Murphy Brown revival happening at CBS; Candice Bergen returning
The network has closed a deal with Warner Bros. TV to bring Murphy Brown back for another 13-episode run of new episodes. Not only is original series star Candice Bergen returning, but so is creator Diane English. This is a risky move, though that goes without saying. The original Murphy Brown first premiered thirty years ago, just in case anyone needed to feel particularly old today. It was a pioneering comedy series at the time with dramatic elements, and it tackled everything from women’s struggles in the workplace to retirement to finding one’s place in the world. It was a fantastic show, but this is a new generation of viewers and with that, there are of course challenges modernizing it and making it appear to a new audience.
We are grateful to have the series back with Bergen on board; with that, though, was there anyone clamoring for more Murphy Brown in the air? We hadn’t heard about the show in ages.
This series comes after NBC has found some success with their recent revival of Will & Grace; meanwhile, Fox has already brought back such drama series as Prison Break and The X-Files, and you can anticipate seeing some sort of revival for Roseanne coming to ABC a little bit late this year. It is a little bit too early to say for certain whether or not we are going to get the new Murphy Brown in the fall or at midseason, but either way this is certainly something to keep your eyes peeled for. CBS is going to invest a great deal of time into making this a success; they wouldn’t be reviving it otherwise.
What do you think: Could a Murphy Brown revival work, or are networks getting a little bit too reliant on old properties that haven’t been on the air in many years? Share now in the comments, and be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook for some other updates. (Photo: CBS.)