In the early, to mid-1990s Candice Bergen was the queen of sitcoms. Her hit TV show Murphy Brown ran from 1989-1997. During its run, it made a significant cultural impact on what was explored on television shows. Breaking ground with a strong feminist approach, making it one of the few shows on television at the time to speak about issues involving single motherhood and the cultural effects of women in the workplace.
Even on one special occasion, it gained the ire of Vice President Dan Quayle, who railed against the show’s glorified approach when it came to promoting single mothers. Murphy Brown used this unexpected attention from the White House as a means of boosting their ratings. Something that they were quite successful in doing after Quayle’s comments. So these are the things known of Murphy Brown but what are the things even most die-hard fans do wouldn’t know about the show?
Murphy Brown Meets God
While unconscious during surgery, Murphy Brown meets God. So, she did what any journalist would do, by asking for an interview. In her dream, God was played by radio and television pioneer Edward R. Murrow. This, of course, wouldn’t have been a problem for the creator of the show Diane English except that Murrow had passed away in 1965.
In the 1990s computer animation wasn’t at the same level it is today, however, that didn’t deter English from using real footage of Murrow, creating a visual mirage with video editing to place him in the scene.
The Show’s Creator Makes An Appearance In The Series’ Finale
It is commonplace now for television or movie creators to make an appearance in their films. Just look at Stan Lee in every Marvel film. However, back in the 1990s, it was a less frequent process as most creators preferred to stand back and watch the actors and actresses play the parts they wrote, instead of jumping into their own story.
However, during the Murphy Brown series’ finale, in the scene where Murphy Brown is being operated on, the show’s creator Diane English makes an appearance as a nurse who delivered Brown’s results to her after the procedure.
The Dan Quayle Comments
Murphy Brown was a pioneer in bringing the modern lifestyle of many Americans to TV series. During the 1990s Hollywood started taking more liberal stances when it came to its programming by retiring more family-friendly shows that didn’t deal with social topics. When Murphy Brown became pregnant during the 1991-92 season, she did so as a single mother.
This portrayal didn’t sit well with Dan Quayle who chastised the show for diminishing the role of fathers in their children’s lives. Murphy Brown responded in the next season by showcasing the positives of the modern American family.
Candice Bergen Declines Emmy Nominations
Actors and actresses dream of winning at least one Emmy in their lifetime. For those truly blessed, have multiple Emmy’s under their belt. However, after winning her 5th Emmy for her role on Murphy Brown, Candice Bergen refused to be nominated for the award any more.
After decades in Hollywood, Bergen had become accustomed to being acknowledged for her work and didn’t seem that much interested in winning the same award more than 5 times in her established career. This rare form of humility for a Hollywood actor or actress stunned many others in her line of work.
Breast Cancer Controversy
Murphy Brown was no stranger to controversy since its main goal was to show the cultural divide taking place in America. While normally deemed to have a progressive bent, during the last season, the show drew criticism from the left and the right for insensitive remarks.
A joke during one of the episodes where Murphy Brown is picking out a prosthetic breast after learning of her breast cancer diagnosis, she makes a snarky remark saying, “should I go with Demi Moore or Elsie The Cow?” Feminist and Christian groups were up in arms about the joke.
Seinfeld Appearance
During the early 1990s, Seinfeld and Murphy Brown were two of the biggest sitcoms on television. So, it isn’t surprising that the two shared similar audiences. During Seinfeld’s season 3 episode “The Keys” Kramer is hired as Murphy Brown’s secretary. During the events that take place during the episode, the cast of Murphy Brown along with the set make an appearance.
After the show was broadcast, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David repaid the favor by appearing as themselves on an episode of Murphy Brown. The results of the cross-overs were high ratings for both shows.
The Wonder Woman Connection
Ever wonder what the connection between Murphy Brown and Wonder Woman was? Probably not, not many people could make a clear connection between the two. Unless fans consider the feminist take on these particular characters.
However, that isn’t the only connection as Murphy Brown’s home used to be the home of none other than Diana Prince, the super-heroine known as Wonder Woman in the self-described television series Wonder Woman in the 1970s. While this information might not be of value to most fans of either show, it is hard to deny that it is a conversation starter.
Haley Joel Osment Played Murphy Brown’s Baby
Here is another little tidbit of information that isn’t well known. The child who played the journalistic spitfire’s baby on the TV series was none other than Haley Joel Osment. For those unfamiliar with his works, he is best known for being Forest Gump’s son and Cole Sear, the boy who could see dead people with Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense.
As a child actor, Osment built up quite a resume, appearing beside many prominent Hollywood figures in the 1990s and early 2000s. Though, it was on Murphy Brown we first saw his adorable baby-face.
Bergen Claims The Last Season Was Almost About Menopause Instead Of Breast Cancer
The last season of Murphy Brown spotlighted an important subject that few shows wouldn’t touch at the time; the subject of breast cancer. While the show made its name for its comedy, it was the heart-wrenching moments watching Murphy Brown work through the tragedy of fighting cancer that fans remember.
According to Candice Bergen, the breast cancer diagnosis was almost replaced with her battling ongoing menopause. This revelation was rebuked by the show’s creator Diane English, who claims the season was always going to be about Brown’s struggle with breast cancer.
Only Murphy Brown Season 1 Is On DVD
One would think that as popular as Murphy Brown was that DVD sales would be through the roof. Sadly, the show’s popularity didn’t necessarily translate into overwhelming DVD sales, sales that were so poor that it just wasn’t a sound investment to release the other 9 seasons on DVD.
Though, there is another side of the story that it wasn’t the poor sales that resulted in the other seasons not being released but, instead, the money it would cost to get the rights to all the songs showcased in the entirety of the series.
