Last month, CBS announced that they were bringing back Murphy Brown in the fall for 13 episodes, but they did not say who would be back besides Candice Bergen. Today, they did and Faith Ford (Corky Sherwood), Joe Regalbuto (Frank Fontana) and Grant Shaud (Miles Silverberg) will all reprise their roles on the revival.
While we see those four again, as of now we will not see them joined by Charles Kimbrough (Jim Dial), who turns 82 in May. Also not part of the revival is Robert Pastorelli (Eldin), who passed away in 2004. No word if Scott Bakula will sneak over to the show on a break from NCIS: NoLa to play her ex and Avery’s dad. Since I have read reports that her son plays a big part on it, I am sure they will find a way.
Murphy Brown celebrates it 30th anniversary this year, so the fact that they got 4 of the originals to return to the sitcom is pretty impressive. Plus, their return makes me want to watch it now!
Now that we know who is back and who isn’t, all we need is for Mike Pence to pick a fight with Murphy Brown! How absolutely fabulous would that be? I am sure Donald Trump will find a way to Tweet his distaste for the show, but then again what TV show, that isn’t on Fox News, does he not have a problem with?
Remember when NBC announced that they were reviving Coach and you were like who asked for that? Well, today CBS announced that they are bringing back Murphy Brown next season for 13 episodes. I liked the news sitcom, but who asked for it? I guess CBS is going for the older demographic like AARP and above.
I mean, I am glad to have Candice Bergen back on TV, but wow. Just absorbing their decision to bring the show back after 20 years. It just feels dated since so much has changed since it went off the air in ’98. So what is the premise for the revival? CBS says, “Murphy Brown returns to a world of cable news, social media, fake news and a very different political and cultural climate.”
Back when the show aired, it was controversial because Bergen’s real life pregnancy was written into the show and her character was not married. Then Vice President Dan Quayle took issue with that storyline and the sitcom took issue with him. Which makes you wonder how political it will be this time around. Something I am not looking forward to and it is a big reason why I am not loving the Roseanne revival. I want to escape politics with scripted TV and not be reminded of it when I am trying to get away from it.
When it comes to the rest of the cast, we do not know who, if any of them will return. When I say this show is going for AARP demo, I ain’t kidding. Faith Ford is the youngest cast member and she is 53. Grant Shaud is 56, Joe Regalbuto is 68, Bergen is 71 and Charles Kimbrough is 10 years older than her. Sadly, Robert Pastorelli passed away in 2004, so he will not be part of it. Also, it will be hard to bring Scott Bakula back because he is starring in NCIS: NoLa on the network. But then there is their kid. No word how old he will be. If Roseanne can change up the kids’ ages on her show, then Bergen can do the same with hers.
What do you think Murphy Brown coming back? Which show do you wish they brought back instead? When it comes to which CBS show I wish they would have revived first, I have been rooting for Still Standing. So I think that is why this news bums me out.
Fox is the only network of the Big 4 not to bring back show. What they are waiting for? I guess Modern Family to end already, so they can get Ed O’Neill back. And if Murphy Brown costs me Superior Donuts and gives Fox Katey Sagal, then I am going to boycott it.
One last note, isn’t Great News just like a modern day version of Murphy Brown? And look at how that show is doing in the ratings? I like it, but not too many other people do.
I lied, finally if you have never seen Murphy Brown, then you can watch it on Antenna TV weeknights at 10p.
We know that celebrities get together all the time and have dinner, we just never see it. Yesterday, Jane Fonda had supper at Candice Bergen’s house with Tab Hunter and his partner Allan R Glaser, Ted Danson and his wife Mary Steenburgen and Diane Keaton, and I am blown away by all the talent in that one photo. The amount of Emmys, Oscars and Golden Globes between them in astonishing, so you have to wonder what they were talking about as they broke bread. Who cares? It is just so cool to see them in a group like that.
BTW we do not why they were all hanging out, so let us just imagine that they are talking about working on a project together. How amazing would that be?
Before Candice Bergen was the fearless Murphy Brown, she was afraid to get naked on The Woody Allen Special. She truly was a gorgeous knockout when she was 23 in that 1969 special!
Before people were taking photos of Candice Bergen, she was telling them to use Polaroid cameras to take pictures. She looks the same now as she did when she was 29 in that 1976 commercial.
