Newsweek

'Murphy Brown' Returns, Ready to Take on Trump

Fans on social media were asking, What would Murphy say about this? So English revived her newsroom sitcom. “It was the idea of being relevant that really changed my mind," she says.
Candice Bergen, left, as Murphy Brown and Jake McDorman as her son ,Avery, all grown up in the "Murphy Brown" revival on CBS.
CUL_MurphyBrown_01_1011785002

In early 2017, the head of Warner Bros. studio, Peter Roth, approached Diane English about reviving Murphy Brown —the ’90s political comedy that turned star Candice Bergen into America’s most beloved fake news anchor. Roth thought the election of President Donald Trump offered the perfect timing for an update. But English said no.

She was working on another TV pilot at the time, but her hesitation had to do with legacy. “We were an iconic show,” she tells Newsweek. “We had lots of Emmy awards [18, to be exact]. You don’t want to revisit something 20 years later for a poor imitation.”

Given is returning to CBS for 13 episodes starting September 27, what

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Newsweek

Newsweek1 min read
Living On The Edge
An 18th-century cottage clings to the precipice following a dramatic cliff fall in the coastal village of Trimingham on April 8. The homeowner, who bought the property in 2019 for around $165,000, will now see the structure demolished as the saturate
Newsweek1 min readInternational Relations
Harmonious Talks
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida watch a marching band at the White House on April 10 ahead of talks. The countries announced bilateral initiatives aimed at defense, space, technology, diplomacy, development and more
Newsweek6 min read
The States Keeping Their Children Hungry
“I DON’T BELIEVE IN WELFARE,” Nebraska governor Jim Pillen said in December 2023 in response to questions regarding the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. His state was one of 15 that had declined to take part in the federally funded scheme, which w

Related Books & Audiobooks