Murphy Brown
Seen it?1988 | 10 seasons | 24 min | Comedy
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It won 8 Emmys and it's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had middling reviews (45% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- 10 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere (about 24 minutes each).
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
Murphy Brown 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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
45% on Rotten Tomatoes, 53 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsVery strong
Won 6 Emmys: Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and 2 more. Won 2 Golden Globes: Golden Globe Awards: Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. Won 1 DGA Award: Directors Guild of America Awards: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series. Won 1 WGA Award: Writers Guild of America Awards: Television: Episodic Comedy. Won 1 Peabody Award: Peabody Award: Best Supporting Actress in a Situation Comedy. Also nominated for 5 more Emmys, 1 more Golden Globe and 2 SAG Awards. Plus 15 other awards.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 10 seasons and reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 211K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 3 is the high point.
Season 11988 · 22 episodes · 6.8 out of 10Weeknight- Season 21989 · 27 episodes · 6.7 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 31990 · 26 episodes · 7.6 out of 10Sunday
Season 41991 · 26 episodes · 1.0 out of 10Monday- Season 51992 · 25 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 61993 · 25 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 71994 · 26 episodes · 1.0 out of 10Monday
- Season 81995 · 24 episodes · 6.0 out of 10Monday
- Season 91996 · 24 episodesNot rated yet
- Season 101997 · 22 episodes · 6.0 out of 10Monday
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Cast & crew
Created by Diane English
- Candice BergenMurphy Brown
- Faith FordCorky Sherwood
- Joe RegalbutoFrank Fontana
- Charles KimbroughJim Dial
- Lily TomlinKay Carter-Shepley