'Murphy Brown' returns to save us from the fake news of the Trump era
From the depths of our fake news Trump dystopia rises an old and welcome hero: Murphy Brown.
CBS announced the return its groundbreaking '80s sitcom and, unlike the other countless nostalgic reboots and revivals (Will and Grace, American Idol, Charmed, Heathers, Roseanne), this one couldn't be more relevant in 2018.
Known for its biting satire and social commentary, Murphy Brown pioneered through its portrayal of a single mom who was also a successful news anchor. The announcement even says that Murphy will return "to a world of cable news, social media, fake news and a very different political and cultural climate."
Oh god -- someone please protect her Twitter account from getting doxxed by MAGA trolls.
Bringing back much of the original talent, Candice Bergen will revive her award-winning titular role, and series creator Diane English returns as writer and executive producer. CBS signed on for an initial 13-episode run of the multicamera show, airing in 2018-2019. It will be produced by Warner Bros.
While ahead of its time, Murphy Brown still achieved widespread popularity and accrued an astounding number of prestigious awards (18 Emmys, three Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Directors Guild Awards, and two Writers Guild Awards) in its 10-year run.
Trumpism isn't the only modern subject the show will be poised to address. The issues of gender parity, equal pay, and sexual harassment in news rooms continue to dominate the cultural conversation. The revival has a unique opportunity to push the boundaries it tackled decades ago.
As a celebration of the show's 30th anniversary, you'd think we'd be further along in solving the systemic issues it originally brought to light. But as it turns out, we need Murphy Brown now more than ever.
Will Murphy be wearing her Time's Up pin? One can only hope and pray.
Topics Donald Trump Politics
Jess is an LA-based culture critic who covers intimacy in the digital age, from sex and relationship to weed and all media (tv, games, film, the web). Previously associate editor at Kill Screen, you can also find her words on Vice, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Vox, and others. She is a Brazilian-Swiss American immigrant with a love for all things weird and magical.
