via Giphy/Courtesy Sony
"When you saw us across the room, would you have made such a beeline over here if my breasts were not as big as they are?"
Today's entry includes one show previously covered in Thoughts On and one that I wouldn't mind exploring in full. Murphy Brown eventually claimed the title of CBS' flagship sitcom, holding that honor for several seasons. For years, there was also a prominent perch for Designing Women. If you think I'm hyper-aware of the pecking order, it's nothing compared to these shows' characters. Mary Jo (Annie Potts), in "Big Haas and Little Falsie," observes how society seems to favor larger-breasted women like Suzanne (Delta Burke) and Charlene (Jean Smart) over women like her and Julia (Delta Burke). Murphy (Candice Bergen), in "Devil with a Blue Dress On," makes a play to remain the female lead at FYI, at the expense of professional growth for Corky (Faith Ford). All of today's Women episodes were written by show creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, while half of today's Murphys were by creator Diane English and the others by Korby Siamis.
Comedy-wise, "Falsie" is the best of the Women quartet. Mary Jo has inherited $3,000, which she must use for frivolous purposes. Suzanne gleefully figures out that Mary Jo wants to have her breasts done, prompting Anthony (Meshach Taylor) to quickly get the hell out of there. Later, Anthony walks in at just the wrong time, as Charlene is feeling Mary Jo's falsies. "These things are power!" Mary Jo admits, but she also knows that she'd rather live life as herself, not as a breast-obsessed jackass. Still, she's not above playing a prank on J.D. (Richard Gilliland) with the help of her falsies and a "TV phone." J.D. is more important than Anthony in this batch. "Great Expectations" has Mary Jo, J.D. and their kids sharing a weekend trip. Again, you can't get anything past Suzanne. She knows it's a test to see if they could be a blended family. Since J.D. and Mary Jo ultimately didn't go the distance, I guess the test mattered more than it appeared. In the meantime, the adults realize they shouldn't force the kids to bond, which I guess allowed it to happen naturally. And Anthony earns the respect of feared ex-inmate T. Tommy Reed (M.C. Gainey) by turning down a job offer.
Time hasn't changed my opinion on "Reservations for Eight." The performances are great, but the drama is so contrived. Really, Julia and Mary Jo? You didn't expect boyfriends Reese (Hal Holbrook) and J.D. would want to share bedrooms with you during a ski weekend? An avalanche keeps everyone indoors, where they watch Oprah and argue about practically everything that would fall under men vs. women. Along the way, we learn than Dash (Gerald McRaney) was quick in the sack when married to Suzanne. Charlene and Bill (Douglas Barr) mostly stay peaceful, later leading the reunion dance to Charley Pride's "You're So Good When You're Bad." Suzanne's delight at Dash's invite always makes me smile. In the end, though, I give the crown for Women to Jean Smart in "How Great Thou Art." Charlene loses respect for Rev. Nunn (Patrick Tovatt) when she discovers he's opposed to women becoming ministers. Alice Ghostley is great as Bernice matches wits with Nunn, and we've got one of Dixie's best musical performances. But the episode belongs to Jean. Charlene gets Julia over her stage fright -- "Do it for all us girls" -- and never loses her faith in God.
via Giphy/Courtesy Sony
"Respect," the pilot to Murphy Brown, is bookended nicely by "Set Me Free." Murphy has returned from a month at Betty Ford. She's stopped drinking and smoking and she even did aerobics, but Murphy won't give up chewing pencils. In Murphy's absence, FYI gained executive producer Miles (Grant Shaud) and Corky. Murphy's not pleased about the newcomers, but Miles briefly wins her over by lining up an interview with Bobby Powell (Tony Goldwyn). He allegedly slept with a vice presidential candidate (Hey, It's 1988!), but doesn't want to talk about that. Murphy doesn't want to do a compromised interview, and ultimately doesn't. In "Free," she doesn't want to read a statement from Henry Tucker (Robert Harper), who is holding FYI's anchors and crew hostage. It's all part of a trying day including cigarette cravings, Miles trying to boost the ratings, Miles keeping FYI on the air amid the crisis, Frank (Joe Regalbuto) failing to disarm Henry before having his tennis shorts and that he's wearing a toupee revealed on camera, Henry having a real gun (Corky is upset that he screwed up her lighting), crew member Carl (Ritch Brinkley) continuing to pine for Murphy, Corky failing to seduce Henry (she offers to wear the crown and sash) and Jim (Charles Kimbrough) boring Henry with how he became a broadcaster. Miles eventually orders Murphy to read the statement, which goes against her and reporting's ethical code. Henry's ranting about people who drive slow in the fast lane. After he goes to turn himself in, Miles reveals that he took FYI off the air early on. He is one of the gang after all.
I'm glad that not much time was devoted to a "Will they or won't they?" arc for Murphy and Frank. The two nearly have sex in "Baby Love." It's not out of lust. Attraction isn't even teased. It's so she can get pregnant. Murphy ultimately decides that if she has a baby, it should be done with love. Frank had come around to the idea of being a dad, but she gets him to admit that he's also a little relieved that it's not happening. "Love" is an interesting episode to watch in light of Murphy's legacy being largely due to the 1992 controversy over her being a single mother (after an unplanned pregnancy), as well as the show seeming to completely say no to Murphy-Frank as a romantic pair. I smiled at them both failing at kissing, let alone arousing, the other. My biggest laugh from this batch, though, came in "Devil." It was Corky looking like hell after dumpster-diving in search of information for her and Murphy's story about a supposed businessman-philanthropist. It turns out that the guy's smuggling drugs. Murphy quickly figured this out, but Corky was the one who found the proverbial smoking gun. She revealed it during a colleagues session including Murphy talking about what makes her successful. It includes going for the brass ring. Guilt eventually gets the better of Murphy, who plans to give Corky her proper credit. Corky goes a step better, by taking the story for herself during FYI's broadcast. Murphy is forced to take Corky's story, concerning spas for pets. After the show, Murphy tells Corky that she recognized her ring-grabbing moment. And if Corky does that to her again, she will be killed.
Thoughts:
-- "Now, what I just did took more courage than I ever thought I had, and it would be impossible for me to have more courage than you." "What makes you so sure?" "Well ... 'cause you're my hero." "... Heroine." "Even better."
-- Awards Watch, Women: The show received only one major Primetime Emmy nomination in 1988, for "Killing All the Right People," which aired too early to qualify for this exercise. In 1989, the nominations included Outstanding Comedy Series and for Taylor.
-- Awards Watch, Murphy: Both Bergen and English won for "Respect," with Barnet Kellman's direction scoring a nomination. Other nominees included the show, Regalbuto for a package including "Love," Ford for a package including "Devil" and Colleen Dewhurst, who won for her first guest appearance as Murphy's mother Avery. Not long after "Respect," both Bergen and the show were Golden Globe nominees. She won.
-- Behind the Camera: Kellman directed almost all but two episodes of Murphy's first three seasons. Over on Women, we have David Trainer for "Expectations," Harry Thomason for "Art" and "Falsie" and Holbrook for "Eight." Of note: Bloodworth-Thomason wrote all of that show's second season.
-- Women's second season is also notable for the greater effort to humanize Suzanne. She not only shared a motel room with Anthony ("Stranded") but lost her money to her accountant and considered marrying an old man for security ("The Return of Ray Don"). In "Eight," she says she invited Dash because her two present suitors both happened to break a hip. While I love Burke's performance and most of the writing for Suzanne in her later seasons, I hate that her sexuality was gone for good (minus the "Will they or won't they?" with Anthony) once Delta gained weight. To be fair, Suzanne's libido was already on its way out in "Eight." She says sex is not as great as winning a crown or going shopping. Anyway, in "Falsie," Suzanne milks her comparative poverty for sympathy. She's no longer able to have her legs waxed by professionals, but by her maid, Consuela. This is undercut by the fact that Suzanne is wearing a goddamn ballgown to work.
-- Murphy, meanwhile, reached rock bottom two months before "Free." She regrets having been so hard on Mother Theresa. Other FYI segments include Frank's pieces on prostitution and illegal chemical dumping ("Respect"), the Redskins (as they were known at the time of "Devil") and airline safety ("Free"), Corky's on liposuction ("Respect") and "Halston: Why the Dream Died" ("Free") and Murphy's on a nuclear plant's operations ("Free"). She also had a piece on prison conditions, which Miles would like to nix for the more ratings-friendly topics of a bra museum and Frederick's of Hollywood lingerie ("Free"). At some point, the show did "Nuns After Dark," which Murphy sarcastically suggests helped with the ratings boost ("Free"). Later, grateful for Miles' decency, she suggests a piece on nymphomania. Is it a mental illness or just fun?
-- The Women of 1988 Journalism: Bobby is considering being interviewed by Jane Pauley ("Respect"). Murphy wonders if the good news Miles has for her is "Diane Sawyer's missing?" ("Free").
-- Women's Bloopers: The boom mike is briefly visible in "Expectations" and "Falsie." Also, if Julia's performance in "Art" is at night, and there's an establishing shot of her home at night, then why is the next establishing shot, of the church she sings at, in the daytime?
-- I don't have much to say about Eldon (Robert Pastorelli), Phil (Pat Corley) or Jim. In this particular batch, Phil seemed to fill the role of Murphy's elder confidant better than Jim. "Devil" did have the funny idea of Jim having to be "warmer." He's not comfortable with smiling for the camera. Eldon, meanwhile, went from creating an Industrial Revolution mural on Murphy's kitchen ceiling ("Respect") to moving onto her living room and a planned mural of presidents with beards ("Free"). I should also mention Murphy playing pranks on Miles in "Devil," out of revenge for him having her work with Corky. Murphy's mischief includes having numerous pizzas delivered late at night to Miles, followed by a late night visit from a polka band. She also gets Corky back for stealing her story by arranging for a visit from some missionaries.
-- Continuity Corner, Women: Charlene says Julia's reverend isn't opposed to female ministers. Two seasons later, Charlene and Julia attend the same church, whose new minister briefly became Mary Jo's boyfriend ("Have Faith"). Also, a brief tangent, I want to remind you how the four original Sugarbaker's ladies knew each other. Julia and Suzanne were sisters, Charlene was secretary for Julia's late husband and Mary Jo was Charlene's neighbor. I mention that because two thoughts come to mind with Carlene (Jan Hooks) from the last two years. A, she should have been either Marlene, Harlene or Darlene, who were already mentioned. B, she had a much different dynamic opposite Mary Jo than Charlene did. I could buy Mary Jo and Charlene as close friends. With Mary Jo and Carlene, it's a bit like a sorority's "big" and her "little." The less said about Alison (Julia Duffy) and B.J. (Judith Ivey), the better.
-- Continuity Corner, Murphy: She was maced at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Miles' previous experience was three years with public television and Corky belatedly became Miss America 1983. Her talent was coordinating a closet ("Respect").
-- Secretary Watch: There's Sherry (Mary Cadorette), who gives her opinion on Murphy's situation, Robert (Charley Lang), who can't handle the pressure and possibly Mrs. Caldwell (Kathleen Freeman), who gets a lot of information wrong ("Respect"). "Devil" has Megan (Dinah Lenney), who's more impressed with Corky, prioritizing helping with her fan mail over her duties with Murphy. "Love" has an inappropriately cheerful woman (Marianne Muellerleile) who's okay with loudly sharing Murphy and Frank's business.
-- Hey, It's 1988!: Charlene is reading the September issue of Cosmopolitan, with Cindy Crawford on the cover, in "Falsie." Murphy and Women both get their licks in at the state of daytime TV, with attention to Phil (or should it be Phyllis?) Donahue ("Eight") and Geraldo, whose show has a ski mask budget ("Free"). Murphy also tells Bobby that he doesn't know the indignity of the National Enquirer pasting his head onto Pia Zadora's body ("Respect"), a nod to TV Guide, Oprah and Ann-Margret.
-- Hasn't Aged Well: Frank's suggesting that they all ambush Henry, since he could maybe only shoot one of them ("Free").
-- Musical Moments/Coincidence Corner: Like Murphy, T. Tommy Reed also is an Aretha Franklin fan. He used to ballroom dance with the other inmates to "Respect." ("Expectations."). Music is used as a means to illustrate the differences between Murphy and Miles. She's upset that he doesn't know who the Shirelles are, that he thinks the California Raisins were the first to sing one of their commercials' songs ("Respect") and that he thought Smokey Robinson was a forest ranger ("Free"). Murphy also briefly uses "Martha Reeves" as an alias at the sperm bank and insists that she and Frank cannot have a son known as Little Anthony ("Love"). As well, there were two uses of "The Way You Do The Things You Do" ("Respect" and "Free"), the FYI team singing along to "You Keep Me Hanging On" ("Free"), Murphy singing a bit of "I Can't Get Next to You" ("Devil"), an instrumental of "Soul Man" before Jim practices smiling ("Devil") and their namesake songs playing before "Devil" and "Love." Aww to the cast and lead crew's baby pictures over the credits in "Love." Finally, of course, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" in "Respect."
-- What Would You Watch? FYI, a Partridge Family reunion or Emmanuel Lewis on a two-part ALF ("Respect"), which would suggest the show airs at 8 p.m. on Mondays. By "Free," FYI airs at Tuesdays at 10. Miles tells Henry that his dawdling has the audience turning to thirtysomething.
-- "Corky, you remember that memo I sent out last week, the one about how no one should talk to me in the morning until after 3 o'clock?"
-- Next: Roseanne. On deck: Talk and morning shows.
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