Diane English
Director
Murphy Brown (1988)
Season 1
Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) is a recovering alcoholic who 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.
Released Nov. 14, 1988
Episode 29 min
14+
Genres: Comedy
Keywords: tmdb.journalist, tmdb.sitcom, tmdb.tv-news-anchor, imdb.television-reporter, imdb.news-anchor, imdb.character-name-as-series-title, imdb.recovering-alcoholic + 29 more, imdb.jewish, imdb.f-rated, imdb.television-executive, imdb.color-in-title, imdb.two-word-title, imdb.female-protagonist, imdb.workplace, imdb.journalism, imdb.single-mother, imdb.television-producer, imdb.journalist, imdb.working-woman, imdb.television, imdb.office, imdb.washington-d-c, imdb.pub, imdb.secretary, imdb.painter, imdb.workplace-comedy, imdb.sitcom-comedy, imdb.laugh-track, awards.emmy-award-winner, awards.emmy-award-nominated, awards.golden-globe-winner, awards.golden-globe-nominated, imdb.series-within-a-series, imdb.single-woman, imdb.character-name-as-title, imdb.character-name-in-title
Production Companies: Warner Bros. Television, Shukovsky English Entertainment
Network: CBS
Country: United States
Languages:
English
7.7
S1E1 - Respect
Murphy returns to FYI after ""drying out"" at the Betty Ford clinic. The show has undergone some changes while she was gone, including the addition of a beauty queen to the anchor desk and a new young executive producer. In her first week back she isn't sure whether she still has her edge.
Nov. 14, 1988, midnight
7.5
S1E2 - Devil With a Blue Dress On
Miles assigns Corky to work with Murphy on a big story about a corporate big shot. Corky inadvertently uncovers the fact that he is a drug smuggler, this isn't immediately apparent to her. Murphy almost feels guilty about taking credit for the story, but she doesn't get the chance, Corky ""grabs the brass ring.""
Nov. 21, 1988, midnight
6.5
S1E3 - Nowhere to Run
Murphy investigates a federal prosecutor who's linked to mob-run prostitution, Miles fears for his life when he receives his first death threat.
Nov. 28, 1988, midnight
7.0
S1E4 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Miles schedules Murphy to interview her radical ex-husband. Murphy & Jake's feelings for one another begin to ruin the chance of a professional interview.
Dec. 5, 1988, midnight
7.0
S1E5 - Murphy's Pony
During the Christmas holidays, a mother abandons her children to the care of Murphy Brown. Murphy goes all out to help them out.
Dec. 11, 1988, midnight
7.0
S1E6 - Baby Love
Murphy feels maternal pangs after visiting with a pregnant friend. She considers in vitro fertilization and talks Frank into being the donor. When that option doesn't pan out, they consider a physical union.
Dec. 12, 1988, midnight
7.0
S1E7 - Set Me Free
Murphy's having a rotten day, complicated by a gunman who interrupts the show and demands they read his statement on the air and it gets capped off by the painter she hired to do her kitchen sticking around to finish ""extending myself.""
Dec. 19, 1988, midnight
7.0
S1E8 - And So He Goes
Murphy's long time nemesis asks for her to deliver the eulogy at his funeral, and Murphy sees it as her chance to have the last laugh or so she thinks.
Jan. 2, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E9 - I Would Have Danced All Night
Murphy is perplexed and angry when everyone on the staff is invited to the inaugural ball of President-elect Bush. Was it something she reported? Miles debates about asking a taller woman to the ball.
Jan. 9, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E10 - Kyle
Murphy's story wins freedom for an innocent man; when the rest of the team realizes he has a problem adjusting with the outside world, Miles offers him a job as Murphy's secretary.
Jan. 16, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E11 - Off the Job Experience
Miles suspends Murphy for her handling of an interview. So she leaves the office for two weeks and becomes miserable.
Jan. 23, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E12 - Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
Cupid strikes the staff when Murphy reluctantly fixes Frank up on the condition he finds someone for her. Murphy's latest secretary has a crush on Jim.
Feb. 13, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E13 - Soul Man
Murphy tries to gain entry into Washington's last exclusive club, trouble is, it's for men only. Murphy tries to get Jim to sponsor her, when she discovers a loophole in the by-laws.
Feb. 20, 1989, midnight
3.0
S1E14 - It's How You Play the Game
To get the public to see Frank's piece on the homeless, the FYI team competes with Jerry Gold's show on its level, with surprising results.
Feb. 27, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E15 - Mama Said
Murphy's overbearing mother comes to visit for an unspecified length of time.
March 6, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E16 - Moscow on the Potomac
Murphy prepares for a joint broadcast with the Soviet news equivalent of Murphy Brown.
March 13, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E17 - My Dinner with Einstein
Murphy dates a physicist to prove looks aren't everything, but he proves to be a party guy.
March 20, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E18 - Funnies Girl
An on-camera slip of the tongue, makes Murphy the butt of a cartoonist's joke in ""The Adventures of Mouthy Brown,"" then the rest of the staff falls victim.
April 10, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E19 - The Unshrinkable Murphy Brown
While Murphy is grilling him on the show, a judge dies of a heart attack. This causes Murphy to lose her edge, so she attends a group therapy session.
May 1, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E20 - The Summer of '77
Eldin meets Corky for the first time and becomes infatuated with her. Phil reflects on the first time he met Murphy, when she first came to Washington to audition against Linda Ellerbee & Frank Fontana for FYI.
May 8, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E21 - The Bickners
A minor traffic accident, with a sweet elderly couple, results in a 1.5 million dollar lawsuit for Murphy.
May 15, 1989, midnight
7.0
S1E22 - The Morning Show
During an off week at FYI, Murphy & Corky co-anchor the network's morning show, and Murphy finds it's a job she just isn't made for. Murphy's new secretary has a passing resemblance to a ""dead"" celebrity.
May 22, 1989, midnight
Network: CBS
Episode Runtime: 29 min.
Season Runtime: 7338 min.
Released: Nov. 14, 1988
Last Air Date: May 18, 1998, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: TV-PG
Common sense age: 14+
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