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Murphy Brown: The Complete First Season (5 Discs) (Dual-layered DVD)

Candice Bergen won an Emmy award for her work in this episode, in which Colleen Dewhurst (also an Emmy winner) guest stars as Avery Brown, the formidable mother of TV journalist Murphy Brown (Bergen). Showing up announced at Murphy's doorstep, Avery clearly intends to stay for a long, long time--but she adamantly refuses to tell her daughter the reason for her visit. Meanwhile, Eldin (Robert Pastorelli), who likewise bids fair to be a permanent fixture in Murphy's household, makes a painful discovery about his musical "ear" (or lack of same). Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide Leslie Jordan appears as Kyle Whitsett, an innocent man falsely accused of bank robbery who is released from prison thanks to a TV report filed by Murphy (Candice Bergen). Unfortunately, Kyle has been in stir so long that he's not entirely suited for a "civilian" job. Out of sympathy, Miles (Grant Shaud) hires Kyle to be the latest (number eleven, to be exact) of Murphy's secretaries--a job for which he is eminently unsuited, as he proceeds to demonstrate in a hilariously horrendous fashion. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide Robin Thomas makes his first series appearance as Jake Lowenstein, celebrated political activist and former husband of Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). Miles (Grant Shaud) thinks he's scored quite a coup when he schedules Murphy to interview Jake on "FYI." Alas, Murphy had trouble sustaining her journalistic objectivity she finds herself again attracted to the charismatic Jake--and there's a strong likelihood that the couple might give their marriage (which lasted all of five days) a second chance. Charley Lang makes a rare return appearance as one of Murphy's former secretaries. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide After making a mistake on the air, Murphy (Candice Bergen) finds herself being caricatured as "Mouthy Brown" in a comic strip drawn by satirical cartoonist Pat O'Shea (Gregory Proccacino). Unwilling to be thought of as a bad sport, Murphy pretends to find her cartoon counterpart to be hilarious, all the while seething inside. But when O'Shea begins to use his strip to attack the rest of the "FYI" staff, it's time for some retaliatory action. The "comic" motif in this episode is played to the hilt, right down to the utilization of animated thought balloons and "idea" light bulbs. And, oh yes, Secretary 18 (Josh Pais) makes his expectedly brief appearance. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide During an "FYI" hiatus, Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Corky (Faith Ford) agree to temporarily co-host the station's early-morning show. While Corky takes to the job like a fish to water, Murphy is driven crazy by the show's laid-back format and her co-host's nails-on-the-blackboard ebullience. Famed Elvis Presley impersonator Pete Willcox shows up as Murphy's "Secretary 20", who bears a startling resemblance to a certain Memphis singer who had Left the Building several years earlier. This is the final episode of Murphy Brown's first season. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide During the 70th anniversary of Phil's bar, Murphy (Candice Bergen) flashes back to 1977, when she az first auditioned for a job with "FYI"--and her chief competition consisted of her current coworker Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and NBC commentator Linda Ellerbee (as herself in both the new scenes and in stock footage from 1977). As a bonus, we get a glimpse of Murphy's producer Miles (Grant Shaud) back when he was a precocious thirteen-year-old (played by Jason Marsden). Meanwhile, back in The Present, Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) develops a crush on Corky (Faith Ford). Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide