The way you've broken this down is excellent. You clearly have a knack for bringing this old media back to life. Also I literally spat my drink out laughing at 40 minutes when you said someone like you was gonna turn up on screen and the male feminist appeared.
I was laughin at him too considering how absolutely anti-feminist Josè's take was on the feminist icon Murphy Brown, like part of me wants to forgive him for his ignorance cause he's young and has no clue what kind of world the 1980's was or how ground breaking and legendary this show and Murphy's character was and also because Josè is generally a pretty progressive guy but he came across as very anti-woman in a lot of his commentary here
@@NeilRichter he did make it a point to acknowledge that the 80's were a different time but he was pretty judgemental of some things in a way that actually would have been considered very anti-women back when the show was made and as someone who grew up watching and admiring and being inspired by the character I disagreed with a lot of his analysis and didn't like the woke scoldness of his tone, like I said tho I'm a huge fan of José and he's usually very intelligent and progressive in his analysis of media so I don't think he hates women and I don't hate him or anything, I might have sounded a little angry when I wrote my comment right after watchig the video cause I grew up loving Murphy Brown but I'm mostly just disappointed in José for missing the mark so poorly on a few things in this vid, I'm still a huge fan of his work here and I only commented it hoping he would notice if enough of us pointed it out and that it would lead him to reflect on that critique and continue to grow and develop and get better at the analysis he does
@@xp7575 Can you be more specific? I grew up in the 90's and I really didn't notice anything José said that would be considered anti-woman now or then. I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything, by the way; I just want to understand your perspective.
@@rev.ryan206 I know you specified you wanted to be chill, but I'd like to point out how conveniently they stopped responding when asked for specifics.
@@BrendanishLeo yeah, that's why I asked for the specific examples because watching the video I couldn't spot anything "problematic" within the context of now or the context of the 90s. I genuinely was hoping they'd point something out that I'd missed or didn't realize was offensive, or point out something they'd misinterpreted, but they either just wanted some attention or were so offended they left the internet, lol.
It's a great show and when u find it binge it, however will warn that some of the jokes are dated bc its very cultural in its jokes. And not like racial or misogyny jokes but Bush 41 and very 1990s in its topics
I was raised on this show and news radio by my mom. My dad was rarely, if ever, home at night so from a young age my evenings were spent watching my mom's favorite sitcoms which later would include Frasier. In case you haven't noticed, my mom liked a certain kind of show, but Murphy Brown was easily her favorite. Her and I often joke that no one, outside of us, remembers Murphy Brown. Thank you for proving us wrong, and for reminding me of just how special this show was/is to me.
A lot of elder Millenials like myself have memories of watching this show with grandparents or parents, but for a while, I assumed this show was a fever dream because so few people seem to remember it, haha. Very much appreciate this analysis. 😊
Just as I was revisiting your Rosanne video, please do more of these analysis videos of TV shows. Your content is very insightful and eye opening, I hope your channel blows up soon
During season ten, one of my teachers was diagnosed with breast cancer and left to focus on treatment. The next year, another teacher followed that trajectory. Murphy Brown helped me know how to handle that.
That's really cool. I remember my mom was really into Murphy Brown and I have fond memories of watching it on Monday evenings on channel 9 while eating dinner in the nineties. At that age I couldn't fully grasp the deeper sub text but the surface level stuff about Murphy being a top class journalist at FYI who didn't take any crap from anyone was enough to keep my interest. It's unfortunate that it has kinda been forgotten about in the pop culture landscape as it was a really good show for its time. But it's also very much a product of its time. I think it will be remembered as an influential show that creators of other shows will remember and have been influenced by.
I love the male characters in this show. Their relationship with Murphy, a beautiful single woman and the show runners were never compelled to pair her up with a series regular is admirable
Yes! Our media, just like our real life, must make room for real, sincere, loving and respectful true friendship between men and women without it having to go to some kind of romantic goal!
Wow, I love this! What a great exploration of a show I vaguely remember watching as a kid. I’m surprised to discover I really like this character! Whenever pop culture parodies her or this show, they make her sound like a humorless jerk. Actually, she seems like a hard-boil sarcastic reporter like many depictions of male reporters in media. Well done on this. (Also, can you imagine a network today paying to use famous Motown songs in every episode of a sitcom??)
I see what you mean about the parodies, but I make an exception for Selma singing to Jubjub - the juxtaposition is more than a cheap insult. Selma isn't extraordinary like Murphy; she's a half-assed pencil pusher at the DMV, not a high-flying celebrity journalist. Her judgment that she would be a miserable and incompetent mother is transformed through the homage to portray self-respect, confidence, and empathy. The idealism and realism of the episodes complement each other.
It was a bit of a shock to see Wendie Jo Sperber in the cancer support group. This would have been when she was battling it herself, and she'd eventually die from it. Sadly, she's mostly forgotten as well, except maybe those who remember Linda McFly.
I could be wrong, but I swear the redheaded woman in that group is Marcia Wallace-- or at least it looks like her! She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985. She's best known as Carol from The Bob Newhart Show, and later, Mrs. Krabappel from The Simpsons.
I have always held Murphy as an icon. Candice Bergen is amazing. Sure season 11 wasn't as good as it could have been but I still loved having one last outing with my old friends. I hadn't really intended watching the full 75 minutes but before I knew it I was nearing the end. This was outstanding. I got a bit weepy through some of it.
This was so good! I adored Murphy Brown, and don't recall missing an episode, and for a while, as a kid, I wanted so badly to be a journalist, no doubt influenced by her and some IRL contemporaries. Thanks, José, loved it.
I grew up watching this show with my mom, though whether they were syndicated reruns or not I have no idea, I didn't know to think about that when I was little. Most of my memories of it are vague, so this was a nice refresher. Somewhere in the back of my head, I still think of Murphy Brown any time I see the acronym FYI.
Oh my god this is so bizarre. My parents LOVED this show and I barely remembered it, now its all flooding back, this is so trippy. Really great work, it feels like you mined into my subconcsious.
This was a really amazing in-depth look at Murphy Brown, a series I barely remember but am so glad you did a deep dive into it! Again, thanks for including me, it was fun!
You hit the nail on the head with Murphy Brown's reliance on jokes about contemporary issues contributing to its lack of nostalgia following. Although when I watched a few episodes (on the aforementioned Antenna TV, a digital channel that shows a lot of older sitcoms btw) it reminded me of some long forgotten trends or moments of the early 90s and got a laugh out of me.
I actually liked the Simpson's scene more not knowing it was a reference, it just seemed like a cute dorky thing that she was doing to make herself feel happy.
Same. Arguably, knowing the context of it being a reference kinda cheapens it a bit. Both are great scenes, but it's weird that the one with Selma wasn't supposed to stand on its own without pop cultural context.
Footage of Dan Quayle taken from my local TV station, which i remember watching at the time (the year of my 28th birthday). I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way they reacted to a notoriously unintellectual midwest frat-boy politician's bringing their fictional character into the real-world political debate (in the worst way) by incorporating it back into their fictional universe to comment on it there. Deadpool's got nothing on that kind of fourth-wall demolition.
In freeing Brown from power relationships with the male characters, they also freed those characters to have more personal stories and motivations. The result is a show full of robust, well-realized characters. I think Murphy Brown strongly defined the way forward for the office sitcom. Personal favorites like News Radio, Working, and Just Shoot Me (ESPECIALLY Just Shoot Me) owe it a big debt.
Me neither, and I totally watched Murphy Brown as a kid. It was one of those shows that was just there on TV and was pretty decent-- you never sought it out but if it was on you'd watch it. Like Just Shoot Me and a bunch of other 90's sitcoms.
Murphy Brown made me feel completely comfortable having my son on my own at 38. Because of her, I never felt the stigma of being a single mom, in fact I felt proud. I had plenty of years prior to his birth to selfishly experience my life on my own, I had an education and a career with flexibility and growth. I wouldn’t have missed out on being his mother for anything in the world. He turns 18 in July!!
Congratulations! Your experience is what choice is all about. The choice to become a mother at a time in life when we're equipped with the resources every child needs and deserves!
I loved this video ! I remember being a 6yrold kid watching this show I always admired Murphy gorgeous looks with an masculine attitude. I could relate because ppl would count me out & think I wasn't tough because my looks didn't match my deminor.
Great episode. A huge factor in reruns and DVD sales is music rights. It costs a bunch to get permission to play all the classic Motown from the series. Its a big problem with Bernie Mac and WKRP and The Wonder Years.
@@thefonzkiss While I'm aware that "Freaks and Geeks" is beloved in some circles, especially in that very narrow age window of three or four years who were in high school at the time, I'm not personally acquainted with the show. A quick wiki check on the show and it was aired on NBC which in theory puts it under the Universal umbrella which probably made it easier to secure licensing rights. I wouldn't be surprised if The Who's catalog was owned by Universal too.
Murphy Brown is my ABSOLUTE favorite network show from my youth (move over 30rock from this millennium), I am so glad you have covered this. Watched it with my mother and grandmother too. Candice Bergen has had an amazing life herself; and I remember it, her pregnancy issues, her cancer episodes (the one where they smoked weed!) Yes this was a big deal for tv when I was growing up. ...While maybe not as political ...though there's some social stuff in it and you are dancing in these decades... please do Northern Exposure next? :) These are fantastic videos.
This is what you are best at! Comic books and television show social commentary. So so good. Thank you! You're doing important work. I can't wait for your next offering.
"Murph, it's DAN QUAYLE, forget about him" had me in stitches. I loved this show so much, and now I really want to re-watch. Thank you for the summary.
Diane English created a great show. The fact that it ran the years it did proves that. Bergen was beautiful but had no vanity and her comedy was strong. Looking back some of the episodes looked dated, but one stands out forever: The 🦃 Thanksgiving homeless shelter ep in which Miles brought live turkeys for the dinner and Murphy said the immortal words: "why are they walking!?" Thanks for this great video, it took me back to better days
This is am Awesome study of gender & political socialization. I'm a kid of the 90s, Murphy Brown was a huge deal for me! The show emphasized education, career motivation & a woman's right to choose how and when, she starts a family. "By the time you begin to figure out what the world is, you're already in it". That quote is pure gold.
I had no idea that I remembered Murphy's birthing episode until I literally started getting emotional flashbacks watching the scenes you posted. The bit with Miles doing a baseline slide underneath Murphy instantly brought me back!
This is fantastic. I was a bit young when it was on, but my stay at home mother was a HUGE fan, and it was one of the few shows I spent time watching with her. (Elden was my fave) It's incredible how Jim's voice immediately sent me back to laying in my bed, overhearing it in the next room. I totally forgot about this show and how important it was to my family until I saw this video. Very appreciated, especially now that my mom has passed.
As someone who was raised by TV, Thank you so much for doing a video on this show. I always wondered what happened to it, & think of it from time to time. It was one of my favorite shows growing up, and it definitely left a mark on me. All the ways that you described Murphy Brown's character is how my husband describes me- that scene at the college where Corky says Murphy Brown thinks she's always right made me bust up laughing because that is very much who I am- with a grain of salt. That being said, her force of character and tenacity really left an imprint on me. Also, thanks for the cancer warning, that was much appreciated.
This is one of the best shows ever. I adored the remake. This was from my childhood, when strong women were plentiful on tv (Murphy, Roseanne, Julia Sugarbaker, Dorothy Spornack) oh how sad that we seem to have gone backwards not forward... Eldon's friendship with Murphy, his reaction to her being pregnant, made me cry as much as it did the first time I saw it, it meant alot seeing her struggle with this decision... That was very real... Ironically, Murphy naming the baby after her deceased mother (Avery) actually is what lived on... I still meet Avery's & see people naming their babies that, sadly I bet they don't know their naming their child after a child on one of the coolest best shows of all time
This is brilliant. Thank you for putting it together. I loved the Murphy Brown. The reboot while I found it just about watchable it wasn't a patch on the original.
Yet another fantastic video, I'm a huge fan of these breakdowns. I haven't been able to find the time to watch shows like this, so I'm happy to have such a knowledgeable and entertaining exploration of them.
Murphy Brown would tackle eth..journalism ethics and standards like the commodification of the news and whatnot, with a level of poignancy you'd not expect from a sitcom
Murphy Brown will forever be a series that was caught between two eras. Be it the genius of the original writer vs those who replaced her. The Reagan vs Clinton Era. The Baby Boomer vs Gen X. Or Even the Gen X vs Millennial. Unlike shows like All in the Family, Fresh Prince, Golden Girls, or Mary Tyler Moore, it doesn't have the luxury of being gently judged by a specific generation and beloved for what it was at the time. It was a show between a lot of eras, and judged harshly by all even while other shows are handled gently by the kid gloves of nostalgia.
The videos and total unique viewers of such videos and articles is a small minority of the population - so, I wouldn't put too much stock in what you see necessarily meaning anything about how people feel.
Honestly this series introduced me to a lot of songs that I still love today, so it will always have a special place in my heart. That said it I think it was forgotten just because the show didn't have reruns for years and years like many other shows that went off the air. Most shows I grew up with are pretty easy to find on streaming or if I decided to watch tv I could probably find a many of them on air even now.
Really neat to see these rundowns of old shows, I like your channel a whole lot! Also damn Murphy Brown is so handsome I'm so gay, her face? Wow. And I'm sure her acting talents, given the awards. That baby scene with Natural Woman made me tear up even without the context.
This was a great video! I remember watching Murphy when I was in high school, college and graduate school, but I have not seen it since. It seemed to just disappeared. Thank you for this wonderful retrospective. I did not realize how of the moment the joke references were. You demonstrated in that in the joke clip that much of the humor was lost due to passage of time. Thank you for your thought filled video@
This has to be one of my absolute favourite shows of all time. I was born in 1994 so I never got to see this show when it originally aired, but it was one of my mums favourite shows so I watched it pretty much throughout my whole childhood and it quickly became one of my favourites too. I feel like part of me was raised by Murphy- my mum also had a very similar personality to Murphy funnily enough. This is a show that I think about constantly to this day, and it has hugely impacted my life. It makes me really sad that the show hasn't gotten the credit over the years that it truely deserves. It is the one show that I wish I had the resources to go and rewatch it constantly. To me it has always been brilliantly written, funny and real. it tackled so many issues over its run and I'm so grateful that I was able to see this show. I miss it
this was really great. i enjoyed the show and loved how it deconstructed so much of what was going on in the world and our country at the time. thanks for sharing!
The episode where Murphy visits her campus and learns she's not the voice of this generation is very topical. Activists and social commentator role is to eventually be irrelevant (where are the activists from 20 years ago now). Its only years that separate what is progressive today is tomorrow's classic liberal. Important Talking points today are tomorrow's dated comments. Its only time before someone younger than you is telling you you don't matter, old and get out if the way.
Thanks for this excellent look at the show. It debuted when I was a kid, and my mom watched it at the beginning. I remember the Quayle stuff in the news as a teen, but by then I was not following along (though I knew the names of all the main actors for some reason). I was excited for the reboot, and was disappointed by it, so I'm grateful to you for parsing it out and now I understand why I was left wanting. Your whole presentation here was a good time, so thanks!
I only recently discovered your channel, and have just binge watched your videos on The Cosby Show, Fresh Prince and Murphy Brown, shows that I watched as a young teen in the 80’s/90’s. The depth of nuance and sensitivity that you bring to your analysis of these shows is powerful and has brought me to tears on multiple occasions. I have such renewed appreciation for them, and thank you for this.
Murphy was on Monday Nights, I think it was on at 8 or 8:30 pm, but I would watch it after my shower. I loved it. I didn't think at 15 I was supposed to, because it was an "adult show". But I did. She made you laugh and hard at everything that was going on in the world and boy did we still need her at times. I really wanted the reboot to succeed.
Glad I found your channel. Murphy Brown is like comfort food to me... Watching it brings me back in time when saw the world differently. For a moment, I've been distracted from the uncertainty of this pandemic... I was particularly interested in this last episode. I find the narration well written. Again thanks for taking the time and have this channel. I beg to disagree though, "Murphy Brown" is a classic.... (at least as far as I am concerned). I wish all of us safe and well.
Growing up in the 90's and watching 90's sitcoms like Roseanne, The Nanny, Fresh Prince and even That 70's Show and Seinfeld I was never really aware of Murphy Brown which is weird. I knew it existed, kinda, but beyond that there wasn't much of a spotlight on it in the mid to late 90's. But I do appreciate your extensive research and analysis on these older sitcoms that do deserve much needed attention. I don't agree with a lot of the leftist things you hint at, despite leaning left myself, but I love the dedication put in this and I enjoyed every minute of it discovering such an important piece of American media. I would love for you to tackle other 90's sitcoms too! Keep up the good work
It had its audience, but I don't think the network expected it to appeal to the masses. Politics and progressive social commentary was a key part of it's theme, with obscure or worldly references that readers of the New Yorker would get, but not fans of Roseanne or general sitcoms. This was before the internet and epic shows with deep character arcs on HBO were a thing, before binging or Tivo (DVR) was an common. How we watch TV has changed what we watch and what's created for us. The requirements of current politics and awareness are so layered and specific, that the broad stroke of Murphy is limited. She lives as an icon, but not so much for specific episodes. Maybe she needed a pet monkey or drunken affairs. Maybe we still don't appreciate strong, outspoken women...or know how to translate them in writing.
@Zofia Graham i can't speak for the OP, but I'm guessing using derogatory terms like TERF, etc. His high horse attitude really diminishes his otherwise excellent videos.
@Zofia Graham the word 'negro' is a descriptor. Can still be used as a derogatory term. Terf is clearly used as a derogatory here. I suggest you rethink your attitude instead of labeling the entire world into 'victims' and 'bigots'.
I'm kind of surprised I never knew about this show considering I used to stay up at night watching old sitcoms on Nickelodeon (it's weird to think that the baby in the show is older than me). It was interesting to see the show incorporate real news into its plot.
For a show no-one remembers, you managed to pull up a lot of scenes that have been etched into my long-term memory. And yeah, Frank and Murphy's friendship was a highlight.
I loved Murphy Brown and I am one of the apparent few who own the first season on DVD. You are right about the show being dated now because at the time it was very current. Also I thought it went down hill after Miles left. I actually enjoyed the re-boot. It wasn't perfect but I liked it. And the actor who played her adult son was so freaking hot :)
I didn’t get a chance to watch Murphy Brown until I switched schools and I found out that Kate Mulgrew guest starred in a couple episodes as a reporter struggling with alcoholism. I was really impressed by Murphy referencing her own experiences and went out of her way to help out. She was honest and forthright. It balanced the comedy and serious subjects very well. I wish the show got another season. I think the revival suffered from the cast trying to get back its sea legs and a second season probably would’ve helped. It would be nice if media were willing to take more risks like this show did. Companies have a lot more money now. They can afford to pull it off. Then again, I am an idealist and I do enjoy creating scenarios all the time. I think the discussion about the shift in perception would’ve been interesting to explore, especially when it comes to reporting and current media practices and consumption. Please do more of these analyses. I really enjoy them! :) Also, I’ll be happy to have you as a friend.
I got extra credit in class once because I knew the name of John Kennedy Jr.'s magazine "George" because I saw it on Murphy Brown, pretty sure the teacher did too.
Thanks for posting this. By the way, Pat Corley was a depositor at a bank at which I worked. When he visited my window the first time, he wasn't rude, but he didn't smile. Before he left and after I processed his deposit, I leaned forward and said quietly, "I really enjoy your work on the show", and he left. The second time he came in with a deposit, I processed it and before he left, he joked with me a bit. After that, he always came to me after that and he had a smile on his face sometime during the transaction. We also never discussed "Murphy Brown" or "Hill Street Blues", either. That's the key to retail: prove your competence and camaraderie comes afterward, if at all, but not before.
Only faint memories of this show as a kid; you've given me a newfound appreciation as an adult. The platonic friendship they kept throughout the series was sweet. And given the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, some of the show still is very timely.
The coolest thing about this show was how the news they were covering was the real news at the time, especially if you watched it close to first broadcast.
Jose, you never fail! This show really wears well over time. Some don't, some feel dated because of the progress we've made. Very young people are sometimes surprised at the narrow mindedness of former sitcoms but this one is wonderful.
The way you've broken this down is excellent. You clearly have a knack for bringing this old media back to life. Also I literally spat my drink out laughing at 40 minutes when you said someone like you was gonna turn up on screen and the male feminist appeared.
I was laughin at him too considering how absolutely anti-feminist Josè's take was on the feminist icon Murphy Brown, like part of me wants to forgive him for his ignorance cause he's young and has no clue what kind of world the 1980's was or how ground breaking and legendary this show and Murphy's character was and also because Josè is generally a pretty progressive guy but he came across as very anti-woman in a lot of his commentary here
@@NeilRichter he did make it a point to acknowledge that the 80's were a different time but he was pretty judgemental of some things in a way that actually would have been considered very anti-women back when the show was made and as someone who grew up watching and admiring and being inspired by the character I disagreed with a lot of his analysis and didn't like the woke scoldness of his tone, like I said tho I'm a huge fan of José and he's usually very intelligent and progressive in his analysis of media so I don't think he hates women and I don't hate him or anything, I might have sounded a little angry when I wrote my comment right after watchig the video cause I grew up loving Murphy Brown but I'm mostly just disappointed in José for missing the mark so poorly on a few things in this vid, I'm still a huge fan of his work here and I only commented it hoping he would notice if enough of us pointed it out and that it would lead him to reflect on that critique and continue to grow and develop and get better at the analysis he does
@@xp7575 Can you be more specific? I grew up in the 90's and I really didn't notice anything José said that would be considered anti-woman now or then. I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything, by the way; I just want to understand your perspective.
@@rev.ryan206 I know you specified you wanted to be chill, but I'd like to point out how conveniently they stopped responding when asked for specifics.
@@BrendanishLeo yeah, that's why I asked for the specific examples because watching the video I couldn't spot anything "problematic" within the context of now or the context of the 90s. I genuinely was hoping they'd point something out that I'd missed or didn't realize was offensive, or point out something they'd misinterpreted, but they either just wanted some attention or were so offended they left the internet, lol.
Another one hour video about a sitcom I've never watched? SIGN ME UP BOY
Oh look it up, it's one of the best most fun shows ever... You'll love it
It's a great show and when u find it binge it, however will warn that some of the jokes are dated bc its very cultural in its jokes. And not like racial or misogyny jokes but Bush 41 and very 1990s in its topics
@@heydeanie why look it up when his whole video summarizes the show??
@@katelynbrown98 because a summary isn't a show...? I mean it's a good summary & all, but the show was epicly funny & great
I always would watch her in this fabulous clip!!! The topics covered are mind blowing !!!!! It is historically mind blowing & in-sightful !!!
I was raised on this show and news radio by my mom. My dad was rarely, if ever, home at night so from a young age my evenings were spent watching my mom's favorite sitcoms which later would include Frasier. In case you haven't noticed, my mom liked a certain kind of show, but Murphy Brown was easily her favorite. Her and I often joke that no one, outside of us, remembers Murphy Brown. Thank you for proving us wrong, and for reminding me of just how special this show was/is to me.
A lot of elder Millenials like myself have memories of watching this show with grandparents or parents, but for a while, I assumed this show was a fever dream because so few people seem to remember it, haha. Very much appreciate this analysis. 😊
use to watch with my mom, i re-watched it years latter as an adult, shows how little politics have changed since the 80s and 90s
Just as I was revisiting your Rosanne video, please do more of these analysis videos of TV shows. Your content is very insightful and eye opening, I hope your channel blows up soon
@MonkeeJuice Golden Girls would be amazing. I'd also suggest Cagney and Lacey
How about the social-political sitcom that started them all--All in the Family!
And how about the forerunner of Murphy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and one of it's progeny, Ally McBeal?
It was very brave of Candace Bergen to do that cancer arc when her long time husband had just died of it. That woman was tougher than iron nails.
During season ten, one of my teachers was diagnosed with breast cancer and left to focus on treatment. The next year, another teacher followed that trajectory. Murphy Brown helped me know how to handle that.
That's really cool. I remember my mom was really into Murphy Brown and I have fond memories of watching it on Monday evenings on channel 9 while eating dinner in the nineties. At that age I couldn't fully grasp the deeper sub text but the surface level stuff about Murphy being a top class journalist at FYI who didn't take any crap from anyone was enough to keep my interest. It's unfortunate that it has kinda been forgotten about in the pop culture landscape as it was a really good show for its time. But it's also very much a product of its time. I think it will be remembered as an influential show that creators of other shows will remember and have been influenced by.
I love the male characters in this show. Their relationship with Murphy, a beautiful single woman and the show runners were never compelled to pair her up with a series regular is admirable
Yes! Our media, just like our real life, must make room for real, sincere, loving and respectful true friendship between men and women without it having to go to some kind of romantic goal!
Wow, I love this! What a great exploration of a show I vaguely remember watching as a kid. I’m surprised to discover I really like this character! Whenever pop culture parodies her or this show, they make her sound like a humorless jerk. Actually, she seems like a hard-boil sarcastic reporter like many depictions of male reporters in media. Well done on this. (Also, can you imagine a network today paying to use famous Motown songs in every episode of a sitcom??)
I see what you mean about the parodies, but I make an exception for Selma singing to Jubjub - the juxtaposition is more than a cheap insult. Selma isn't extraordinary like Murphy; she's a half-assed pencil pusher at the DMV, not a high-flying celebrity journalist. Her judgment that she would be a miserable and incompetent mother is transformed through the homage to portray self-respect, confidence, and empathy. The idealism and realism of the episodes complement each other.
I am 40 now and watched this show growing up. It was a huge deal in its time. Candice Bergen is so talented even today.
It was a bit of a shock to see Wendie Jo Sperber in the cancer support group. This would have been when she was battling it herself, and she'd eventually die from it. Sadly, she's mostly forgotten as well, except maybe those who remember Linda McFly.
I noticed that too. It looks like she'd experienced some wasting by then. :`(
I remember her from way back in the days of Bosom Buddies. It was a shock when I found out she passed away.
I always think of her as Amy from Bosom Buddies.
I could be wrong, but I swear the redheaded woman in that group is Marcia Wallace-- or at least it looks like her! She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985. She's best known as Carol from The Bob Newhart Show, and later, Mrs. Krabappel from The Simpsons.
Jes Lightning that’s not her but earlier in this video you see Marcia Wallace as Murphy’s secretary.
Thanks for introducing me to things I've never heard of before.
Thanks for making some of us feel old as hell. ;)
I have always held Murphy as an icon. Candice Bergen is amazing. Sure season 11 wasn't as good as it could have been but I still loved having one last outing with my old friends. I hadn't really intended watching the full 75 minutes but before I knew it I was nearing the end. This was outstanding. I got a bit weepy through some of it.
Your deep dives into my childhood media are incredibly enjoyable ways to revisit some of the shows that formed my very approach to life.
This was so good! I adored Murphy Brown, and don't recall missing an episode, and for a while, as a kid, I wanted so badly to be a journalist, no doubt influenced by her and some IRL contemporaries. Thanks, José, loved it.
I grew up watching this show with my mom, though whether they were syndicated reruns or not I have no idea, I didn't know to think about that when I was little. Most of my memories of it are vague, so this was a nice refresher. Somewhere in the back of my head, I still think of Murphy Brown any time I see the acronym FYI.
Oh my god this is so bizarre. My parents LOVED this show and I barely remembered it, now its all flooding back, this is so trippy.
Really great work, it feels like you mined into my subconcsious.
This was a really amazing in-depth look at Murphy Brown, a series I barely remember but am so glad you did a deep dive into it! Again, thanks for including me, it was fun!
man I'd love to have a friendship like murphy and phil...
And Murphy & frank... And Murphy & Eldin... She had great male friends
Don't worry is fantasy, men and women can't be friends, unless the guy is gay.
@@tumadrexuxa not true... I've had straight male friends. Not alot lol... But a few
@@heydeanie Did you see "When Harry Met Sally" ? Can a woman really be friends with a straight man? Hmmmmm....Rob Reiner is so great on relationships!
You hit the nail on the head with Murphy Brown's reliance on jokes about contemporary issues contributing to its lack of nostalgia following. Although when I watched a few episodes (on the aforementioned Antenna TV, a digital channel that shows a lot of older sitcoms btw) it reminded me of some long forgotten trends or moments of the early 90s and got a laugh out of me.
I actually liked the Simpson's scene more not knowing it was a reference, it just seemed like a cute dorky thing that she was doing to make herself feel happy.
Same. Arguably, knowing the context of it being a reference kinda cheapens it a bit. Both are great scenes, but it's weird that the one with Selma wasn't supposed to stand on its own without pop cultural context.
I knew the reference and enjoyed it. But I can't remember now whether it was Selma or Patty...
Okay I finished it and the whole thing was so good!! I’ll be your friend, Jose!
Footage of Dan Quayle taken from my local TV station, which i remember watching at the time (the year of my 28th birthday).
I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way they reacted to a notoriously unintellectual midwest frat-boy politician's bringing their fictional character into the real-world political debate (in the worst way) by incorporating it back into their fictional universe to comment on it there. Deadpool's got nothing on that kind of fourth-wall demolition.
I remember that so well!
It was reality TV before reality TV. It was so real because they did it so well.
In freeing Brown from power relationships with the male characters, they also freed those characters to have more personal stories and motivations. The result is a show full of robust, well-realized characters.
I think Murphy Brown strongly defined the way forward for the office sitcom. Personal favorites like News Radio, Working, and Just Shoot Me (ESPECIALLY Just Shoot Me) owe it a big debt.
Damn, I had no idea that Simpsons scene was a reference.
thing to know for us 90's kids; everything in Simpsons is a reference; its just that we could only tease out the ones we knew at the time.
yeah it was a sneaky one. i think maybe family guy did a more direct spoof on it that was actually pretty fucking funny.
*not that scene, but MB in general...
Me neither, and I totally watched Murphy Brown as a kid. It was one of those shows that was just there on TV and was pretty decent-- you never sought it out but if it was on you'd watch it. Like Just Shoot Me and a bunch of other 90's sitcoms.
@@skinnee it even had them guest voice: ua-cam.com/video/zqKs5F-YeLY/v-deo.html
Never heard of Murphy Brown but, damn, I want to watch it now
Omg you will loooove it! One of the best shows ever made
@@heydeanie I did like it!! Thanks!!
Oh good, I missed the live version because I had to calm my sister down. I'm so happy it's here.
Murphy Brown made me feel completely comfortable having my son on my own at 38. Because of her, I never felt the stigma of being a single mom, in fact I felt proud. I had plenty of years prior to his birth to selfishly experience my life on my own, I had an education and a career with flexibility and growth. I wouldn’t have missed out on being his mother for anything in the world. He turns 18 in July!!
Congratulations! Your experience is what choice is all about. The choice to become a mother at a time in life when we're equipped with the resources every child needs and deserves!
@@stregalilith thank you
Wow, that must have been a lot of work. Thank you so much for doing this! I was a huge fan of Murphy Brown at that time.
I loved this video ! I remember being a 6yrold kid watching this show I always admired Murphy gorgeous looks with an masculine attitude. I could relate because ppl would count me out & think I wasn't tough because my looks didn't match my deminor.
I watched this with my mom as a kid, I think it instilled in me a lifelong love of motown music
Never heard of this before, not even 10 minutes in and I'm already super down for this and kinda wanna watch the actual show.
Jose my man! Yet another video showing me why I should care about a piece of media I've never heard about!
Somehow you're really great at this.
I loved Murphy Brown when I was young in the early 90s, too. I'm glad some people remember her, and I really appreciate your video. Great job.
Never even heard of the program in question but it's José so I'm straight into it with a vengeance. Love your work dude.
Great episode. A huge factor in reruns and DVD sales is music rights. It costs a bunch to get permission to play all the classic Motown from the series. Its a big problem with Bernie Mac and WKRP and The Wonder Years.
no, you see, it must mean people dont love it like other shows! /s
Freaks and Geeks had the same issue but they cared enough about it to pay the music licensing rights.
@@thefonzkiss While I'm aware that "Freaks and Geeks" is beloved in some circles, especially in that very narrow age window of three or four years who were in high school at the time, I'm not personally acquainted with the show. A quick wiki check on the show and it was aired on NBC which in theory puts it under the Universal umbrella which probably made it easier to secure licensing rights. I wouldn't be surprised if The Who's catalog was owned by Universal too.
Murphy Brown is my ABSOLUTE favorite network show from my youth (move over 30rock from this millennium), I am so glad you have covered this. Watched it with my mother and grandmother too. Candice Bergen has had an amazing life herself; and I remember it, her pregnancy issues, her cancer episodes (the one where they smoked weed!) Yes this was a big deal for tv when I was growing up. ...While maybe not as political ...though there's some social stuff in it and you are dancing in these decades... please do Northern Exposure next? :) These are fantastic videos.
Yaaaaasssss Northern Exposure!!!! LA Law or Night Court...ahhhhh my childhood
This is what you are best at! Comic books and television show social commentary. So so good. Thank you! You're doing important work. I can't wait for your next offering.
I love that they contextualized Quayle's comments within the show itself.
I loved Murphy Brown when I was 11. Great show and great video essay 👏
"Murph, it's DAN QUAYLE, forget about him" had me in stitches. I loved this show so much, and now I really want to re-watch. Thank you for the summary.
Diane English created a great show. The fact that it ran the years it did proves that. Bergen was beautiful but had no vanity and her comedy was strong. Looking back some of the episodes looked dated, but one stands out forever: The 🦃 Thanksgiving homeless shelter ep in which Miles brought live turkeys for the dinner and Murphy said the immortal words: "why are they walking!?" Thanks for this great video, it took me back to better days
This is am Awesome study of gender & political socialization. I'm a kid of the 90s, Murphy Brown was a huge deal for me! The show emphasized education, career motivation & a woman's right to choose how and when, she starts a family. "By the time you begin to figure out what the world is, you're already in it". That quote is pure gold.
This is one of the best video essays I’ve ever seen on this site. Thank you.
I had no idea that I remembered Murphy's birthing episode until I literally started getting emotional flashbacks watching the scenes you posted. The bit with Miles doing a baseline slide underneath Murphy instantly brought me back!
This is fantastic. I was a bit young when it was on, but my stay at home mother was a HUGE fan, and it was one of the few shows I spent time watching with her. (Elden was my fave)
It's incredible how Jim's voice immediately sent me back to laying in my bed, overhearing it in the next room. I totally forgot about this show and how important it was to my family until I saw this video.
Very appreciated, especially now that my mom has passed.
As someone who was raised by TV, Thank you so much for doing a video on this show. I always wondered what happened to it, & think of it from time to time. It was one of my favorite shows growing up, and it definitely left a mark on me. All the ways that you described Murphy Brown's character is how my husband describes me- that scene at the college where Corky says Murphy Brown thinks she's always right made me bust up laughing because that is very much who I am- with a grain of salt. That being said, her force of character and tenacity really left an imprint on me. Also, thanks for the cancer warning, that was much appreciated.
I legitimately didn't even know they did a Murphy Brown reboot lol ... and I watched all of that show growing up.
I am so here for your long form videos about this era of television. Loved this and your Roseanne vids!
I just recently watched every episode. I forgot how brilliant the show was.
Where did you find it?!
"even at murphy's worst: [describes the most attractive person i could possibly imagine]"
Exactly! Murphy was just everything
🤮
This is one of the best shows ever. I adored the remake. This was from my childhood, when strong women were plentiful on tv (Murphy, Roseanne, Julia Sugarbaker, Dorothy Spornack) oh how sad that we seem to have gone backwards not forward...
Eldon's friendship with Murphy, his reaction to her being pregnant, made me cry as much as it did the first time I saw it, it meant alot seeing her struggle with this decision... That was very real...
Ironically, Murphy naming the baby after her deceased mother (Avery) actually is what lived on... I still meet Avery's & see people naming their babies that, sadly I bet they don't know their naming their child after a child on one of the coolest best shows of all time
That's who came to mind immediately. The indelible Avery Brown. My mother and I bonded over this show and it'll always be a fave for that reason.
@@Lilianamarie999 couldn't agree more
This is brilliant. Thank you for putting it together. I loved the Murphy Brown. The reboot while I found it just about watchable it wasn't a patch on the original.
Yet another fantastic video, I'm a huge fan of these breakdowns. I haven't been able to find the time to watch shows like this, so I'm happy to have such a knowledgeable and entertaining exploration of them.
Murphy Brown would tackle eth..journalism ethics and standards like the commodification of the news and whatnot, with a level of poignancy you'd not expect from a sitcom
Murphy Brown will forever be a series that was caught between two eras. Be it the genius of the original writer vs those who replaced her. The Reagan vs Clinton Era. The Baby Boomer vs Gen X. Or Even the Gen X vs Millennial. Unlike shows like All in the Family, Fresh Prince, Golden Girls, or Mary Tyler Moore, it doesn't have the luxury of being gently judged by a specific generation and beloved for what it was at the time. It was a show between a lot of eras, and judged harshly by all even while other shows are handled gently by the kid gloves of nostalgia.
The videos and total unique viewers of such videos and articles is a small minority of the population - so, I wouldn't put too much stock in what you see necessarily meaning anything about how people feel.
"I want to smoke and drink a lot."
I've never seen this show, but you have a knack for making me nostalgic for all sorts of things I've never seen.
Honestly this series introduced me to a lot of songs that I still love today, so it will always have a special place in my heart. That said it I think it was forgotten just because the show didn't have reruns for years and years like many other shows that went off the air. Most shows I grew up with are pretty easy to find on streaming or if I decided to watch tv I could probably find a many of them on air even now.
Really neat to see these rundowns of old shows, I like your channel a whole lot! Also damn Murphy Brown is so handsome I'm so gay, her face? Wow. And I'm sure her acting talents, given the awards. That baby scene with Natural Woman made me tear up even without the context.
This was a great video! I remember watching Murphy when I was in high school, college and graduate school, but I have not seen it since. It seemed to just disappeared. Thank you for this wonderful retrospective. I did not realize how of the moment the joke references were. You demonstrated in that in the joke clip that much of the humor was lost due to passage of time. Thank you for your thought filled video@
Doing a rewatch of all the old retrospectives! Your voice is so calming
This has to be one of my absolute favourite shows of all time. I was born in 1994 so I never got to see this show when it originally aired, but it was one of my mums favourite shows so I watched it pretty much throughout my whole childhood and it quickly became one of my favourites too. I feel like part of me was raised by Murphy- my mum also had a very similar personality to Murphy funnily enough. This is a show that I think about constantly to this day, and it has hugely impacted my life. It makes me really sad that the show hasn't gotten the credit over the years that it truely deserves. It is the one show that I wish I had the resources to go and rewatch it constantly. To me it has always been brilliantly written, funny and real. it tackled so many issues over its run and I'm so grateful that I was able to see this show. I miss it
Oh, wow. I forgot how much I loved this show. It's a real shame that it's been largely forgotten. :/
Man, I wish there were journalists like that
I've also tried to find Murphy Brown (before the revival) and it's basically impossible.
@@annieonymouse4467 I am glad I bought that first season when I could.
they air it on an oldies tv station in my area at like 3 am, I DVR it and re-watch it.
this was really great. i enjoyed the show and loved how it deconstructed so much of what was going on in the world and our country at the time. thanks for sharing!
Hillary said “I do have experience with emails” holy shit. ☠️I love it.
The episode where Murphy visits her campus and learns she's not the voice of this generation is very topical. Activists and social commentator role is to eventually be irrelevant (where are the activists from 20 years ago now).
Its only years that separate what is progressive today is tomorrow's classic liberal. Important Talking points today are tomorrow's dated comments. Its only time before someone younger than you is telling you you don't matter, old and get out if the way.
I know this comment is old, but do you remember which episode you were referring to?
i loved murphy brown. saw almost every episode and named my first cat after candice. of course it helps that there was a miles on the show.
*Reads title*
I don't even know what this show is.
"Then you're on the right track!"
one of my favorite shows growing up
Absolutely LOVED this sitcom. So much of my life is in it. Thank you.
Thanks for this excellent look at the show. It debuted when I was a kid, and my mom watched it at the beginning. I remember the Quayle stuff in the news as a teen, but by then I was not following along (though I knew the names of all the main actors for some reason). I was excited for the reboot, and was disappointed by it, so I'm grateful to you for parsing it out and now I understand why I was left wanting. Your whole presentation here was a good time, so thanks!
I only recently discovered your channel, and have just binge watched your videos on The Cosby Show, Fresh Prince and Murphy Brown, shows that I watched as a young teen in the 80’s/90’s. The depth of nuance and sensitivity that you bring to your analysis of these shows is powerful and has brought me to tears on multiple occasions. I have such renewed appreciation for them, and thank you for this.
Your "wokanalysis" sure killed the pleasant memories I had of this show. Thanks mate.
what are u talking about
Murphy was on Monday Nights, I think it was on at 8 or 8:30 pm, but I would watch it after my shower. I loved it. I didn't think at 15 I was supposed to, because it was an "adult show". But I did. She made you laugh and hard at everything that was going on in the world and boy did we still need her at times. I really wanted the reboot to succeed.
The use of copyrighted music is also the reason Beavis & Butthead hasn’t had a proper release (as well as the MTV show The State)
So THATS why Selma was singing Natural Woman to her iguana! I never got the reference until now
Glad I found your channel. Murphy Brown is like comfort food to me... Watching it brings me back in time when saw the world differently. For a moment, I've been distracted from the uncertainty of this pandemic... I was particularly interested in this last episode. I find the narration well written. Again thanks for taking the time and have this channel. I beg to disagree though, "Murphy Brown" is a classic.... (at least as far as I am concerned). I wish all of us safe and well.
I couldn't agree more... Hope your still doing well
Growing up in the 90's and watching 90's sitcoms like Roseanne, The Nanny, Fresh Prince and even That 70's Show and Seinfeld I was never really aware of Murphy Brown which is weird. I knew it existed, kinda, but beyond that there wasn't much of a spotlight on it in the mid to late 90's. But I do appreciate your extensive research and analysis on these older sitcoms that do deserve much needed attention. I don't agree with a lot of the leftist things you hint at, despite leaning left myself, but I love the dedication put in this and I enjoyed every minute of it discovering such an important piece of American media. I would love for you to tackle other 90's sitcoms too! Keep up the good work
@Zofia Graham I’m curious too
It had its audience, but I don't think the network expected it to appeal to the masses. Politics and progressive social commentary was a key part of it's theme, with obscure or worldly references that readers of the New Yorker would get, but not fans of Roseanne or general sitcoms. This was before the internet and epic shows with deep character arcs on HBO were a thing, before binging or Tivo (DVR) was an common. How we watch TV has changed what we watch and what's created for us. The requirements of current politics and awareness are so layered and specific, that the broad stroke of Murphy is limited. She lives as an icon, but not so much for specific episodes. Maybe she needed a pet monkey or drunken affairs. Maybe we still don't appreciate strong, outspoken women...or know how to translate them in writing.
@Zofia Graham i can't speak for the OP, but I'm guessing using derogatory terms like TERF, etc.
His high horse attitude really diminishes his otherwise excellent videos.
@Zofia Graham the word 'negro' is a descriptor. Can still be used as a derogatory term.
Terf is clearly used as a derogatory here.
I suggest you rethink your attitude instead of labeling the entire world into 'victims' and 'bigots'.
The late 80s and early 90s was kinda it’s own thing. Sorta hidden away…
I'm kind of surprised I never knew about this show considering I used to stay up at night watching old sitcoms on Nickelodeon (it's weird to think that the baby in the show is older than me). It was interesting to see the show incorporate real news into its plot.
Strongest episode I've yet seen from you......incisive, well researched, thoughtful.
For a show no-one remembers, you managed to pull up a lot of scenes that have been etched into my long-term memory. And yeah, Frank and Murphy's friendship was a highlight.
I loved Murphy Brown and I am one of the apparent few who own the first season on DVD. You are right about the show being dated now because at the time it was very current. Also I thought it went down hill after Miles left.
I actually enjoyed the re-boot. It wasn't perfect but I liked it. And the actor who played her adult son was so freaking hot :)
I didn’t get a chance to watch Murphy Brown until I switched schools and I found out that Kate Mulgrew guest starred in a couple episodes as a reporter struggling with alcoholism. I was really impressed by Murphy referencing her own experiences and went out of her way to help out. She was honest and forthright. It balanced the comedy and serious subjects very well.
I wish the show got another season. I think the revival suffered from the cast trying to get back its sea legs and a second season probably would’ve helped. It would be nice if media were willing to take more risks like this show did. Companies have a lot more money now. They can afford to pull it off. Then again, I am an idealist and I do enjoy creating scenarios all the time. I think the discussion about the shift in perception would’ve been interesting to explore, especially when it comes to reporting and current media practices and consumption.
Please do more of these analyses. I really enjoy them! :) Also, I’ll be happy to have you as a friend.
I use to watch it with my mom when i was a kid. i join here every evening. I remember how it was impotent to my mom.
Murphy was her idol.
I got extra credit in class once because I knew the name of John Kennedy Jr.'s magazine "George" because I saw it on Murphy Brown, pretty sure the teacher did too.
My mom watched the original series and now we’re watching the new series together. I stan tbh.
This video has convinced me to watch Murphy Brown (if I can get ahold of it).
Thank you for frankness and understanding. Not many are so open.
Thanks for posting this.
By the way, Pat Corley was a depositor at a bank at which I worked. When he visited my window the first time, he wasn't rude, but he didn't smile. Before he left and after I processed his deposit, I leaned forward and said quietly, "I really enjoy your work on the show", and he left. The second time he came in with a deposit, I processed it and before he left, he joked with me a bit. After that, he always came to me after that and he had a smile on his face sometime during the transaction.
We also never discussed "Murphy Brown" or "Hill Street Blues", either. That's the key to retail: prove your competence and camaraderie comes afterward, if at all, but not before.
by far my favorite deep-dive series.
I don't understand how you only have 54k followers! You should be in the millions already
Loved this ep so much. I have fond memories of watching this show with my family. At this rate though, I am crossing my fingers for an ep about Cybil!
Only faint memories of this show as a kid; you've given me a newfound appreciation as an adult.
The platonic friendship they kept throughout the series was sweet. And given the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, some of the show still is very timely.
The coolest thing about this show was how the news they were covering was the real news at the time, especially if you watched it close to first broadcast.
They make it legit
I remember watching this show on occasion with my mommy when I was a kid... ^_^
I take it that this show is still awaiting a DVD release, though?
Just the first season, I think.
Jose, you never fail! This show really wears well over time. Some don't, some feel dated because of the progress we've made. Very young people are sometimes surprised at the narrow mindedness of former sitcoms but this one is wonderful.