Murphy Brown

Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown in a Sesame Street appearance.

Murphy Brown was a sitcom starring Candice Bergen as the title character, an investigative journalist and anchorwoman. The show aired on CBS from 1988 to 1998. The show became quite political in nature, even drawing the ire of Vice President Dan Quayle when Murphy Brown chose to become a single mother. The character of Murphy Brown was listed by Bravo as number 51 on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.

Bergen appeared in character on Sesame Street as Murphy Brown and interviewed Oscar the Grouch.

Muppet Mentions

• In the episode "It's Not Easy Being Brown" (a reference to Kermit the Frog's signature song, "Bein' Green"), Murphy hires a new publicist who gets her a guest spot on a Sesame Street-style show. "Kelbo" (an Elmo parody performed by Wally Wingert) and "Murphy Brown Bear" (performed by Lisa Sturz) mock the short-tempered Murphy until she tries to attack the puppets on camera, thus ruining her attempt to change her image.

References

• Candice Bergen voiced her Murphy Brown Muppet caricature, Murphy Brownbag, on an episode of Sesame Street.
• In the first episode of Muppets Tonight, "Murphy Prawn" can be seen on the KMUP schedule.
• In an interview with The Austin Chronicle, Nell Scovell says that writing Miss Piggy on The Muppets was similar to writing Murphy Brown, "There’s something nice about going from early in my career working for Murphy Brown to Miss Piggy. They’re not that different."

Connections

Regular/Recurring Cast

• Candice Bergen played Murphy Brown
• Julius Carry played Mitchell Baldwin (1992-1993, 1996)
• John Hostetter played John the stage manager (1988-1997)
• Charles Kimbrough played Jim Dial
• Haley Joel Osment played Avery Brown (six episodes, 1997-1998)
• Paul Reubens played Andrew J. Lansing III (1995-1997)
• Lily Tomlin played Kay Carter-Shepley (1996-1998)

Guest Stars/Crew

• Frances Bergen played Claire Forrest in "Goin' to the Chapel, Pt. 2" (1990) and "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1998)
• Barbara Billingsley played Mrs. Stritch in "Crime Story" (1994)
• Larry Block played Al Henderson in "But First a Word from Our Sponsor" (1990)
• Peter Bonerz directed 93 episodes
• Pat Crawford Brown played Sister Mary Margaret O'Brien ("Heart of Gold," 1990) and Mrs. O'Brien (2 episodes, 1994-1995)
• Dan Castellaneta played Tony Lucchesi in "Specific Overtures" (1995)
• Chubby Checker appeared as himself in "Opus One" (1998)
• Dick Clark appeared as himself in "Opus One" (1998)
• Katie Couric appeared as herself in "A Chance of Showers" (1992)
• Walter Cronkite appeared as himself (3 episodes, 1989-1997)
• Dom DeLuise appeared as himself in "Dick and Dottie" (1995)
• Barry Dennen played a waiter in "The Brothers Silverberg" (1989)
• Sally Field played Secretary #91, Kathleen Dubek in "Opus One" (1998)
• Brad Garrett played a SWAT team captain in "Wee Small Hours" (1998)
• Teri Hatcher played Madeline Stillwell in "Fax or Fiction" (1990)
• Anne Heche played Nica in "It Came from College" (1991)
• Michael Jeter played Vic in "You Don't Know Jackal" (1997)
• Bob Keeshan played Captain Kangaroo in "Brown vs the Board of Education" (1994)
• Alan King played God in "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1998)
• Larry King appeared as himself in two episodes (1990, 1996)
• Bruce Kirby played the dream judge in "Old Flames" (1996)
• Charles Kuralt appeared as himself in "All the Life That's Fit to Print" (1993)
• Michael Laskin played a lawyer in "Murphy's Law" (1995)
• Cynthia Mace played Diane in "On the Road Again" (1990)
• Michael McKean played Dennis Page in "Second Time Around" (1998)
• Kate McGregor-Stewart played Secretary #32 in "But First a Word from Our Sponsor" (1990)
• Brandon Maggart played Eli White in "Male Call" (1991)
• Anne Meara played Reena Bernecky in "Bye Bye Bernecky" and "Brown in Toyland" (1994)
• Bette Midler played Secretary #93, Caprice Feldman in "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1998)
• Rita Moreno played Dr. Nancy Goldman in "Ectomy, Schmectomy" (1997)
• Marianne Muellerleile played Secretary #8 in "Baby Love" (1988)
• Brittany Murphy played Frank's sister in "On Another Plane" (1991)
• Bob Newhart played Dr. Bob Hartley in "Anything But Cured" (1991)
• Olivia Newton-John appeared as herself in "I Hear a Symphony" (1997)
• Rosie O'Donnell played Secretary #92, Ann Marie Delany in "A Man and a Woman" (1998)
• Jenny O'Hara played Lisa in "Baby Love" (1988)
• Josh Pais played Secretary #18 in "Funnies Girl" (1989)
• Julie Payne played Phyllis in "It's How You Play the Game" (1989)
• Suzie Plakson played Jackie in "I Would Have Danced All Night" (1989)
• Alan Rafkin directed 11 episodes (1994-1995)
• Sally Jessy Raphael appeared as herself in "All the Life That's Fit to Print" (1993)
• Clive Revill played Hendricks in "When A. Lansing Loves a Woman" (1996)
• Don Rickles played Secretary #90, Leonard in "Dial and Substance" (1998)
• Julia Roberts appeared as herself in "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1998)
• Morley Safer appeared as himself in "All the Life That's Fit to Print" (1993)
• William Schallert played Ken Hamilton in "The Murphy Brown School of Broadcasting" (1990)
• Harry Shearer played Chris Bishop in "The 390th Broadcast" (1990)
• Martin Sheen played Nick Brody in "Angst for the Memories" (1993)
• Harry Smith appeared as himself in "Be It Ever So Humboldt" (1991)
• Yeardley Smith played Phoebe Cramer in "Miles' Big Adventure" (1989)
• Wendie Jo Sperber played Ann in "Turpis Capillus Annus (Bad Hair Day)" (1998)
• Jean Stapleton played Nana Silverberg in "All in the Family" (1996)
• Ben Stein played Williams in "How to Marry a Billionaire" (1997)
• Elizabeth Taylor played herself in "Trick or Retreat" (1996)
• Fred Travalena played Don Sarasota in "Buddies Schmuddies" (1989)
• Vendela appeared as herself in "Model Relationships" (1995)
• Patrick Warburton played Bo in "A Year to Remember" (1992)
• Gedde Watanabe played Guru Prem in "The Bitch's Back" (1990)
• Fred Willard played Dick in "Dick and Dottie" (1995)