After the successful return of Will & Grace and Fuller House, CBS is joining the reboot craze by reviving something from its own archive.
The television network is bringing back Murphy Brown, one of its most popular sitcoms, almost 30 years after its 1988 premiere. The series produced by Warner Bros. just received a straight-to-series order that will air during the 2018-2019 season. The new installment of the television comedy will have 13 episodes.
Candice Bergen, the actress who led the series from its premiere up to its finale in 1998, has already signed up to reprise the role of Murphy Brown, an investigative journalist and news anchor. Diane English, the creator of the original series, is also back to write and executive produce the revival through Bend in the Road Productions.
Just In Time
Set in a television studio, Murphy Brown discussed relevant issues of its time. Because of the show's hard-hitting commentary that targeted real politicians, it made some powerful enemies throughout its 10-year run.
An evidence of its political and social impact was when then-vice president Dan Quayle addressed the show in a speech about "family values," chastising the show's lead character for having a child outside of marriage.
"Bearing babies irresponsibly is simply wrong," Quayle said in his speech. "Failing to support children one has fathered is wrong. We must be unequivocal about this. It doesn't help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice."
The TV comedy retaliated by referencing the time the vice president misspelled potato during a visit to a school.
The show's return also coincides with its 30th anniversary in November.
Revival Details
Deadline recounted that talks about the revival of Murphy Brown started around the time of President Donald Trump's inauguration. English and some of the original writers held informal meetings to brainstorm ideas that aimed to take on the current political climate. It was not until this month that the project finally came together and became official.
Seemingly predicting its own return, the award-winning sitcom's series finale was aptly titled "Never Can Say Goodbye," a two-part story where Murphy is contemplating retirement after battling breast cancer. The episode saw the reporter score an interview with God who convinced her not to quit just yet.
CBS has not revealed whether any of the original cast aside from Bergen will return, but according to reports, talks are currently underway to bring back the original characters.
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