‘Murphy’ and the gang raring to go
What would Murphy Brown think of today’s world? We’re about to find out. Twenty years after Candice Bergen’s multiple-Emmy-winning run as the ever-caustic journalist supposedly ended, “Murphy Brown” is back as a CBS revival, premiering Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Creator and executive producer Diane English also is among the returnees — as are original co-stars Grant Shaud (as Murphy’s now-former “FYI” producer Miles Silverberg), Faith Ford (pageant-winner-turned-reporter Corky Sherwood) and Joe Regalbuto (investigative reporter Frank Fontana).
With such current topics as the MeToo movement on the show’s plate, English said, “We kind of toyed with the idea” of doing “Murphy Brown” again “when Sarah Palin was running for vice president. We thought we only had six episodes (of material), but it wasn’t a serious consideration at all.
“Then we had an election (in 2016) and (Warner Bros. Television chief) Peter Roth came to us and said, ‘Would you consider bringing the show back?’ Candice and I were kind of reluctant, because we felt we had done it. But as the months ticked by, it started to feel like we had maybe a real reason to come back ... and Peter said, ‘What if I pay you to write a script?’ And that got my attention.”
It also got Bergen’s, though English didn’t show her the script for nine months. Then, the actress recalled, “I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ It’s been very emotional for the old guys. We moved the show to New York, because I have to be in New York for other reasons. They built Murphy’s townhouse on the soundstage in the studio in Queens, and (when we saw it) for the first time, we all got tears in our eyes because it was just a lot. ‘Murphy’ was so important to all of us, so to be back, we’re just grateful.”
Now played by Jake McDorman (“Limitless”), Murphy’s grown son, Avery, is also her professional competitor, as a morning-show rival on another cable network. Other cast additions include Nik Dodani as the social-media guru for Murphy’s program, and Emmy and Tony winner Tyne Daly (“Cagney & Lacey”) as Phyllis, the sister of the first version’s bar owner Phil.
As for straight-arrow anchorman Jim Dial, English said actor Charles Kimbrough “is going to come back and do three episodes for us as a guest star, which we’re thrilled about. (Jim) is a retired newsman, but he does find a compelling reason to return to the gang for a short period of time. Charlie himself lives in Los Angeles, and the relocation to New York would have been kind of tough for him, so we’re just thrilled he’s going to come back and join our family again.”