CBSWhen Murphy Brown returns to CBS on Thursday, Sept. 27 it'll be nearly 30 years since the show debuted. Things change with time, of course, but some things with Murphy Brown, the character and the show, will be the same: Politics, revolving secretaries and scripts, specifically the first one, is "so ambitious and so fearless," star Candice Bergen said at the 2018 Television Critics Association press tour.
Series creator and executive producer Diane English decided to bring the classic series back to TV after the 2016 presidential election. In fact, the show picks up on November 8, election day.
"It wasn't a serious consideration at all," English said about reviving Murphy Brown. "And then we had an election…Candice and I were kind of reluctant." But, English said as the months ticked by she felt there was real reason to come back.
Bergen said when she saw the rebuilt set of Murphy's townhouse she had tears in our eyes. "Murphy was so important to all of us, to be back there…we're just grateful," she said.
In the new season, Murphy, Corky (Faith Ford), Frank (Joe Regalbuto) and Miles (Grant Shaud) reassemble for a morning show on a 24-hour cable news network. Nik Dodani plays their new social media guru. Meanwhile, Murphy's son, Avery (Jake McDorman), is at a competing network. Expect to see veteran cast member Charles Kimbrough return as a guest star for three episodes.
Murphy Brown was always topical and never shied away from politics. The show entered the national conversation when Dan Quayle decried the character and the show's family values when Murphy became a single mother. The show reacted to the very real moment and will continue to do so. English said the fourth episode will tackle the #MeToo movement and it's titled "#MurphyToo." The new season of Murphy Brown will be 13 episodes and the writers have plotted out up to nine, but English wanted to stop so they could react to the real-world happenings. "Some things are going to drop in September, I think," she said. Now that the show is shot digitally they'll be able to go back and insert comments and jokes, much like Will & Grace was able to do.
As for guest stars, there's a very famous one in the first episode, but the cast is keeping their lips sealed.
Murphy Brown returns on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9:30 p.m. on CBS.