"Murphy Brown" revival 2018

[Faulkner]

The show’s staying steady at 1.0 in the 18-49 demo, while the entire NBC Thursday lineup has gone fractional.

[BetterForgotten]

Unfortunately, I do feel the writing is letting this show down a bit. Something about that #MeToo episode felt ...off. 

 

Despite English being at the helm, there isn't that organic sensibility the earlier seasons had. 

Edited October 13, 2018 by BetterForgotten

[DRW50]

 

One of the reviews said they felt like the episode was rushing through a checklist.

 

The Murphy and Avery relationship is the freshest part of the show. I hope they keep that a focus.

[Khan]

 

Agree.  There were moments that I loved, of course, but it was as if the writers were pulling some punches.

[DramatistDreamer]

It's interesting to see but I think that Grant Shaud has shown the least 'rust' where his character Miles is concerned.  His comedic timing is pretty on point and looks sharper with each episode.

 

'Murphy'/Candace seems at her best when she can verbally joust with someone.  In the original iteration, that could be with her co-workers where she could be fairly combative but obviously, you would expect some mellowing and growth, but the downside is that Murphy's feisty nature can go missing when the show really needs it.  

From this reboot, so far, I think her best moments were when she had a situation where she could put her combative nature to good effect-- e.g., when she faced off against Trump's tweets in the first episode, then when she snuck into the WHPC and ended up facing off against Huckabee Sanders in the 2nd.  Yes, that final speech in the WHPC was a bit preachy but it did feel consistent with who the character is and has always been.

 

I would've liked to have seen the #MeToo aspects done over multiple episodes instead of trying to resolve it in one episode.  I do agree with those who felt that the episode was rushed.  I could have been sort of a running joke for a few episodes (albeit a bit of dark humor) to have Corky keep recalling episodes of harassment and disrespect as if she were reeling off a laundry list, the way she had been doing but don't confine it to one single episode.  I think the constraints of working within the sitcom format come into play.  The best way to handle this would've been to spread the story out over multiple episodes but I wonder whether there would've been network resistance to this (for obvious reasons).

Still, I did appreciate the attempt to tackle the issue and I did like those scenes between Tyne Daly and Candace Bergman.

 

Another positive aspect is that it seems like the young characters are holding their own.  They have good timing in their delivery and I'm seeing good interplay between the young tech guy and Frank and Avery seems to fit in with the rest of the cast.  The relationship and the aspect of Frank, Corky and Miles knowing Avery all his life seems believable. Also, I agree that the relationship between Murphy and Avery feels like the kind of relationship that you'd expect between Murphy and her grown son.

 

But people are right to note that things are not entirely cohesive where the dialogue and set up is concerned.  Also, I wanted Murphy to givethat drunk administrative assistant her a card and tell the young lady to take her a*s to AA. Especially considering Murphy's history, I wouldn't expect her to just passively look on in horror.

Edited October 14, 2018 by DramatistDreamer

[cct]

DD, I think you mean Avery, not Bailey.

 

I think Faith Ford is being wasted. Updating her character is probably the biggest challenge, given that Corky was brought on as the ingenue with the shallower outlook and stories; the Deborah Norville to Murphy's Jane Pauley. That's harder to write for and play when you're in your early fifties (??) and you're now Jane Pauley. 

Edited October 13, 2018 by cct

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Good Lord, am I thinking about that Y&R character?  

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  It's been a loooong time between series iterations.

[Vee]

Catching up on two weeks of this due to work with the Sarah Sanders episode:

I liked that the show acknowledged that Murphy's big moment was myopic and grandstanding. She was right, but that wasn't relevant to the realities of the situation. It was right to take her down a peg both in the press room and with Avery.

 

Call me silly, but everything with everyone getting goofed on for being old still cracks me up - as did Murphy's drunk millennial secretary who reminded me way too much of the Gawker Media journos. And Pat's lines hit home, lol: "If this [van] has a supply of ramen, I'm giving my six roommates my notice tonight!" Frank's aging confusion and Miles' psychosexual stuff also crack me up.

 

The show walks a line between cartoonish wish fulfillment and valid messaging/fulfillment. It's far from perfect but I think it's more on point than it's given credit for. And frankly, broad or not I think it's needed and filling an important void. I do not think you can ever separate the politics from MB nor should you. They are essential to the show and always will be. If that means it lands broad sometimes, oh well. It's not like we don't live in broad times.

 

Meanwhile, I never did finish the first season of Greenleaf (and should) but I like Merle Dandridge a lot, so I'm pleased to see her coming aboard:

 

 

Edited October 16, 2018 by Vee

[dragonflies]

 

[DRW50]

A look at the set design.

 

https://www.newscaststudio.com/2018/10/18/murphy-brown-production-set-design/

[Vee]

A slew of new guest stars are coming.

[Khan]

It was WONDERFUL to see Jim Dial/Charles Kimbrough again!  Yes, it was just for one scene, but they made it count.

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And he was right: you just don't give airtime to someone who thinks "Tom Hanks is running a shadow government."

Edited October 19, 2018 by Khan

[Vee]

Still catching up: Really liked the #MurphyToo episode. Was it too brief - yes. I'd have liked to see the arc play out throughout the season, but MB is not really from an era of arcs and didn't do them often. For what it was, I felt the scenes with Murphy, Avery and the legendary Harris Yulin (is he really that frail now or was it being played up for the role?) were very good. And way too close to home for me with some members of my own family and their experiences.

 

The B-plot stuff with Frank, Miles, etc. cracked me up. I'm easy.

[KMan101]

I still have to catch up on the last couple of episodes. I know, I'm a bad fan. LOL.

 

I totally understand why they'd give Candice/Murphy the #MeToo episode, but wouldn't it have organically worked better with Corky? Giving Faith Ford something to actually do? But I haven't seen the #MeToo episode and I tried to skip over comments about it so I can see it for myself.

 

I think all of you have said what I feel though for the most part. The Murphy/Avery relationship feels the freshest and most interesting. Frank, Corky and Miles are mostly wasted. Tyne Daly is a solid addition and Phyllis serves the Phil role well. The show feels like it should, but I agree the writing is a tad ... off? But like Roseanne last season I just think it needs to find it's groove again. It's a little rusty here and there.

 

I think this should have been a CBS All Access original, personally, though If I were CBS I'd have put it back on primetime too. But who knows what will happen?

[dragonflies]

I loved the episode Thursday, they hit the nail on the head with everything Murphy said and when she chewed that guy up and spit him out was vintage Murphy. The look on his face when he slunk away was perfection lol

 

I swear Grant Shaud gets funnier each episode and it was great seeing Jim!!!!