The Terrible Catsafterme

SEASON 1 – CBS

• 001. Respect – 11/14/1988
  • Washington D.C. investigative journalist and news anchor Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) works for CBS television news magazine FYI, and has just returned from being away at the Betty Ford Clinic where she has battled her alcoholism. Among her colleagues at the station are reporter Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and news anchor Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough). Additions to the studio are a new young executive producer named Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud) and a new anchor, former Miss American winner Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford). Miles impresses Murphy by getting her an interview with Bobby Powell (Tony Goldwyn), who has been accused of being in an affair with a woman running for Vice President of the United States…but with the stipulation that she can’t ask him about the affair. She refuses to agree to that, but after meeting with Bobby at Phil’s (Pat Corley) Bar, she decides that he deserves to tell his story with dignity. However, right before they go on air, Murphy senses that he is just using her show as a tool to set up a book deal later on, so she starts the interview off by immediately asking him the question. Murphy goes through two secretaries: Sherry (Mary Cadorette), who tries to give Murphy advice about journalism, and Robert (Charley Lang), who nearly has a nervous breakdown. She also hires painter Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli) to paint her house, but he is diverted by painting murals. Kathleen Freeman stars as Mrs. Caldwell. 11/16/14

• 002. Devil with a Blue Dress On – 11/21/1988
  • On the day that Murphy and Corky show up wearing the same blue dress, Murphy announces that she has convinced tycoon Edward Moorhouse to allow her to do a profile. Miles wants it to air quickly, so he assigns Corky to help her with it. Murphy gives Corky some demeaning and difficult tasks but she doesn’t give up. Murphy also advises Corky to always go for the brass ring. Corky reveals that when Moorhouse flies back from South America, he never goes through customs. Murphy does further research to find out that he is smuggling drugs, but her conscience gets the better of her and she allows Corky to introduce the segment on air. Corky however goes for the ‘brass ring’ and reports the entire story. Murphy tells her that admires her tenacity, but that she will kill her if she ever does that again. Miles also tells Jim that he needs to smile more on air. Murphy goes through her third secretary Megan Reynolds (Dinah Lenney), who is obsessed with Corky. John Hostetter plays John the stage manager. 11/16/14
• 003. Nowhere to Run – 11/28/1988
  • Miles talks Murphy into abandoning a story she is working on about locating a Nazi, to visit with an informant known as The Asp (Fran Ryan) regarding federal prosecutor Robert Hawk taking payoffs from mobster Leon Sturges. While working on the story, Miles’ life is threatened if he doesn’t nix the story. Murphy doesn’t take it seriously until Miles is nearly followed and run over by a car. Since Murphy likes Miles, she agrees to cut the segment if it is Miles’ wish, but after much thought, he tells her to go for it. Both Hawk and Sturges end up getting arraigned. Sturges sends a threat that he will kill Miles when he gets out in five to seven years. Murphy convinces Eldin to dance with her back at her place. Corky looks to interview a powerful woman, but everyone she considers is dead. Murphy goes through two secretaries, the first (#6)(Lily Mariye) can’t speak English, and the second, Katie Holtz (#7)(Myra Turley), who talks to Satan. Michael Gregory is bodyguard Tiffany Howard. Tom McCleister is Dwayne the stagehand. 12/12/14
• 004. Signed, Sealed, Delivered – 12/5/1988
  • Murphy receives a drive-in speaker in the mail, a relic of her five-day marriage to Jake Lowenstein (Robin Thomas Grossman). Jake is now a famous controversial activist whom Miles has booked for an interview with Murphy on FYI. She meets p with Jake for a pre-interview and they are immediately attracted to each other. Murphy tries desperately to keep it professional, but she can’t set aside her feelings. She insists that they don’t see each other until the interview. On the air, Jake answers a hypothetical question posed by Murphy, by asking one of his own: would she agree to marry him if he asked? She says yes, and after the show, they try to set a date, but Murphy is too busy and Jake fears he might be in jail. They share a passionate kiss but agree that five days of passion every twenty years is plenty. Nervous secretary Robert returns, after going through therapy. 12/12/14
• 005. Murphy’s Pony – 12/11/1988
  • On the day before Christmas Eve a down-on-her-luck mother (Lisa Cloud) abandons her children Michael (Todd Cameron Brown), Joey (Edan Gross), and Lilly (Chelsea Hertford) with Murphy. She wants nothing to do with them and works all day trying to get hold of Social Services. She ends up having them over for the night and Eldin suggest they all go to Washington Crab House where the kids run amok. The next day Social Services show up to take the kids, but after Murphy reads their letter to Santa Claus, she has a change of heart and takes them shopping for gifts – and has Phil pose as Santa Claus and bring a pony. The kids’ mother shows up to reclaim them and Murphy writes her a check to get her back on her feet. She and Eldin then attend the work Christmas party that Corky has been desperately trying to organize. Ritch Brinkley plays employee Carl Wishnitski. 1/26/15
• 006. Baby Love – 12/12/1988
  • When Murphy’s pregnant friend Lisa (Jenny O’Hara) espouses about the joys of having a baby, Murphy starts to long to have one as well. She visits a fertility clinic incognito, but she is soon recognized. After much thought, she asks Frank if he would like to join her in parenthood and be the sperm donor. After much thought he agrees, but once he visits the clinic he finds that his sperm has decreased motility. However chances of conception are increased if he and Murphy actually sleep together. As best friends, both of them find it extremely awkward and after a few nervous kisses, Murphy decides that she is still holding fast to the dream of having a baby with someone with whom she is in loved. Frank is initially insulted, but ultimately relieved.  Marianne Muellerleile is Secretary #8, who is insanely boisterous, especially when talking about things that should be private. 1/28/15
• 007. Set Me Free – 12/19/1988
  • Murphy is having a bad day and is very close to having a cigarette. Things get even worse when she goes on the air and is interrupted by a man named Henry Tucker (Robert Harper) with a gun who demands that Murphy read a letter on air. She refuses but he holds the cast and crew hostage until she complies. Miles reports that they are receiving the highest ratings ever as the live broadcast continues. Murphy borrows a cigarette from Carl, who then confesses his love for her. When the whole cast breaks into singing Set Me Free, Henry intensifies his threat. Miles finally orders Murphy to read the statement, which turns out to be nothing more than Henry’s complaint that too many slow drivers drive in the passing lane. Henry gives himself up, Murphy returns the cigarette unused to Carl, and Miles reveals that he pulled the plug on the broadcast right after it started. This gives Murphy new respect for Miles. When Murphy gets home she finds that Eldin has moved his painting into her living room, causing Murphy to melt down since he had only been hired to paint her kitchen. 3/14/15
• 008. And So He Goes – 1/2/1989
  • Upon her return from covering a coup in a third world country, Murphy finds out that her arch rival D.C. columnist Jack Cowan has passed away and has requested that Murphy deliver the eulogy at his funeral. Murphy writes a scathing commentary on his career but then finds that a woman named Erma Bentley (DeLane Matthews) had been funded by Jack for costly medical treatments, and that he had received a Purple Heart. She stays up all night re-writing the eulogy, but then finds out that Erma’s operation had been breast implants and he received his Purple Heart getting shot in enemy territory after fleeing his own troops for cheating in a poker game. She returns to the scathing eulogy, but then finds out that Cowan’s mother is at the funeral (Marie Denn), so she puts it to the crowd that she won’t read the eulogy if anyone has had a pleasant experience with Jack. Not even his mother has a nice thing to say, so she reads her eulogy to everyone’s amusement and delight. The minister (Dan Ziskie) reads a final note from Jack giving high praises to Murphy, making her look heartless. She puts fake nose glasses on him before she leaves… and her car gets towed from the funeral home. Everyone has trouble accepting Jim wearing a hat. Ron Perkins is a man at the funeral. 3/15/15
• 009. I Would Have Dance All Night – 1/9/1989
  • George Bush’s Inaugural Ball is coming up and Murphy’s invitation has not arrived. She can’t seem to get any explanation for this and can’t get anyone to take her. Miles gets the courage to ask Jackie (Suzie Plakson), a co-worker from the art department, on a date to the ball, even though she is quite a bit taller than him. Jim is anchoring the ball with Valerie Bertinelli. Frank makes his date with Mary Hart. Corky doesn’t have an invitation, but goes as the date of a White House caterer. Murphy then finds out that Murray Brown (Lou Wills Jr.), who works at the newsstand, has received an invitation. Murphy goes to visit him and his wife Lillian (Edith Fields) to tell him that he got her invitation by mistake…but when she sees how excited they are, she lets them go. Murphy and Eldin end up watching the ball together, but he decides to take her for a chili dog when Murphy can’t stop acting catty. Murphy’s Secretary #10 Catherine Tracy (Annabelle Gurwitch) is an actress rehearsing to play Eliza Doolittle, complete with constantly speaking in the accent. 6/7/15
• 010. Kyle – 1/16/1989
  • Murphy’s investigative reporting ends up getting a convicted felon named Kyle Whitsett (Leslie Jordan) freed from prison after serving fifteen years. After Murphy interviews him on the show upon his release, Kyle keeps returning to the station reporting to his new ‘friends’ that he can’t get a job. They take pity on him and give him the job of Murphy’s secretary, but Kyle is so accident prone that he eventually drives them all crazy. Murphy agrees to fire him, but then backs down when Kyle defends her to a rude fan (William Frankfather) who thinks she is Cybill Shepherd. Eventually the group gets him a new suit of clothes and sends him to a job interview in phone sales. He doesn’t get the job because he is dressed too nice. However he does get a job delivering water… and naturally his first stop is Murphy’s house. Scott Lawrence plays office worker Scott. 6/7/15
• 011. Off the Job Experience – 1/23/1989
  • When Murphy gets frustrated by Colonel Fitzpatrick (William Sadler) during an on-air interview, she walks off the set and returns with a newspaper which she reads during the interview. Miles has no choice but to suspend her for two weeks. Murphy tries to plead her case with executive Eugene Kinsella (Alan Oppenheimer) with whom she has a close relationship, but he sides with Miles. Murphy is bored beyond belief at home, but it is not until Frank prods her by saying that she got beaten that she comes up with a plan. She gets the elusive Marlon Brando to agree to an interview, but only if she can come back to perform it. Miles and Murphy have a discussion, and Murphy admits that she does respect him. He allows her to come back for the interview. However he still states that she has eight more days of suspension, but she forces him to throw darts to see if it sticks or not. Miles loses. 7/26/15
• 012. Why Do Fools Fall in Love? – 2/13/1989
  • For Valentine’s Day, Murphy gives Frank the phone number of her friend Meg Reynolds (Terri Treas), but Frank will only go out with her if she will accept a date with one of his friends and they go as a double. Meanwhile Corky is trying to keep Miles cheered up when his girlfriend Jackie dumps him. Murphy’s 13th secretary Leslie (Deborah May) is making passes at the married Jim, and he is becoming more and more tempted to accept. Frank & Meg and Murphy & Frank’s friend Richie (Harley Venton) all wind up at Phil’s, as does Jim & Leslie. Neither of the blind dates goes well, and when Jim tells Leslie that he can’t take their flirtation any further, Leslie gets angry and quits. Corky brings Miles to the bar to see if Murphy can give him advice on whether to call Jackie. Miles ends up impressing Meg and they go out. Richie ends up ending the date with Murphy and continuing the date with Corky. Murphy comes home to Eldin bickering with his girlfriend Felicia (Donna Ponterotto), but they quickly make up and enjoy a romantic Valentine Day kiss. 7/26/15
• 013. Soul Man – 2/20/1989
  • Murphy is upset when the last Gentleman’s Club in Washington D.C., the Dunfries Club, denies allowing her to attend a major party where military hero Red Bishop and baseball player Ted Williams are scheduled to attend. Murphy decides to crash the party anyway and is asked to leave. Jim is a long-time member of the Dunfries, but refuses to sponsor Murphy’s request for membership. This leads to bickering at work and an on-the-air confrontation that embarrasses them both. After some discussion, Jim decides to sponsor her, and with some of the dirt she has on the board members, she is allowed in the club. However when when she attends her first meeting, she is given the cold shoulder by all of the members. Jim stand up for her, but they all end up departing the meeting, leaving Murphy and Jim alone. Meanwhile Eldin works on installing a sun roof in Murpy’s bedroom. Murphy’s new secretary is a female punk rocker. John Apicella is Jack. 10/23/15
• 014. It’s How You Play the Game – 2/27/1989
  • The F.Y.I. ratings begin to suffer under the sensationalism of their rival Jerry Gold. The network wants the show to run more attention-grabbing stories, but the cast decides they won’t compromise their integrity. Frank is especially downtrodden when he realizes that the important story he is working on about the homeless will not be seen by as many people. Murphy and Jim agree to do a more sensationalist story to lead the audience into Frank’s segment. She arranges a confrontation between prostitutes Jessie Fantoosi (Hilary Shepard), Shawnee Shane (Lee Garlington), and Tanya (Vivian Paxton) and homemakers Rose Wilson (Ann Ryerson), Phyllis Baker (Julie Payne), and Betty Farkus (Susan Krebs). Everyone is embarrassed by the show… until F.Y.I. ends up topping the ratings, and they all decide to continue with more sensationalist stories to lead into the important ones. Ron Morasco is Stanley Himmelfarb, Secretary #14 with a horrible cold. 10/23/15
• 015. Mama Said – 3/6/1989
  • Murphy’s mother Avery (Colleen Dewhurst), with whom Murphy was never close, comes to town from Philadelphia for a visit, rousing Murphy’s suspicions as to why she is there. Although she hits it off with Murphy’s co-workers and Eldin, her criticisms grate on Murphy’s nerves, especially when she sits in on one of Murphy’s work meetings and suggests that Murphy do a story on airport security, which everybody likes except Murphy. At first Murphy tries to hide from her, and then blows up at her on the news set, but when Murphy overhears her mother singing I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues along with Billie Holiday, Murphy sees a side of her mother she hasn’t seen before. Avery confesses that she just wants to be closer to her daughter, and she and Murphy begin sharing secrets with each other, embracing, and telling one another they love each other. 12/29/15
• 016. Moscow on the Potomac – 3/13/1989
  • Murphy is excited to work with Russian journalist Vladia Rankov (Robin Strasser) on a joint broadcast of FYI. that will cover the dedication of the U.S.-Soviet satellite. While Frank seeks a date with her and Miles seeks her approval, Murphy finds her very difficult to work with when they can’t come to terms on how to cover the story. Miles insists that Murphy make amends with her, so they head to Atlantic City for the day, arriving just before the broadcast… and blaming each other for a day of mishaps. They manage to get through the news broadcast and a reception afterward, but they part ways as icily as ever. Eldin gets them both to sit down and watch E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial together, and they end up crying together and bonding over their lonely life in journalism. They acknowledge their new friendship before Vladia heads off on a date with Frank. Mary Pat Gleason is Vladia’s assistant Olga Rostapoplovich. 12/30/15
• 017. My Dinner with Einstein – 3/20/1989
  • Murphy is excited for her interview with Victor Rudman (Buck Henry), a brilliant physicist that promised to win a Nobel Peace Prize. It is clear that she has romantic hopes for him as well… until she sees that he is awkward and dresses in nerd clothes. He asks her out, but she uses the excuse that she never dates people who she is going to interview, but after the interview he tries again, and not wanting to be viewed as closed-minded, she agrees to take him as her date to benefit dinner for the American Film Museum. Victor surprises Murphy by drinking heavily and acting wild to the point of embarrassment, proving that not only can you not judge a book by its cover, but that it might actually be worse. Meanwhile Jim wants to spend quiet evenings at home while his wife is out of town but Frank talks him into going to a poker game, Miles talks him into a comedy club, and the film crew talks him into going bowling. Murphy gets secretary #17 (Vernee Watson), but has to let her go when she can’t stop smoking. Ron Orbach is a photographer. John Mansfield is a handsome man. Judy Prescott is Miles’ date Mimi. 2/28/16
• 018. Funnies Girl – 4/10/1989
  • When Murphy refers to one of her guests economist Dr. Keller (John Sanderford) as a ‘hunk’, she finds herself the target of cartoonist Pat O’Shea (Greg Procaccino), who creates a comic strip called The Adventures of Mouthy Brown. She tries to have a sense of humor about it, even coping with secretary #18 Jerry Barden (Josh Pais) who acts as if she’s an over-sexed maniac based on her comic strip character, but soon explodes in a rage about the situation. She asks to meet with O’Shea and he agrees, acting as if he is a great fan of hers and taking her advice that after awhile his poking fun will come across as mean. O’Shea ends up intensifying his efforts, now incorporating everyone at FYI into the strip. Murphy plans to retaliate physically against him, but O’Shea is so condescending and obnoxious that she says it is a bigger punishment that he will to live with himself… but still pours a bottle of ink on him before she leaves. 2/28/16
• 019. The Unshrinkable Murphy Brown – 5/1/1989
  • Murphy confronts the corrupt Judge Ferris (John Capodice) on the air with evidence of his wrongdoings, causing him to literally drop dead. After the incident, Murphy is unfailingly nice to everyone around her, and tries to pass off her next interview with another corrupt businessman to Frank, who visits her and home and ignites the fire in her again to go after crooked people unflinchingly. On the air though when she confronts Brad Stockton (Steven Culp) and he starts in with a slight cough, she backs off immediately. Murphy decides to go to some group therapy for anxiety and meets a group of zanies named Joan (Mary Catherine Wright), Dan (Christopher Wynne), Barry (Michael Ayr), and Geoffrey (Robert Trebor), who confesses that he loves Barry. Murphy finally gets tired of whole notion of therapy, and confronts Dr. Paula Hayes (Janet MacLachlan) about psychotherapy being a racket. Hayes congratulates her on her rant, telling her to note that she didn’t die from it. Murphy decides to stay with the group a little longer and starts telling them about one of her dreams. Lilly Lyman is Secretary #19, who watches soap operas at her desk. 5/25/16 
• 020. The Summer of ’77 – 5/8/1989
  • Miles is looking for a fluff piece for the next episode of FYI and Corky suggests that they do a piece on Phil’s bar for its 70th anniversary. After freezing up on camera temporarily, Phil reflects on his favorite encounter in the bar which happens to be the one with Murphy from the Summer of 1977 right after the death of Elvis Presley. As a foreign correspondent she comes into town to audition for FYI and stops at the bar, where she meets Frank, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter from New York who is also auditioning for the job… and tries to get a date with her. Days after Phil’s interview, the place has become overcrowded and Murphy and her friends can’t even get a seat. She runs into news correspondent Linda Ellerbee (herself) and they reminisce bout how Murphy had gotten the FYI job that day. Linda had auditioned via videotape for Jim and the Executive Producer Arvin Johns (James Karen). Although Ellerbee would have been a safer choice, both Jim and Arvin liked her spunk and hired her. A young Miles (Jason Marsden) and his mother walk through the studio on a tour, where Miles declares how he wants to do this… but his mother (Judy Cain) has other plans for him. Back in the present days later, Phil’s bar is a ghost town again. Rick Scarry is the man in the bar. 5/26/16
• 021. The Bickners – 5/15/1989
  • Murphy gets into a fender bender when she taps the rear of a elderly couple Bob (Eric Christmas) and Myrna Bickner (Amzie Strickland). The couple befriend Murphy and her friends, frequently baking for them and inviting them over… then on the advice of their grandson lawyer Howard Sutthoff (Mike Hagerty), sues Murphy for 1.5 million dollars because Bob is not able to have sex every day like he was used to. Murphy tries to talk some sense into them, but ultimately she resorts to using the company lawyer Roger Moreland (Nicholas Hormann). Sutthoff cites some precedents that looks like he might have a case, and Moreland suggests a settlement. Miles then finds out that the Bickners had had previous trouble with their brake light, and are forced to drop the case. They visit Murphy at her home and tell her that they forgive her for foiling their retirement plans. Myrna tells Murphy and Eldin that Bob’s ‘manliness’ has returned… just before he falls down Murphy’s steps. Meanwhile Frank breaks Jim’s mug while in a fog over having to go the library. He comes and apologizes while still under the influence of his sedative, and Jim forgives him. Murphy is surprised when Robert returns for the third time as her secretary. This time he is efficient and does an excellent job…but then has to quit when he gets a job writing for the network’s comedy department. Miles struggles to get his hair right. 8/25/16
• 022. The Morning Show – 5/22/1989
  • Miles asks Murphy fill in as host for the week on Another Day America, a sensationalist morning show when the host goes on maternity leave. Murphy has no interest, but Kinsella talks her into it. After she agrees, she finds out that Corky will be her co-host. Murphy has trouble sleeping the night before and shows up grumpy, getting argumentative with the guest Charles Pritchard (Jim Jansen), who wrote an award-winning children’s book Chinaberry Chuckles in the Land of the Woogies. After being scolded by Kinsella, she tries harder to be more congenial when guest and bake-off winner Ida Mae Johnson (Marge Redmond) comes on the show. Murphy ends up nearly having a breakdown when she gets scolded by Ida Mae for not being able to crack an egg. Murphy ends up telling Corky how much she respected the job she did on the show, while Corky tells Murphy that she has always looked up to her. Murphy’s new secretary #20 (Pete Willcox) looks and acts like Elvis Presley, and although he can’t settle on his name – either Edwin or Edgar Pressman – he seems oblivious to whom he looks like. Don Lake is the stage manager. James Staley is embittered weatherman Glenn Goodman. 8/25/16

SEASON 2

• 023. The Brothers Silverberg – 9/18/1989
  • Miles gets a new suit and is ready to impress his brother Josh (Jon Tenney) who is coming into town, inviting Murphy to have lunch with them so that he can stress the fact that he is a producer of a major news program. When Murphy joins them, there is a mutual attraction instantly, despite the fact that Josh is 27 to Murphy’s 41. Josh invites Murphy to join Miles and his date Audrey Cohen (Jane Leeves) for dinner, where Miles starts to become visibly uncomfortable with their flirting. The next day Miles apologizes and tells Murphy that he is okay with them dating if they want to. However he continues to hang out with them, until they have to make it obvious that they want some privacy. Miles ends up showing up at Murphy’s house in the middle of the night to beg Murphy to stop seeing Josh, who was currently out looking for Miles since he knew he was upset. Miles was so interested in impressing Josh that he feared that Murphy was ‘his’ and now Josh has taken her. Josh returns and they iron things out, with Josh telling Miles that he actually was trying to live up to Miles’ example. The brothers leave together just in time for Eldin to show up at 3am with a painting inspiration. Barry Dennen is the waiter. 11/14/16
• 024. Anchors Away – 9/25/1989
  • Jim accepts a field assignment in Libya, his first since 1973, and Miles brings in a cocky new co-anchor named Miller Redfield (Christopher Rich). His co-workers start to worry that the network is going to shuffle reporters and that Jim will lose his job on FYI. Miles fears that he is out of the loop if that is the case. As Jim reports on the attempted overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and is accosted by soldiers while reporting live, Miller grates even further on Murphy’s nerves in the studio. Murphy and her friends come up with a plan that they execute on the air, whereby Murphy pretends to have a coughing spell, leaving Miller to ad lib his way uncomfortably through live communication with Jim. Miles secretly does his part by keeping the camera on Miller rather than turn it over to Frank. When Jim returns, he announces that he plans to return to field work, disappointing everyone. However when Miles announces that the company brass decided that Miller doesn’t have the experience and is being sent to South Yemen. Jim then reveals that he’s thrilled, as he thought he was being fired and really wants to stay. Meanwhile – after a montage of former secretaries – Murphy gets her 22nd one Patricia Grumweld (Barbara Bush aka Barbara Tyson). She appears to be perfect until Murphy realizes she is operating a phone sex business at her desk. Vachik Mangassarian is a soldier. 11/15/16 
• 025. The Memo That Got Away – 10/2/1989
  • As the reporters at FYI work on a decade-in-review of the 1980’s, Murphy encounters a teenage reporter Lewis Kletter (Judd Trichter) with the Walt Whitman Junior High School Gazette. At first he comes off like an adoring fan, but it turns out that he wants to interview Murphy about a memo that he got by computer hacking, in which Murphy berates her co-workers to the president of the news division. In order to keep him from publishing his findings, Murphy tries to suck up to Louis by taking him all over the city, and letting him drive her car. When she can’t convince him, Murphy preemptively shows the memo to her co-workers to their irritation. Louis comes to see Murphy and admits that the story got scuttled by his editor for being long and boring. Murphy respects his desire to do something more than ‘info-tainment’. 2/28/17
• 026. TV or Not TV – 10/16/1989
  • Miles announces that the network is going forward with a new sitcom that is based on a news magazine with a strong-minded female anchor starring actress Julia St. Martin (Morgan Fairchild) as ‘Kelly Green’. Although the network claims the show isn’t based on anyone specific, Murphy takes issue with the production, while everyone else seems smitten with Julia. Murphy finally agrees to let Julia sit in with her as she works a story about a Senator involved in a corrupt real estate deal. Julia quickly connects with the character and proposes that Murphy do an appearance on the show. Although Miles refuses, suddenly Murphy thinks it a great idea. Problems arise however when Murphy can’t act at all, but weathers the humiliation when her friends come over to watch the program, which ends up tanking. Connie Chung (herself) lectures Murphy about a journalist of integrity appearing in a sitcom. Murphy’s new secretary #23 (Keith Amos) raps instead of speaking. Sanford Jensen is Mark the director. Jeff Mooring is the stage manager. 3/2/17
• 027. Miles’ Big Adventure – 10/23/1989
  • Miles is getting ready to take a vacation to Tobago, and although he has trouble pulling away from the office, Murphy and the gang finally get him out the door. Back at FYI, they get a breaking story that an American pilot had taken off with a fighter jet full of nuclear arms, demanding that his estranged wife speak to him. Miles is trying to get hom as he is being pursued in the airport by a talkative lady named Phoebe Cramer (Yeardley Smith). He then learns that the pilot has actually landed the plane at the airport where Miles is. Although Murphy doesn’t have any confidence in Miles, she talks him through going out onto the tarmac and interviewing the pilot for a live broadcast for FYI. With the crisis averted, Miles return to the station with the confidence to face anything… but is surprised to find that Phoebe has followed him to the office. Murphy’s new secretary #24 (Paddi Edwards) can’t stand the frantic pace of the job, having worked for years with the DMV. 6/29/17
• 028. Buddies Schmuddies – 10/30/1989
  • Murphy is in a great mood having gotten an anonymous hot tip on a story about a member of the FAA being on the take from someone at Brighton aircraft. However it turns out that Frank has gotten the same tip, so Miles assigns Murphy and Frank to work together on it. Both Murphy and Frank try to research the story independently. Finally they decide to cut out being sneaky and meet at Phil’s and share their information. When Murphy is legitimately late, Frank fears she is having another meeting behind his back, so he heads out to seek out the anonymous caller himself. Murphy tries to evade Frank by telling she is meeting the source (Joseph d’Angerio) at the zoo, but actually meets him at the bus station. Frank follows her there by hiding in the trunk. While arguing, the informant with the evidence takes off. Frank and Murphy make amends, in time to watch Ted Koppel scoop their story on Nightline. Meanwhile Phil hires a keyboardist to focus the bar more on dinner, but the artist Don Sarasota (Fred Travalena) concentrates more on comedy banter and magic which drives Phil crazy. Murphy’s new secretary #25 (Andrea Stein) constantly complains about her pathetic life. 6/29/17
• 029. Whose Garbage Is It Anyway? – 11/6/1989
  • After sobering edition of FYI with environmentalist Dr. Sakura (Mariko Tse) about the danger of pollution and lack of conservation of planet, competitive newsman Jerry Gold (Jay Thomas) bets the team that they can’t put their money where their mouth is about being environmentally conscious for two weeks. The agree that if they can’t do it, Murphy will be a guest on The Jerry Gold Show. Jerry announces the bet on his show and offers to pay anyone who spots anyone of the staff being wasteful. The team gets on board and announces new ways to conserve in the office including conserving, recycling, and carpooling. Everything goes swimmingly at first, but soon everyone is sick of their concessions and at each other’s throats, while being stalked by Jerry Gold viewers. As the bet nears its end, Murphy struggles on whether she should eat an Italian take-out dinner served in a Styrofoam container. After much deliberation, she decides to have Eldin return it. Murphy’s team wins the bet and Jerry is forced to read a self-deprecating letter on the air. As the team gets back to work, Frank nearly throws away a can in the trash, but then stops to move it to the recycling bin. Paul Dorman is the water drinker at Phil’s. 2/3/18
• 030. And the Whiner Is… – 11/13/1989
  • With the Humbolts Awards coming up, Miles announces that Murphy, Frank, and Corky have all been nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast News Reporting. Frank concedes the Murphy always beats him after nine years of losses, but Corky excitedly announces that she wants to win the award. Jim acts as emcee, and amid his failed jokes, he announces the winner as Corky. The next day Miles gives Corky the top story, and has to explain to Murphy that the network wants to capitalize on the win. The win goes to Corky’s head, and her agent Al Floss (Alex Rocco) shows up on the set requesting changes to the set to make Corky more central, and fearing his job, Miles acquiesces. The pressure mounts as Corky tries to put the story together, and Miles is forced to ask Murphy to assist her. Murphy refuses, but soon Corky visits Murphy at home and tearfully begs her to help with the story. After Murphy humbles and take her award away, she agrees. After Corky leaves, Murphy measures her larger awards against the height of Corky’s. 2/3/18
• 031. Roasted – 11/20/1989
  • The gang notices that Jim is out of sorts, and then they are informed by Miles that it is Jim’s 25th anniversary of his debut in broadcasting. Assuming that he is down in the dumps because no one has made a big deal about his milestone, Murphy arranges to conduct a roast of him at a local restaurant, inviting numerous high profile broadcasters. Murphy and the group bounce their insults off one another in a dry run, but no one is impressed with anyone else. On the night of the roast, Murphy pretends she is merely taking Jim out for dinner alone, and before they enter the restaurant, Jim confesses that they had a quiet evening alone, as he had been depressed about his anniversary, thinking that his best years were behind him. He is naturally surprised when they enter the room, and although Murphy tries to stop everyone from hurling their insults, the show goes on with Corky, Frank, Phil, Miles, and guest Irving R. Levine taking their shots as Jim winces his way through the roast. When it is over Jim tells everyone to go to hell and heads to the Lincoln Memorial to reflect on his career. Murphy joins him, and Jim admits he feels like he’s lost his passion. Murphy tells him that he still has it, which he proves by joining her for a swim in the reflecting pool. Meanwhile Kenneth Herman (Jay Fenichel) becomes Murphy’s 26the secretary, and seems perfect until Murphy spots him applying lipstick. Walter Kronkite delivers a tribute to Jim via video. Tina Johnson is the coat check girl. 10/13/18
• 032 & 33. Brown Like Me (Parts 1 & 2) – 11/27/1989
  • As Miles is upset by getting rear ended by Murphy’s car, Murphy becomes ecstatic when she finds out she is receiving a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Frank convinces Murphy to call her father Bill (Darren McGavin) in Chicago to invite him to the ceremony. They don’t speak often since he and her mother got divorced and he married a woman named Karen (Susan Wheeler Duff), who is younger than Murphy, and they have a new baby Bill Jr. As he makes his way into town, he too rear ends Miles’ car. Murphy ends up with a full house with her father and his family, Eldin, and Murphy’s mother Avery (Colleen Dewhurst), who shows up as a surprise from London. When Avery insists on staying, it leads to arguments between her parents. Karen wakes up Murphy to tell her that she thinks it would be best if she leaves while Bill and Avery work out their issues. Avery then wakes up Murphy to give her a handmade tam from Scotland. Bill comes into the room and they begin fighting immediately. Murphy makes them promise to get along during their stay. As Eldin comes in, the folks decide to go get something to eat, but quickly resume their bickering. When Murphy agrees to meet them at Phil’s, she finds that they are getting along cordially thanks to some advice from Phil, but blows her top when she realizes they are only doing it for her benefit… finally telling them that she doesn’t want either of them at her ceremony. Back at the office, as the staff takes care of Bill Jr., she tells everyone she herself isn’t going to attend the the ceremony, but they tell her that she earned it and she needs to go. Back at her house, Bill and Avery actually do begin to get along, much to Murphy’s surprise, but she still has to contend with finding a baby sitter. An opportune visit by Eldin gives her her answer, and despite Bill’s trepidation, they all head off. Bill and Avery continue to fight, but more good-naturedly this time. NOTE: This is a one-hour episode that aired in two parts in syndication. 10/13/18, 8/18/19
• 034. The Strike – 12/11/1989
  • The technical crew is virtually ignoring Murphy’s broadcast waiting to get word on whether they will be striking or not. Murphy predicts that they won’t… just as they get word that they’re out. As the union team pickets, the newscasters are forced to cross the line and work with an inept group of scabs, who manage to expose a whistleblower known as Mr. X (Hamilton Camp) when they block out Murphy’s face instead of his. Murphy tries to appeal to both Kinsella and the workers, and end up inviting Kinsella, John, and Carl over to the house, and forces them to eat her cake and won’t let them leave until they settle their differences. The men wind up agreeing on a three year contract, although the electricians vow to strike if they don’t get the same deal… which is curtailed when Murphy threatens to make them eat her cake. Steven Anderson is the director. Jim Doughan is T.D. Vito Giambalvo is Vito. 8/19/19
• 035. Here’s to You Mrs. Kinsella – 12/18/1989
  • Miles feels incredibly guilty and confesses his sin to Murphy, telling her that he had a one-night stand with a woman named Leona at a broadcasters convention while posing as ‘Hector’. Murphy doesn’t think it is a big deal until she throws a party for her boss Mr. Kinsella and Miles identifies Leona as Lois Kinsella (Clare Peck), the boss’s wife. Miles quickly exits the party, but can’t decide what to do. Murphy doesn’t want to give advice, but finally concedes that she thinks it is best to not say anything. Kinsella then comes to see her for his own request for advice; he believes Lois is cheating on him and thinks he knows who with. Murphy advises him to focus on whatever trouble may be in the marriage rather than revenge, but Kinsella prefers retribution. Meanwhile Frank finds a lucky quarter after winning big at poker, but his luck seems to go downhill from there, culminating in getting an assignment in Iceland… because Kinsella thinks that it is Frank who slept with Lois. Murphy doesn’t know this when she warns Miles that Kinsella might know, and gives him the option to confess it on his own. Later however Kinsella decides to take Murphy’s advice and go to marriage counseling and forget the vendetta, so Murphy desperately tries to stop Miles from making his confession. However Miles blurts it out before she can stop him. Kinsella just thinks that Miles is covering for Frank, and when Miles realizes this, he throws Frank under the bus. Once Frank returns from Iceland, Miles feels so guilty that he gives Frank his office. 3/9/20
• 036. What Are You Doing New Years Eve? – 1/1/1990
  • When Murphy finds out that Corky is throwing a New Years party, she tries to come up with excuses to get everyone out of it, but is surprised when everyone wants to go. She herself tries to find an excuse, but then reveals that since she has stopped drinking, the temptation might be to massive. Her friends talk her into going and having fun without drinking. When she arrives, she finds that Corky has made it a dry party, giving all of the alcohol to the apartment neighbors who are throwing a wild party, and announcing that there is no alcohol because Murphy is a former drunk. Miles doesn’t get the message, and proceeds to act as if he is drunk in front of his date Audrey, who hassles him about not asking her out since their last date. The party is perfectly quiet and boring and once midnight strikes, everyone starts to head out. When Murphy passes the neighbor’s party, she decides to sneak back in through the window and starts a snowball fight in the apartment, finally livening it up. When she returns home, Eldin is painting and his girlfriend Felicia nags him to take her out, so they decide to go bowling. Felicia gets angry when she hears Eldin ask Murphy is Corky mentioned him. Left alone, Murphy is tempted to finish off Eldin’s bottle of champagne, but after pouring it and staring at it, she pours it out in a plant. Janet Carroll is Jim’s wife Doris. Douglas Sills is Corky’s date Noel. 3/9/20
• 037. Subpoena Envy – 1/8/1990
  • Murphy has exposed the Rayko Chemical company for illegally dumping toxic waste, and had the CEO Wade Olsen (Walter Addison) in the hot seat during an interview in which she mentioned a secret source who she won’t reveal. She is later delivered a subpoena by a woman (Annie LaRussa) who she thinks is the incoming secretary, which calls for her to testify the identity of the source. She is thrilled with this as it will give her the opportunity to exercise her First Amendment rights, and make her a martyr for the cause if she is sent to jail. The actual source Mr. Fred Fredrickson offers to come forward to keep her out of jail, but she encourages him not to. Sure enough she is sent to the Nestlebrook minimum security facility that the host Ivy (Shuko Akune) introduces her to. It seems more like a country club with all of the fancy amenities which won’t look as good when she holds her press conference. Miles and the gang all come to visit, and Miles tells her that not only is the press not showing up because of another breaking story, but that the judge has not granted her appeal to be freed yet. She makes friends with inmates insider trader Beth Sherman (Cristine Rose), embezzler Sydney Lewis (Nancy Lenehan), and former Congresswoman Millicent Bane (Jessica James)Murphy is given a job to act as secretary to Warden Howe (Linda Sorensen). Eldin tires to bring her clothes, but only brings a hooker Halloween costume she had worn years ago. As time goes on, Murphy calls Frederickson back and tries to get him to come forward after all, but now he has been promoted and has changes his mind. Weeks later Murphy has knitted a very long piece of fabric, when Miles finally gives her the news that the judge granted her release. Before she is allowed to leave, the warden tells her that she owes $45 in late movie rental fees at the facility. She insists Miles pay it, although he believes she could fight it and win. 6/18/20
• 038. I Want My FYI – 1/29/1990
  • Miles announces that he has been put in charge in producing a Saturday morning show called FYI For Kids. Everyone is on board with helping him out except for Murphy. The kids are each paired up with their FYI counterparts: the giddy anchor Tracey Knight (Laura Mooney) is given to Corky, the stiff investigative reporter Henry Caldwell (Troy W. Slaten) pairs with Frank, and the laid back anchor Wes Jordan (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is assigned to Jim. The fourth girl Natalie Moore (Mayim Bialik) is originally assigned to Corky as well, but when Murphy sees how spunky and down-to-business she is, she decides to take her under her wing. Each adult tries to mold the kids into their image, with Frank having some success getting Henry to loosen up, but with Jim frustrated that Wes won’t wear a tie on the air. Tracey is a perfect match for Corky, but Natalie is disappointed when Murphy wants to write all of the questions for her first on-the-air interview. She goes along with it until interview time, and then asks Murphy if the job is supposed to be fun. Murphy takes away the questions she wrote and encourages her to conduct the interview in her own way. She has on Dr. Edward Stoddard (John Towey), the superintendent of the Dolan County school system, and proceeds to expose his embezzlement of school funds. Wes borrows Jim’s tie shortly before going on the air. Later everyone celebrates a successful show at Murphy’s house, but it is interrupted when Miles shows up and announces that the show has been pulled. The adults take it much harder than the children. Murphy encourages Natalie to be a kid now that she’s proven she’s a great reporter. They cheer themselves up by acting out a Barbara Walters special. Eldin takes some advice from Henry and ignores Corky to try and get her attention since she’s rebuffed him in the past. 6/19/20
• 039. Frankly Speaking – 2/5/1990
  • Murphy comes into work one day and meets her new secretary Susan Mason (Jeanette Schwaba) who already wants a raise, and then finds Frank in her office who is closing in on a panic attack because he’s had five dates with his new girlfriend, a psychologist named Alexandra Endicott Payton (Eve Gordon) and he’s starting to think he can spend the rest of his life with her. He begs Murphy to meet her so that she can give him her opinion. She invites the gang from the newsroom to come along, and they find out that Phil has named sandwiches after every one of the FYI celebs…except Miles. However when Murphy meets Alexandra, she immediately takes a disliking to her because her purse is too organized and she calls Frank ‘sweetheart’ too much, everyone flees the scene. Murphy tells Phil what she thinks, and he is astonished that she dislikes her so quickly. He continues to see her, and Murphy begins to feel edged out of the their friendship when Frank can’t help her with news edits and wants to take Alexandra to the Celtics game. Murphy decides rather than lose Frank, to go out to dinner and get to know Alexandra. They all go to Kabuki theater which gives Murphy a raging headache, and then on to Phil’s, where Frank tells Murphy that he’s going to break it off with her because he can’t stand the way she analyzes everything as a psychiatrist. When Frank goes to get Murphy some aspirin, Alexandra corners Murphy and demands to know her feelings since it is obvious she doesn’t approve of her. Murphy blurts out that Frank is leaving her, which he is then forced to admit to her. She ends up screaming at Frank, causing him to leave. The next day Murphy tells Frank that she now likes her more after they went out to a strip club, discussed relationship revenge, and Alexandra picked up a guy. Phil discontinues the celebrity sandwiches because no one likes the celebs on the menu, and Murphy and Frank’s Celtics game is back on, while Frank buys a deadbolt to ward off Alexandra’s revenge. 10/4/20
• 040. The Murphy Brown School of Broadcasting – 2/12/1990
  • Murphy meets up with her former journalism teacher and mentor Ken Hamilton (William Schallert) and tells her that after a forced retirement, he plans to open up his own school of broadcasting. She pledges to support him and tells him that he can use her endorsement. The next day she is surprised when she sees the ads he’s taken out for the Murphy Brown School of Broadcasting, using her high school photo. Miles is particularly concerned that this could lead to bad publicity. She attempts to tell him this, but he suggests that she and her co-workers come see the class in action. The location is in a terrible part of town and Miles is concerned about his car, while upon arrival they also find no heat in the room so it is freezing. Hamilton gets it fixed and then it becomes sweltering. The students only seem to want to ask Murphy and friends about how much they make. Murphy also discovers that Mr. Hamilton is dramatically out of touch for the realities of current TV broadcasting. She looks to Eldin for advice, and after he tells her a story about how his painting mentor painted a mural with his butt, he says that if she respects him, she needs to tell him. She visits him in the class and they sit down and she says she doesn’t think the school is a good idea. However when a student named Michael (Wallace Langham) enters and tells Mr. Hamilton that he gave him the confidence to try out for a job with PBS that he got, Murphy realizes she is wrong, and promises to help tutor Mr. Hamilton where he is out of touch. She also talks him into putting his own name on the school. Chuck Sloan is Bob Wilson. James Walch is the Scottish sports broadcaster. Gregory Scott Cummins is the motorcycle man. Robina Suwol and Freyda Thomas is the woman student. 10/4/20
• 041. Bad Girls – 2/19/1990
  • Sweeps Week is coming up, so Miles talks to the crew about finding sensational stories to replace any of the duller ones they might be working on. Frank has a tip-off from a call girl named Rita (Beth Broderick) on a story about Paragon Oil, who are trying to get drilling rights in protected areas, and are supplying prostitutes by land commissioners as a form of bribery. Miles assigns Murphy and Corky to go undercover as hookers in order to nab the story, an assignment that neither wants to do. They get dressed up in tacky, skimpy outfits and head to the St. James Hotel, while network associates Wally (Louis Mustillo) and Carl help set up the girls with hidden cameras and mikes, and then stake out the party in a van along with Miles, Frank, and Jim. Murphy forces Miles to dress as a pimp as revenge. Murphy and Corky, posing as Wanda and Lurlene make contact with Rita in the suite, and she gives them some tips, and introduces to commissioner Barney (Raye Birk). They also meet another named Jack (Don Bovingloh). Neither seems interested in Murphy because she is too old, and Corky escapes them and winds up with a guy named Ed (Steve Rankin), while Barney introduces ‘Wanda’ to a guy named Nick (Peter Marc Jacobson). Murphy is interested in him, as he seems to want to talk about the oil deal so they go back to Murphy’s room. He seems to want to avoid Murphy and just talk, whereas Ed is aggressive with Corky, as she tries to get him to spill information. Meanwhile in the van, a WKTZ associate named Jerry (Kelly Connell) wanders into it thinking it was his company’s truck. He reveals that he too is on a stakeout to bust the same commissioners. Miles then realizes that Nick is actually reporter Patrick Thomas from ABC. Corky and Ed realize they are from the same area of Louisiana, and what’s more Ed is a reporter for The Baton Rouge Herald… also working on the same story. It turns out that every ‘land commissioner’ at the party is a reporter. Murphy settles for a $100 bribe in lieu of Miles continuing to wear the pimp outfit. 1/21/21
• 042. Heart of Gold – 2/26/1990
  • While the FYI cast is chatting with Sister Mary Margaret O’Brien (Pat Crawford Brown) at Phil’s Bar, after having her on the show discussing her social program Hot Meals at Home, the obnoxious Jerry Gold comes in and manages to offend everyone into leaving…including the Sister. Murphy is disgusted by Jerry, but when Phil tells her that he had recently donated $10,000 to the Hot Meals at Home program, Murphy becomes intrigued. She and Jerry chat about his on-air persona, and he invites her to finish their conversation later at La Rosa’s. She doesn’t want to call it a date, but she accepts. During their meal, she starts to warm up to him more and more, but when they start to connect, she suggests they halt it… only to be charmed by a kiss from him. The two begin dating regularly, and everyone at FYI can tell there’s something going on with Murphy. Frank tries to get it out of her, but she won’t tell him. He winds up tailing her disguised as a hippie and sees them together at La Rosa’s, discussing the fact that it’s about time they stop hiding their relationship. The next day she tells her co-workers, who are all disgusted and disappointed. She invites them all to a dinner party at her house so they can meet the ‘real’ Jerry. Murphy is nervous that he will say the wrong thing, so she completes all of his sentences every time he speaks, ultimately leading to a fight… and all of the guests sneaking out. Ultimately, they decide that they are too different philosophically to continue dating, so they say their goodbye, and Jerry sadly slinks out of her house. Tony Di Benedetto is restaurant owner Nick La Rosa. 1/21/21
• 043. On the Road Again – 3/5/1990
  • Frank tips off the cast that there are two new affiliates joining the network, and the station is sending the FYI team to Dalton, Kansas, followed by Maui to do some promotion for the news shows. However, Miles then reveals one caveat: that only two of them can go. Miles ultimately chooses to send Murphy and Jim. Unfortunately during the stop in Dalton, during which two of the members of the news team Pete Richmond (David Purdham) and Diane Daly (Cynthia Mace) try to make bids for a job opening in D.C., their weatherman Steve Raines (Bill McIntyre) shows up late and announces that all flights have been grounded. Murphy and Jim are forced to share a room in the hotel without their luggage, and just an honor bar for food and drink. When they start to go to bed, they realize they have no night clothes to change into, so they head to the bar. The two do a piano duet of Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. Murphy starts talking about her wild times on the road, but Jim confesses that he never saw any action. Murphy challenges him to flirt with a woman named Nancy (Jennifer Bassey) who is in the bar alone. The two get along, leaving Murphy to play video games and then head back to the room alone. Jim comes in at 4am and accidentally crawls into bed with Murphy. She grills him on what he was doing and he confesses that he went back to Diane’s room and slept with her… before then admitting he was only joking and he merely talked to her. He says he was tempted, but he loves his wife, and is now glad to know what he’d do in such a situation. Gregory Itzen is Gil Porter. David Carlisle is the bartender. 5/16/21
• 044. But First a Word From Our Sponsor – 3/19/1990
  • FYI is getting ready to air Murphy’s segment on condom distribution in the schools, which she claims is completely balanced. However a concerned mother named Mary Ann Miller (Caroline Lagerfelt) is writing letters to the brass at the station as well as the sponsors and according to Al Henderson (Larry Block) from the Sales department, she has gotten a good number of them to pull the plug on sponsoring the program. The team decides to fly Ms. Miller to the studio and have a chat with her, but the team confuses Murphy’s new secretary #32 (Katie McGregor-Stewart) with Miller and give her the royal treatment, followed by questions about sex and condoms…which scares her off immediately. The real Ms. Miller then arrives and states her case bluntly with no room to budge and a promise to lobby every sponsor the show has. Frank, who has been looking for an undercover disguise to sting a ring of doctors illegally selling prescription drugs, then shows up posing as a dealer, which makes Ms. Miller think the station is even more deplorable. Miles, who is suffering the worst cold of his life, is called by the executives in New York demanding explanation for the station’s lost revenue. Miles promises them he’ll resign if they can’t keep at least one sponsor. Murphy then flies to Consolidated Baked Goods in Chicago to meet with their CEO John Q. Bryant (Wayne Tippit), and is surprised to find Mary Ann Miller there as well. They both agree to meet with him together, but upon entering his office, it becomes crystal clear that he is a staunch conservative. Both ladies are convinced that he is going to pull the plug on sponsorship to fight the decay of values, but Bryant surprises both of them when he says he will not pull the plug, and invites Miller to do the same things he does: turn the show off when Murphy comes on. He says that he can’t change their policies just because of one person or a small group objecting to show content. Miller promises to boycott the company’s product, but he says it is unfortunately because he had some coupons for her. Chuck Clayton is the mailroom worker Bob, who Murphy is sure is named Ray. 5/16/21
• 045. Frank’s Appendectomy – 4/9/1990
  • After several interviews, Murphy hires her 33rd secretary Linda (Lela Ivey), who proves to be as incompetent as the others and keeps getting instructions switched around. Meanwhile, a man named Newton Green (Graham Jarvis) comes to see Frank, claiming to be Watergate’s ‘Deep Throat.’ Frank doesn’t believe him, but after calling Bob Woodward, who originally broke the Watergate story, and then asking Phil’s opinion, Frank himself becomes convinced. Murphy wants in on the action, but Frank wants the glory for himself, and starts boasting about it and planning his career trajectory. Murphy, however, has a secret: she set the whole thing up as a practical joke. When she finds out from Frank that he gave away his interview with Manuel Noriega to Dan Rather, she starts to panic and tries to get it back from Rather. She feels terrible, and tells him the truth, which sends him into a spiraling depression. But it then turns out that he knew it was a fake story all along, and was returning the joke back to Murphy. However, both forget to tell Miles that it is a joke, until after he has already delivered the news to station executive Eugene Kinsella. Gene lays into Miles and then discusses it with the board, who agree that this embarrassment is cause to terminate his contract. Murphy and Frank try their best to get his job back for him, calling him all night to try and convince him. It turns out though that Miles’ job is perfectly safe, because the firing was a joke that Miles and Gene planned together. Before Miles can tell them that it was a joke, Murphy and Frank pen a letter to the Wall Street Journal blasting Kinsella and the station for firing Miles, who then panics because this really would be an embarrassment and could lead to his firing. But they were merely playing a prank on Miles, but when Linda the new secretary tells them that she found Murphy’s note and had sent it down to the mailroom, it sends Frank and Murphy flying downstairs to retrieve it. Corky and Jim then have a good laugh because they planned this with Linda. However Linda admits she is now confused, because she really had sent the letter to the mailroom. This sends Jim and Corky flying downstairs as well… as Linda laughs to herself and calls them ‘fools’. 9/11/21
• 046. Fax or Fiction – 4/30/1990
  • After calling out the entire staff for using the fax machine for their private use, Miles receives a fax from Miss X, his secret admirer, who works elsewhere in the building. Miles blows it off and tosses it in the garbage, but later retrieves it. Since the fax is the only way he can communicate with her, he has no choice but to use it to answer her… and naturally gets caught by everyone. They all try to give him tips on what to say to her, to the point that he just abandons the whole thing and decides to forget it. Murphy, however, can’t forget it, so she responds to the fax, and keeps communicating through several exchanges. However, when the lady suggests meeting up, she has no choice but to tell Miles that he has a date with her. Miles nearly has a nervous breakdown preparing for the date, looking to Murphy for advice on what to say and what to wear. When it comes time for the actual date at Phil’s, Murphy shows up to give him a different pair of shoes to wear, and to watch the date from afar. The date shows up and is in fact a very attractive woman named Madeline Stillwell (Teri Hatcher). However, even though Miles does well, Madeline is extremely neurotic, negative, and strange. Also watching the date is a guy named Ben (Richard Masur), who has been helping Madeline get the date, and it was him all along exchanging faxes with Murphy. When they each start recognizing quotes that each other used in the notes, they realize this, and then realize that they’re attracted to each other. They leave for their own date, leaving Miles and Madeline alone to suffer through the date. 9/11/21
• 047. The Bitch’s Back – 5/7/1990
  • Miles is getting stressed because no one has read his memo about stress reduction. The scores have come back on the team’s stress levels are off the charts… especially his and Murphy’s. She is trying to work on a story about the Pine River Nuclear Facility leaking hazardous waste, but Miles insists that she attend a stress reduction session with Guru Prem (Gedde Watanabe). She halfheartedly shows up for the class, but mocks most of the exercises. She also wants to rush out to work on her story, but Miles is in the workout zone. When Murphy bends down to talk to her, she slips a disc in her back and winds up in the hospital. When she first arrives, everyone there seems thrilled. Nurse Hawking (Loretta Devine) thinks she is there for an exposé and wants to spill dirt on the hospital. Nurse Healy (Romy Rosemont) is so excited to have her as a patient and works overtime just to be with her. However, soon Murphy’s constant high-stress blathering drives everyone crazy, including her doctor Dr. Elliot Bisohp (David Paymer), who refuses to release her no matter how hard she begs. With time running out before FYI can break the news story while it’s fresh, Murphy reluctantly agrees to let Miles and Frank take over the story, but insists that they do it under her watchful eye… in her hospital room. She winds up causing such a disturbance that Dr. Bishop kicks them all out. When she sees the story air, she hates it, but later admits to Eldin when he comes to visit that the store was pretty good, but she couldn’t stand the fact that they did it without her. He tells her how he always wants to paint every wall he sees, and if she tries to always be involved with everything, she’d never get out of the hospital. She tells Frank that he did a good job on the story. Meanwhile, Jim is on a cruise to Aruba with Walter Kronkite. Ann Walker is Murphy’s fan in the hospital. Ellen Albertini Dow is the lady’s Aunt Belle. Kristen Lowman is the pregnant Secretary #35. 7/13/22
• 048. Going to the Chapel: Part 1 – 5/14/1990
  • At Corky’s mother Bootsie’s (Alice Hirson) request, Corky agrees to see an old classmate whom she used to refer to as “Wideload Willie” Forrest (Scott Bryce). Willie shows up right after the FYI team returns from a losing softball game, and Corky realizes he’s now a successful lawyer and is now physically fit. Corky is now anxious to go out with him, and although he was expecting to see the snow she was in school, he is instantly attracted as well. After a couple weeks of dating, Corky announces that she and Will are getting married, and she wants Murphy to be the Maid of Honor. She expects her throw her a shower and keep the press off her back. Murphy and Frank pledge not to go to the wedding together and to find their own dates. Murphy has the shower at Phil’s and invites Bill’s wife Carol, and Corky’s mother and sisters Kiki (Sarah Abrell) and Cookie (Courtney Gebhart). Phil joins the bachelor party with the guys and leaves his wife Phyllis (Dena Dietrich) behind to host the ladies. The bachelor party also consists of Will, Jim, Miles, Frank, and Corky’s father Edward (Bryan Clark). Corky’s sisters want to play shower games, but Murphy talks them into poker. As they play, Corky’s family reminds her of the plan she had for her life, which includes her age when she gets married, and all of her predictions are coming through so far… and Corky is visibly disturbed. Corky shows up at Murphy’s house in the  middle of the night distressed because she realizes she isn’t ready for marriage, as she wants to do so many things in life before she is tied down. She also confesses that she is a virgin and needs to experience a man of intrigue before she gets married. Murphy says she’ll support her and would never encourage her to get married if she isn’t ready. Eldin shows up at the house, and Corky asks him to take her for a drive and show her the ways of his world. NOTE: This is the first of a two-part episode. 3/10/22
• 049. Going to the Chapel: Part 2 – 5/21/1990
  • With the news constantly talking about Corky’s pending nuptials – with even Entertainment Tonight with John Tesh (himself) and Leeza Gibbons (herself) hosting a story – Corky returns to the FYI newsroom with Eldin. Murphy covers for her in front of her family by telling them that Eldin is an anonymous news source. She sends her family away and tells all of her co-workers that she is going to call off the wedding. Eldin claims that nothing happened between them, and they just talked. Will shows up looking for Corky, who hadn’t answered his calls all night. She tells him of her concerns that she doesn’t want to give up her life to become a conservative housewife. Will admits that he’s been having the same concerns and didn’t want to end up in a dead-end job like his father. He says he’d like to quit his job and stay at home and write a novel, while Corky can continuing working and traveling. Feeling as though they are back on the same page, Corky announces to the group that they’ve decided to get married after all. Murphy is miserable trying to get everything ready for the wedding, and Frank tries to convince her that as a woman, she might enjoy it. Unable to find dates, they decide to go together. Miles can’t get one either, so he decides to take Audrey. Frank spots newscaster Kathleen Sullivan (herself) and having a huge crush on her, he asks Murphy if she can find another ride home. Corky’s parents start fighting with each other, and Will’s mother Claire (Frances Bergen) clearly doesn’t like Corky. Audrey tells Miles that she really does like him even if he doesn’t like her, and this leads to them passionately making out in their wedding seats. Finally, Corky admits to Murphy that it is all too much for her with the constant badgering from the press and the family fighting. Murphy announces to the crowd that Corky and Will are having some problems so they both left to go reflect on whether they want to move forward with the wedding. Once everyone is gone, Murphy brings out The Temptations (themselves – Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, Ron Tyson, Otis Williams, and Ali Woodson) singing their upbeat version of Here Comes the Bride, along with a minister. The  wedding moves forward minus the crowd. Carol Ann Susi is Judy, Secretary #37. NOTE: This is the second a two-part episode. 3/10/22

SEASON 3

• 050. The 390th Broadcast – 9/17/1990
  • The FYI team is back from Summer vacation and ready to embark on their 13th season of the show. Miles however is concerned about recent trends with news shows, and thinks that the show may be in need of some changes. In order to learn popular opinion, he hires a moderator named Greta (Felicity LaFortune) to moderate a focus group on what they think of the news anchors on the show. The consensus is that Jim is too stiff, Corky is just perfect, Murphy is too cold, and they didn’t even notice Frank. As a loudly dressed lady (Peggy Mannix) complains about Murphy’s clothes, she busts into the focus room and reads her the riot act. With the lack of positive comments about the team, Miles decides to bring in image consultant Chris Bishop (Harry Shearer), who wants to makeover the show. He designs a new set, films a new lead-in, and insists on changes of the on-air talent, including having Murphy act warmly to the guests. He adds s segment for Frank called Let Frank Do It, during which time Frank will accept challenges from the audience. He also has Murphy pull in a woman off the street named Betty Hooley (Jessie Jones) to answer some questions about life in America, but she winds up being racist against Italians, blacks, and Jews, causing Murphy to insult her immediately. After the show, the cast is disgusted by their new personas, and even Miles doesn’t want to know what a Focus Group thought of the show. He’d prefer they go by their own instincts as to what works, so he burns the feedback from a Focus Group who watched their show. Likewise, Frank burns the toupee he’s sick of being forced to wear on air. Peter Slutsker is the tap dancing Secretary #37 .Kevin Mallory Laverne Anderson is the teenage girl. Channing Chase is the housewife. Jordan Lund is the construction man. Cliff Medaugh is the older man. Kerry Stein is the nerdy man. Zar Acaya is the younger ‘pizza man’. 7/13/22
• 051. Brown and Blue – 9/24/1990
  • Several states are trying to ban the comedy albums of offensive and off-color comedian Tony Rocket (Michael Chiklis), and Murphy is interested in lining up an interview with him to discuss the implications that this has on his First Amendment rights. Miles thinks it would be a powder keg and wants to think it over. Murphy does her homework and listens to his comedy tapes with her co-workers, and afterward, she feels so offended that she decides she doesn’t want to interview him after all. However, by now it is too late, as Miles has managed to secure the interview with him. He has to throw Murphy’s words back in her fact to agree to do the interview now, but finally she does. She plans to spend a couple of days with him to get to know him before the live interview, but as soon as he shows up, he begins hurling insults, especially to the women in the studio. While continuing their talks at Phil’s, Murphy gets so agitated when Tony insists that Murphy ‘wants him’ that she physically attacks him, not once, but twice. Miles then decides to pull the plug on the interview, especially since they will be live, as he doesn’t want the incident at Phil’s to repeat itself. Murphy pleads with Miles to let her move forward with the interview. Miles, who is threatened with being sued by Rocket if Murphy attacks him again, agrees to move forward and puts them on a five-second delay in case the expletives start flying. Once the cameras start rolling, Rocket is a perfect gentleman and claims that this whole on-stage persona is merely an act of a guy portraying a woman-hating jerk. Murphy however calls him out on the air and tells him that he is a horrible human being, but she will protect his First Amendment right always. This coaxes him into making an insult about women on the air, and she curses him out, forcing Miles to use his delay to edit her words. That night she is cheered by the public as she comes home but tells them that she behaved poorly. She confesses this to Eldin also, but she admits that he felt really good. Eldin tells her that he finished painting the hallway that evening, but when Murphy sees it, she screams. Meanwhile, Murphy gets a new secretary #38 (Laura Waterbury) who she really likes. She is good-natured, responsible, and efficient, but before two minutes pass, two orderlies (Zack Phifer, Charles Champion) come and take her back to the asylum. Denise-Dennison aka Denise Hewitt is a Newswriter. 11/7/22
• 052. Loco Hero – 10/1/1990
  • Frank performs a heroic act when he goes into a building to allow a kidnapper to make a statement to the media in order to get some hostages released. However, he falls to pieces when fellow worker Marv (Ernest-Frank Taylor) tells Frank that his father Dominic (Barney Martin) and mother Rose (Rose Marie) show up at the station. Frank has not only forgotten them at the airport but has also forgotten that he promised to throw them a 50th anniversary party. Since he didn’t book a room, he is forced to have them stay with him. When he can’t get a restaurant on short notice, he tries to get Phil to cater the event at his restaurant, but he is already booked. When Murphy sees how disappointed they are when they think Frank has forgotten the restaurant, Murphy tells them that she had volunteered to host the event at her townhouse. Frank shows up at the party with his parents hours before the event and tells Murphy that all they do is complain about everything and he can’t stand being around them. They get to Murphy’s place before caterer (James Lashly) of BBQ ribs shows up, and then Frank leaves her house to supposedly go and try to find a band. The party fills up with family members, and Murphy forces them all to stay outside. Frank returns but spends most of the time trying to line up an interview with the Senator. Frank’s sisters Pat (Gracie Moore) and Mary (Sara Ballantine) tell Murphy how much they appreciate that she is helping Frank and is glad that they are together. Murphy responds by telling them that he is gay. Frank returns briefly but refuses to stick around to do the toast for his parents. Murphy tells Frank that for all of his bravery on TV, he is really acting like a coward. Murphy attempts to give the toast for him, but Frank does in fact return to take over. However, he can’t make it through the toast because he has nothing nice to say. He tells them this will be one more thing they can complain about. They tell him that they never complain, but merely make observations. They claim that they are both extremely happy with their family, and very proud of Frank. With that, he is able to choke out a nice toast before they cut the cake. When asked to make a wish, Dominic says he wishes the cake was chocolate. Eldin cuts off his beard and mails it to Corky. Richard Zavaglia is Uncle Sal. Karen Hensel is Cousin Marla. Jordan Myers is Stycek, the hostage negotiator. 11/7/22
• 053. Strike Two – 10/15/1990
  • With a strike looming at the network, Murphy lands an interview with James Chandler (Paul Collins), a Savings and Loan president who presided over the biggest bankruptcy in history. He hasn’t given an interview since, but if they go out on strike, Murphy won’t be able to conduct it. Soon, Jim returns from negotiations to announce that they are in fact going out on strike. Mr. Kinsella visits the crew as an act of good will, but when Murphy tells him about landing Chandler, he tells them that he is going to have to hire some interim anchors so that the interview can go on, causing Murphy to lay into Kinsella with insults. Kinsella has lunch at Phil’s, who is charging them more since they are in management, and Kinsella tells Miles that he is going to fill in for Jim and that the incompetent Miller Redfield is going to come back to fill in for Murphy and conduct the interview with Chandler. Murphy spends her afternoons at home and is starting to get on Eldin’s nerves. Miles comes to see her to tell her that he can’t come up with questions for Chandler since there hasn’t been a Senate hearing yet. Murphy tells him that she has inside information from a mole in the Senate, but refuses to give it to him. On the day of the interview, Redfield gets on everyone’s nerves, but when Miles and Kinsella hear that Redfield plans to ask about parking validation and long lines at the bank, they fire him. He shows up at Phil’s with the rest of the on-strike anchors, who are watching Kinsella flounder as an anchor. Kinsella announces that it will be Miles conducting the interview. Miles comes rushing into Phil’s, begging for Murphy to give him a question for Chandler. Their friendship wins her over and she tells him to ask why he double billed his company for all of his expenses. Miles takes her advice, but Chandler merely responds that he has ‘no comment’. Miles then takes another break and returns to ask for more from Murphy. This time she simply tells Miles to stare at him until he talks. After Miles returns to the station, Murphy tells the other that the strike should last no longer than twenty minutes. Back at the studio, Miles and Chandler simply stare at each other on camera. 4/13/23
• 054. The Gold Rush – 10/22/1990
  • The FYI gang watch on TV as Jerry Gold announces his farewell from his conservative talk show The Jerry Gold Show, all the while expressing their disgust that Murphy ever dated him. Miles comes in and calls a meeting and announces that FYI executives have hired Jerry Gold to offer a more conservative side to the show. Murphy wants everyone to give Jerry a chance, but it isn’t long before she is at his throat for his insensitive comments. Miles suggests that the two of them partake in their own debate segment called Nose to Nose on the show. Murphy is against the idea, but when Jerry insinuates that she is chicken, they both agree to it. Their first topic on the show relates to the National Endowment of the Arts, and they go head-to-head hot and heavy, so much so that they are still arguing as the show ends. Miles and the cast and crew consider the segment a rousing success, and Miles invites everyone to his apartment for a party after the show. Murphy and Jerry pontificate on how much heat they generated on the show, and soon they are ignoring everyone else and focusing on their own discussion. When Miles delivers a toast, he suddenly realizes that they are missing… and are in his bedroom. When the next segment rolls around on aid to other countries, their argument is much more subdued, and they willingly give into each other’s ideas. The show is received poorly, and they both know they weren’t on their game. They realize that they can either choose between a relationship or their careers. Much to Murphy’s surprise, Jerry chooses their relationship and offers to quit. As they are making out, Miles calls and fires Jerry from FYI, but offers him his own conservative talk show opposite Johnny Carson. The only catch is that the job is in Los Angeles. Jerry and Murphy toy with the idea of a long-distance relationship but ultimately realize it won’t work. They decide to part ways, and although they can’t say they love each other, they tell each other they love each other’s shoes. 4/13/23
• 055. Bob & Murphy & Ted & Avery – 11/5/1990
  • After working on an all-night story regarding a hijacking, the FYI crew is exhausted, but Murphy is invigorated… until she spontaneously falls asleep. Just then, her mother Avery show up at the station and tells Murphy that she decided that she no longer has any drive at her home in Philadelphia wants to move in with Murphy. As another option, Murphy suggests that she consider dating which might give new excitement to her life, now that Murphy’s father has re-married. She takes her suggestion and heads to the National Gallery and picks a man named Theodore Wiltz (George Coe) who looks like a good prospect. Murphy is incredulous and warns her that he could be an ax murderer for all she knows. Avery plows right over her and tells her that Bob has an attractive son named Bob (John Getz) and that she has arranged a double date with them. Murphy insists that her mother tell the guys that Murphy isn’t feeling well and will be excusing herself early. However, when she meets Bob, who is a speechwriter for President Bush, she becomes instantly attracted to him. She tells her mother to forget what she said and is anxious to go out with him. After dinner, they decide to stop off at a seedy bar to play some pool. Both Murphy and Bob claim to be experienced players, so they play the men versus the women. Despite Avery’s incompetence of the game, Murphy and Bob become gradually more and more competitive as they go through game after game of nine ball. When the men start winning, Murphy gets annoyed, but Theodore tells Avery that no one expects from her since they are playing a man’s game. Suddenly Avery becomes a crack shot and starts running the table, leading the men getting destroyed. After they are beaten, they drop the ladies off at Murphy’s house and speed off, squealing the tires. Murphy and her mother chat about how they both have so much trouble with men. Murphy tells her mother that at least she has been in love at some point in her life, whereas all of her relationships had ended prematurely. Avery tells Murphy that she feels much better about things and plans to go back to Philadelphia after all. 8/26/23
• 056. The Last Laugh – 11/12/1990
  • After a particularly grueling hell week at FYI, Corky offers to take everyone out to Phil’s. Before they all leave, Miles gets word that they need to shoot a national news break on behalf of Connie Chung, who is stuck in traffic. When Murphy finds out that Jim needs to report that President Bush was stung on the rear end by a wasp, she begins making jokes about it. When Jim starts to relate the story on air, Jim cannot help but break up laughing. Jim is so upset by the event that he shows up for work incognito and then asks Miles if he can take a vacation that he is due. Murphy feels terrible about being responsible, so she goes to see Jim. His wife Doris tells Murphy that Jim doesn’t want to see anyone, but after thinking about how difficult it is having him home, she decides to let Murphy into his woodworking shop where he is building a model windmill. She tries to apologize, but Jim only blames himself for being so unprofessional. Once his vacation ends, he comes back to return to the show, but he can’t stop laughing before anyone says anything. He exits the station and heads to Phil’s. Frank is forced to step in for him and open the show. Jim talks to Phil about the situation, and says he fears that this is all he is remembered for, even after a lifetime in the news. Phil warns him that if he doesn’t go back, then this will in fact be what is he remembered for. This gives Jim the motivation he needs to return and close the show. Murphy comes to Phil’s and returns that Jim return to the show, which he now happily does. This works out for Frank since he had no idea that Jim always winged the closing of the show without cue cards. As Jim attempts to close the show, every one of the anchors bursts out laughing while Jim keeps it together for the closing. After he gets through it, he calls the others ‘unprofessional’. Barbara Perry is Secretary #39, who shows up in curlers and a leopard skin outfit and the promptly quits. 8/27/23
• 057. Rootless People – 11/19/1990
  • Murphy has been making enemies at work by playing jokes on her co-workers. She put a handicap sign on Miles’ parking space, bribed Frank’s tailor to take in all if his pants one inch, and sent a fan letter to Manuel Noriega on behalf of Corky. When she arrives at work and everyone begins to confront her, she suddenly gets a call and takes off quickly, telling the others that she has a lead on a big story. She meets with three men, Dr. Elliot (Curtis Armstrong), Marshall Caldwell (Andrew Hill Newman), and Alex (Craig Bierko) in a camper not far from the studio. Although they had told her that the story involved covert United States CIA action in Chile, they are actually environmentalists who have been fighting to save Las Rebas Wetlands in Oregon that are about to be destroyed by the building of a Sizzler. She tries to tell them that she would be glad to look into the story, but they express the urgency and say that the story has to be run the next night. She says that is impossible, so the guys tell her that they are going to detain her until FYI runs the story. They put a bag over her head and drive off to head to their warehouse. They become frustrated after two hours of not being able to find their warehouse. Murphy helps them get in charge of Miles, who is having lunch with the others at Phil’s. When they tell Miles they have Murphy as hostage, he assumes it is another one of Murphy’s tricks and responds sarcastically to their demands. Murphy tries to contact other news organizations and other folks she knows, and after 37 calls, not a single person believes her. The guys start to argue among themselves, especially after Alex runs out to get food and comes back with in in a plastic bag. While watching TV, the see Larry King (himself) and Murphy calls him to tell him of her predicament. Like the others, he doesn’t believe her either. Eventually, Murphy gets on the guys’ nerves so badly that they decide to let her escape by leaving the door open. When she doesn’t take the bait, Alex and the guys demand that she leaves. She berates them and tells them that they are typical men, inviting her over and then making her leave. After she calms down, she tells them that she respects their passion and promises to still look into their story. When she asks for a ride, they tell her that they’ve been parked in front of FYI for hours. As she is leaving, her co-workers all stop by the camper and accuse her of messing around all day while they were working. Still, they invite her to come along to Phil’s for drinks. 12/16/23
• 058. The Bummer of 42 – 11/26/1990
  • It is Murphy’s 42nd birthday. Murphy is looking forward to all of the gifts and her birthday party, although there is dissention about the group gift when Miles decides not to get the pants presser with the group money and instead purchases a home blood pressure testing kit. Carl wraps himself in a bow and tries to present himself to Murphy. Frank, responding to wish that Murphy once made about having a sister since she is an only child, hires an actress to come and pretend that she is Murphy’s sister. The actress who goes by the name Maddy Brown (Christine Ebersole) who has researched Murphy’s childhood history and then shows up at her party at noon at Phil’s. Murphy is dying to find out what Frank’s gift is, while Miles is excited to give Murphy her Pulse-o-matic 2. When she opens it, she assumes it is a fake box with her real gift. At first, Murphy is intrigued by the novelty of the gift, especially when Maddy can answer some very obscure questions about Murphy’s childhood. Murphy is ready for Maddy to go away after lunch, but Frank tells her that Murphy has her at midnight. Everyone leaves Phil’s but Maddy lingers on with Murphy. Maddy seems crushed when Murphy asks her to leave, so Murphy lets her stay around as she incessantly chatters to Murphy all afternoon. When she gets back to the office, Murphy tells Frank that she’s had enough of Maddy and wants him to call her off. Frank reminds her that she once got drunk and cried because she never had a sister. He tells her that she needs to just go with the fantasy and enjoy it, but instead Murphy hides in the editing room all day. When Murphy gets home, she complains to Eldin how she wasted her entire day because Frank told her to leave it open. Much to her surprise, she finds that Maddy has made her way to the house and has been hanging out with Eldin while they make chicken cacciatore. When her mother calls, she asks to speak to her ‘other daughter’ Maddy. Murphy is nearly enraged and feels as if she is in a Stephen King novel. They all rush through dinner and then Murphy demands that she leave the house. Maddy insists that they make Brownies together for dessert. Murphy threatens to throw her out, so Maddy finally tells her that she will leave and is disappointed that she couldn’t make it work for Murphy. Maddy starts to lament that she doesn’t seem to be able to make it work as an actress, unlike Murphy who is famous and successful. Murphy then shares as story with her about one of her hero broadcasters who completely disappointed her when she was a young lady by commenting on nothing but her physical appearance after she got an audition tape to him. She tells Maddy that she never told anyone that before, as it seemed like something she could only share with a… sister. The two continue talking as they bake brownies together. 12/16/23
• 059. Trouble in Sherwood-Forrest – 12/10/1990
  • Although most of the FYI crew think that Corky and her new husband Will are behaving like normal newlyweds, Murphy senses a tension between them when Will, as he is dropping off Corky at work, alludes to the fact that Corky is always late coming home. Her suspicions are confirmed when Corky breaks down crying while going over her coverage of the opening of Tokyo Disneyland. Although Murphy warns her that she is not a good person to give advice, Corky insists on talking to her in her office. Murphy doesn’t say much, but Corky comes away thinking that it would be important for her and Will to make time together, so she decides they should throw a dinner party on Monday night. Frank balks at the dinner because he normally watches Monday Night Football. When the evening rolls around, Jim and his wife Doris show up first, only to find that Corky isn’t yet home, and Will is deep into typing up a difficult paragraph in his book. To pass the time, Jim starts searching for the bowl he gave them for their wedding. Miles and Audrey show up as well, followed by Frank with a handheld TV to watch the game. Finally, Murphy shows up and cautions everyone to be patient and not upset Corky or Will. Frank is so hungry that he finds a bowl of trail mix on the refrigerator, which happens to be in the bowl that Jim gave as the wedding gift. Corky finally arrives home and identifies the trail mix as cat food. Corky and Will work together to bring out a small shrimp appetizer before serving the roast, which turns out to be so frozen that it destroys the electric knife, a cheap gift from Miles. Everyone goes home, and soon Corky shows up at Murphy’s house with her pillow. Murphy agrees to talk to her, but again, cautions that she isn’t good at advice. After she tells Murphy her woes, Eldin appears and has a talk with Corky, giving her the other side of the story. He describes how an artist or writer might feel when the woman he loves accepts his artistic nature when his parents never did, and how difficult it is to let go and trust the woman to take care of him while he shoots for the moon with his art. Corky takes his words to heart and decides to go back home to Will. Eldin, who has always had a crush on Corky, mentions that she didn’t have big enough arms to bowl with him anyway. Murphy agrees to go bowling with him instead. 4/25/24
• 060. Jingle Hell, Jingle Hell, Jingle All the Way – 12/17/1990
  •  Murphy returns from a job in Beijing, just in time to see Corky going overboard with having the station decorated for Christmas. Before she can go home to sleep, Murphy is forced to sit in on a meeting with Miles and the other reporters. They all talk about how stressed they are with all of the Christmas shopping that they will need to do. Murphy makes a suggestion that they all make a pact not to buy gifts for anyone in the office, and instead to donate the money to charity. Miles agrees that it will increase their productivity, eliminate the stress, and better exemplify the meaning of the holidays. However, when Christmas rolls around, Murphy is caught by Frank giving gifts to staff members Lynne (Gael Shipstad) and Marv (Ernest-Frank Taylor). He forces her to admit that she bought about thirty gifts for the staff members. Frank is furious that it will make him look bad for not buying gifts, but he also gives Murphy a pair of earrings since they have been exchanging gifts for years. Murphy is then embarrassed that although she bought gifts for the staff members, she got nothing for Frank. As she rushes out to buy Frank a gift, she passes Jim, who becomes suspicious when he tells her that he saw Frank at the jewelry store buying earring, and then he finds the same earrings on Murphy’s desk. Deducing that both Murphy and Miles have bought gifts despite their pact, he decides to go get gifts as well, and he asks Corky about what she wants. Corky then deduces that everyone is buying gifts, so she heads to Phil’s to tell Miles that they had better go buy gifts for the others. Miles refuses to go along with it, but then realizes what others will think of him, especially since he is Jewish. Frank then shows up with gifts for the staff and Murphy, and when he finds out from Phil that Corky and Miles are out buying gifts, Frank figures he had better return to the drug store to buy more gifts. Murphy passes Frank on her way into Phil’s and finds out that Frank has gone to get everyone gifts. All four of them wind up converging on the same drugstore where they blame Murphy for causing all of the problems to start with. Miles gets escorted out by a saleswoman (Jane A. Johnston) when he knocks over some gnome figurines. That evening during their Christmas Eve party at the studio, they are all still angry with each other. Eldin stops in and gives Murphy her Christmas gift, which causes her to tense up after all of the chaos. However, this gift is a donation made in her name to the Campbell Home for Children. Eldin then tells her that he is heading off to serve meals to children for the holiday at the Campbell home. This inspires her and the others to reconcile and vow that the next year they will just stick with the donation, the only part of this holiday that they got right, and not get each other gifts. Murphy decides to stop at the Campbell children’s home on her way home, and the others all decide to join her. Jenifer Lewis is the first drugstore saleswoman. 4/27/24
• 061. Retreat – 1/7/1991
  • When Murphy goes over 90 seconds on her news piece, which the bumps into Frank’s story, everyone at FYI seems to be at each other’s throats. This is largely because the entire cast has been working long hours recently, and Miles thinks they need something to relieve the pressure. He signs them up for a mandatory three-day corporate retreat in Florida, despite the fact that no one wants to go. When they arrive at the lodge of the place, known as Nacewsey – which is ‘Yes We Can’ spelled backwards – Murphy is caught by security guard Laura (Jeanine Jackson) trying to hire a helicopter to pick her up. Everyone from FYI meets their facilitator Justin (Doug Ballard) on whom Laura has an obvious crush. He introduces them to the other group, the Winnepeg Savings & Loan, who will be with them for the weekend. The VP of the bank, Trish Gorder (Lisa Darr), clearly has a competitive streak, and Dick (Lance Davis), who has just learned to be honest, admits that he likes the show 60 Minutes better than FYI. Justin lays out the itinerary, which will include a day of communication skills, a day of teamwork and trust, and the final day of a Survival, an outdoor event. The FYI team starts off bickering and insulting each other and the other guests as they answer questions about whether each person would rather win as a team or an individual. They all participate in an activity to see if they can use teamwork to cross an ‘acid’ river before the other team does. Murphy takes charge of the group, and they make a valiant effort, even though Murphy sacrifices Miles and Frank to achieve the goal. Jim and Corky bicker, and Jim pushes Corky in the ‘acid river,’ and then when Jim and Murphy are nearing victory, they push each other in the acid lake over an argument of who should cross first, while the other team quietly succeeds in winning the event. That night, Murphy and Corky pay a visit to the guys’ room, and they decide that they all should put in the effort to actually beat the other team in the Survival event. Since they’ve learned none of the skills they need for teamwork, they decide to cheat in the event by finding the map of the area they are going to be playing the Survival game. They all break into Justin’s office in the middle of the night, but are nearly caught by Laura, but Corky is able to distract her by talking to her about her crush on Justin. Then when Trish comes into Justin’s office, everyone hides, but Jim pretends to be on the phone with President Bush and is able to get her to leave. They find a folder on Justin’s computer that is marked Survival, but they are all unable to guess Justin’s password to unlock it. However, Corky finds a physical map in Justin’s filing cabinets. Although they are ready for the Survival event, Justin changes the activity to the Five Man Obstacle Relay, which causes Miles to want to give up and go to Disney World. When Laura shows up all dressed up for Justin, they are able to get the bus keys away from her and take off, branning to Justin that they managed to break into his office and steal the map for the Survival event. As they lock Justin and Laura in the lodge before leaving, they all chant “Yes we can,” priving that the retreat wasn’t a total loss. Gloria Dorson is Esther from the Winnepeg group. 9/11/24
• 062. Eldin Imitates Life – 1/14/1991
  • Murphy is throwing an excruciatingly dull party at her house for the Freed Museum. She is also afraid that famed artist Nathan Davis Weiss (Basil Langton) has died in her bathroom, but it turns out that he was in their admiring the painting of the Iran-Contra trials that Eldin created on the bathroom ceiling. When Murphy introduces him to Eldin, Weiss takes everyone at the party up to Murphy’s bathroom to see the work. Later, Eldin comes into the FYI office to tell her that Weiss actually came through with hooking him up with the Hartman Gallery, who offered him his own exhibition there. He is nervous about doing commercial work, but Murphy convinces him that this may be his big chance to share his work with others, or he might never get another one and live to regret it. Murphy is forced to hire a new painter named Chat (Murphy Dunne) while Eldin is busy being whisked off to events all over town by the gallery in order to promote his upcoming show. While Murphy is finding out that Chet is a horrible conversationist every time she tries to talk with him, Eldin stops by the house and offers to take Murphy to his opening as her date. He’s excited that this could lead to painting murals in big cities all over the country. On the night of the gallery opening, Eldin finds it excruciating mingling with so many stuffed shirts before Weiss opens the doors to his art exhibit. When he finally does, the crowd enters to find the room appear to be empty. All of the intellectuals start to speculate on what the art means, thinking first that the art is the “No Smoking” sign, then the light switch, then a crack in the wall, and finally, that the room is empty and that they the people are the exhibit. Eldin finally reveals the sheet on the ceiling covering his mural, and they initially think that the sheet is the exhibit. Finally, the sheet drops, and people continue to speculate what it means. Eldin is sickened by the pretentiousness of the art crowd so the throws them all out. They still don’t get it, and applaud at his performance art. Later, Murphy goes to look for Eldin in the Housepainters Bar, where the bartender (Peter Iacangelo) points out Eldin. Murphy talks to him and tells him that she feels bad for pushing him into exhibiting his art. He says that he too got caught up in the excitement and ignores the fact that he’s never painted for anyone’s pleasure but his own. He felt as if he had sold out and had decided to get on his motorcycle and drive out west to have his own adventures. However, when he realizes that he forgot his coat at the gallery, he returned only to find a bidding war for his ceiling mural, which was won by a Japanese art lover for 1.2 million dollars. Realizing that Eldin no longer needed to work for her, Murphy bids her farewell to him, but he asks if he can come over to get his tools, and then mentions that he still has some painting that he needs to finish up at her place. Sheila Shaw is the flossing secretary #40. Roger Guenveur Smith is the guy in the gallery who goes after the crab balls. Patrick Massett is Brian, the painter of the woman’s reproductive system. Brenda Strong is Janine, who hates TV. Claudette Sutherland is the lady who runs away from Murphy. Cheryl Giannini is Holly Hastings, the lady who finds the crack in the wall. 9/11/24

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