February 8, 2005. Due to low sales and high music costs, no future releases are planned. Should a surge in sales arise, however, the studio would "happily consider" releasing additional season sets.
Awards and nominations
Bergen won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The award was first presented in 1953, but was not awarded again until 1959...
five times over the course of the series, a record for a television actress in a continuing role. After her fifth Emmy, Bergen voluntarily withdrew her name from the Emmy nominations.
Awards won
Emmy Awards:- Outstanding Comedy SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy SeriesThe Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
(1990, 1992) - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Candice Bergen (1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995)
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series – Diane English (1989)
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Colleen Dewhurst (1989, 1991)
- Outstanding Editing for a Series – Multi-Camera Production – Tucker Wiard (1989)
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Jay Thomas (1990, 1991)
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series – Gary Dontzig & Steven Peterman (1990)
- Outstanding Costume Design for a Series – Bill Hargate (1991)
- Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series – Barnet Kellman (1991)
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Martin Sheen (1992)
Golden Globe Awards:
- Best TV Series-Comedy/Musical (1992) 1 win
- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy Candice BergenCandice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
(1989, 1992) 2 wins
Awards nominated
Emmy Awards:- Outstanding Comedy Series (1989, 1991, 1993) 3 nominations
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Candice BergenCandice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
(1991, 1993) 2 nominations - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Faith FordFaith FordFaith Ford is an American television and film actress, known for having played the roles of Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown and Hope Fairfield-Shanowski on Hope & Faith.-Early life:...
(1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994) 5 nominations - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Jay ThomasJay ThomasJay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....
(1992) - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Charles KimbroughCharles KimbroughCharles Kimbrough is an American character actor known for playing the straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on Murphy Brown. In 1990, his performance in the role earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series".-Biography:Born in St. Paul, Minnesota,...
(1990) - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Joe RegalbutoJoe RegalbutoJoe Regalbuto is an American actor and director known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television comedy Murphy Brown. He also starred in the 1986 TV movie Fuzz Bucket and the short-lived series Street Hawk. He played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film Missing in 1982...
(1989)
Golden Globe Awards:
- Best TV Series-Comedy/Musical (1989, 1991–1993) 4 nominations
- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy Candice BergenCandice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
(1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) 6 nominations - Best Supporting Actress on TV Faith FordFaith FordFaith Ford is an American television and film actress, known for having played the roles of Corky Sherwood on Murphy Brown and Hope Fairfield-Shanowski on Hope & Faith.-Early life:...
(1991, 1992) 2 nominations
Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
:
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Comedy Series (1995)
- Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series Candice BergenCandice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
(1995, 1996)
External links
- "Reflections on Urban America" (Dan Quayle's Murphy Brown speech) available in the Commonwealth Club of California records at the Hoover Institution Archives.