Who would have thought that a show featuring a recovering alcoholic as the main character could have any redeeming entertainment value or provide much to laugh about. And yet, Murphy Brown did just that. As the fallen-from-grace news celebrity, she became an icon of not only how she turned her life around, but also a symbol of newswomen dedicated to excellence. The show took on subjects not normally tackled in sitcoms of that time period. Murphy was tough, because in the time frame of her rise to the top, a woman had to be tough to succeed. As this show demonstrated, this sometimes came at great personal cost.
I cannot believe that this show, which won award after award and challenged sitcoms to be more than "just funny" has not had the entire series released. In recent times, TV Land recognized it as one of the most innovative shows of its time and rightly so! The plots took into consideration real current events and brought attention to real life issues, all the while entertaining us and making us laugh and sometimes cry.
Murphy Brown was criticized by none other than, then Vice President, Dan Quayle for deciding to become a single mother, thus catapulting a fictional character into a realistic arena. And yet the character did not make the decision to become a single mother lightly. Once made, however, she stuck by that decision with all the second-guessing that goes into such a dilemma.
The show didn't take that course because it was popular with the "family values" proponents of the time, but because it was simply a reality of our society and one the show's creators and writers apparently felt was important to address. One of my favorite scenes was when Murphy had doubts about whether she was doing the right thing. She asked Eldin if he thought she would make a good mother. I believe he reassured her, but I also recall him saying, after she was out of earshot, something to the effect of "I'm not sure if you'll be a good mother, but I know I will be!" I would love to watch that episode again.
The list of guest stars alone would be a worthy reason to produce them on DVD, but truly, the entire cast deserves to be immortalized for future generations to view. As the characters grew and developed, I welcomed them into my home every week and was happy to lose myself in Murphy's world for every second. There are so many moments that come to mind, Jim Dial's very proper demeanor dissolving into laughter, Miles Silverberg's frustration in trying to control Murphy's mood swings and prevent disaster on the show to finally earning her respect, Corky Sherwood's growth from beauty queen fluff pieces to emulating her idol, Murphy Brown, to take on more newsworthy items. The friendships between Murphy and Frank and her ever-present house painter, Eldin. I could go on, but there is limited space here, after all.
A series of this caliber cannot be duplicated, but needs to be re-introduced and promoted. I've owned the first season DVD for years and would be most happy to find the entire series available. I will continue to hope for the release the series!
I cannot believe that this show, which won award after award and challenged sitcoms to be more than "just funny" has not had the entire series released. In recent times, TV Land recognized it as one of the most innovative shows of its time and rightly so! The plots took into consideration real current events and brought attention to real life issues, all the while entertaining us and making us laugh and sometimes cry.
Murphy Brown was criticized by none other than, then Vice President, Dan Quayle for deciding to become a single mother, thus catapulting a fictional character into a realistic arena. And yet the character did not make the decision to become a single mother lightly. Once made, however, she stuck by that decision with all the second-guessing that goes into such a dilemma.
The show didn't take that course because it was popular with the "family values" proponents of the time, but because it was simply a reality of our society and one the show's creators and writers apparently felt was important to address. One of my favorite scenes was when Murphy had doubts about whether she was doing the right thing. She asked Eldin if he thought she would make a good mother. I believe he reassured her, but I also recall him saying, after she was out of earshot, something to the effect of "I'm not sure if you'll be a good mother, but I know I will be!" I would love to watch that episode again.
The list of guest stars alone would be a worthy reason to produce them on DVD, but truly, the entire cast deserves to be immortalized for future generations to view. As the characters grew and developed, I welcomed them into my home every week and was happy to lose myself in Murphy's world for every second. There are so many moments that come to mind, Jim Dial's very proper demeanor dissolving into laughter, Miles Silverberg's frustration in trying to control Murphy's mood swings and prevent disaster on the show to finally earning her respect, Corky Sherwood's growth from beauty queen fluff pieces to emulating her idol, Murphy Brown, to take on more newsworthy items. The friendships between Murphy and Frank and her ever-present house painter, Eldin. I could go on, but there is limited space here, after all.
A series of this caliber cannot be duplicated, but needs to be re-introduced and promoted. I've owned the first season DVD for years and would be most happy to find the entire series available. I will continue to hope for the release the series!