Spoilers Murphy Brown

[auntiehill]

I used to love Murphy Brown back in the day. I was really looking forward to the reboot.

Boy, was I disappointed. It was flat, uninspired and labored. I laughed only once during the entire show. The writing was completely stale --no, not stale. It was more than that. It was like a zombie -version of Murphy Brown was dug up and sent shambling out into TV land.

I found it to be a sad parody of itself. There's nothing new or clever here, nothing snappy or fresh in the least. Example: Corky is going through menopause, so her character is reduced to a raving lunatic having hotflashes.

The worst criticism I can give is that I was bored. Why bring this back if you're just going to do a Mad Libs script with robotic performances?

 

[Random_Spock]

It's amazing how different people view the show (I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically). I didn't mind the acting at all. Thought it was far better than some I saw on the X Files last outing. There was some real flat acting there by comparison. That stuff was more labored both in terms of that and in terms of writing than Murphy was in my opinion.

 

[Christopher]

It's amazing how different people view the show. I didn't mind the acting at all. Thought it was far better than some I saw on the X Files last outing. There was some real flat acting there by comparison. That stuff was more labored both in terms of that and in terms of writing than Murphy was in my opinion.

It's not that Bergen's acting was exceptionally bad, just that it wasn't as good as she's capable of and contributed to the generally routine and un-special feel of this. Bringing back an old show like this should feel like an event, like there's something about it that's really worthwhile in order to justify the effort. This felt rather ordinary.

 

[Random_Spock]

It's not that Bergen's acting was exceptionally bad, just that it wasn't as good as she's capable of and contributed to the generally routine and un-special feel of this. Bringing back an old show like this should feel like an event, like there's something about it that's really worthwhile in order to justify the effort. This felt rather ordinary.

Fair enough. But I'm giving them a chance to get back into the groove. I'm not going to throw things away because things aren't perfect. What reboot is when it starts off? Will and Grace was a bit off their game when they first came back as well.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I will say, most sitcoms of this style have me reaching for the remote within ten minutes, and I got to the end of the episode. That’s a win.

It does not help that I’m also watching The Good Fight which basically started the same way, an older liberal woman with a powerful personality reacting to Trump’s election, only Diane Lockheart’s emotional journey is far more nuanced and real. Trump is a source of existential distress, not just one liner material.

Lately seems like nobody but Michael Schur and Mike Judge can make sitcoms I like. Sitcoms where humor is driven by the characters inherent traits without the need for interchangeable one liners.

 

[Velocity]

Used to watch it first run, but I feel no need to watch the retread. Been there, seen that. There must be some people working in television that have some new ideas. So many retread series these days. Network tv is just getting so BORING.

 

[Christopher]

So many retread series these days.

People always talk about that as if it's a new trend, but it's always been the case. Heck, plenty of early TV series were continuations or remakes of radio series or movie series. And there have been plenty of remakes and revivals in the past too. Just for one example out of many, there's Perry Mason. It started as a book series, then became a series of 6 movies in the 1930s. A loose radio adaptation ran from 1943-55, but was so far removed from the source that it was reworked into the TV soap opera The Edge of Night in 1956. The famous Perry Mason TV series with Raymond Burr ran from 1957-66, then there was the failed New Perry Mason in 1973 with Monte Markham and Sharon Acker in the lead roles, and then the original TV cast was brought back in 1985 for an ongoing series of 30 TV movies over the next decade, with the last four movies made after Raymond Burr's death retooled to put guest actors in the lead role (at Burr's request, since he wanted the crew to get to keep working together). That's a lot of retreads of a single concept, and yet there's been nothing since 1995 except for a potential revival that HBO is developing with Robert Downey, Jr. Which argues against the belief that retreads are more common now than in the past.

 

[Refuge]

Had to Google the Hillary cameo Her timing was pretty good!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

In regards to the (understandably) lukewarm responses to the acting and script, I have to reiterate a point I made in my review: This is only the first episode. I imagine the quality for both of those will improve as they figure out what they're doing in the new show. Will & Grace's first episode was pretty damn rough, too, but by the end of the new season, it was pretty good.

 

[bigdaddy]

Will & Grace's first episode was pretty damn rough, too, but by the end of the new season, it was pretty good.

Agee to disagree as the season was kind of 'ehhh'.

 

[Christopher]

In regards to the (understandably) lukewarm responses to the acting and script, I have to reiterate a point I made in my review: This is only the first episode. I imagine the quality for both of those will improve as they figure out what they're doing in the new show. Will & Grace's first episode was pretty damn rough, too, but by the end of the new season, it was pretty good.

Makes me think the Marx Brothers were on to something when they did their new comedy scripts as stage plays and worked out the kinks in multiple live performances before finally shooting them as movies. Ideally you want them to figure out what they're doing before the show actually hits the screen.

 

[E-DUB]

I think it's funny that the people who complain about the character being so liberal are the same ones who complain that the news media is dominated by liberals. Wouldn't that make it an honest portrayal, then?

 

[1001001]

I was a big fan of Murphy Brown during it's first run.

We watched the premiere last night. I thought it was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. The opening scene in the bar was pretty painful, though.

I think the biggest laughs were with the EPA Official ("I used to run the gift shop at Trump Tower"), and Murphy's final rant at Trump's tweets.

We'll see how it gets settled into this format.

 

[Random_Spock]

In regards to the (understandably) lukewarm responses to the acting and script, I have to reiterate a point I made in my review: This is only the first episode. I imagine the quality for both of those will improve as they figure out what they're doing in the new show. Will & Grace's first episode was pretty damn rough, too, but by the end of the new season, it was pretty good.

Exactly. It takes a bit of time to have stuff get ironed out. Seems as if some fans out there (reviewers out there, and fans in general) forget that it needs time. I loved the new season of Will and Grace, warts and all. A show doesn't have to be perfect to be good.

 

[Christopher]

A show doesn't have to be perfect to be good.

No, but it does have to be good to be good. I'm not sure this show is there yet. I laughed a few times, but not many. It seemed too tame, too unambitious, not trying very hard. Yes, a show can start out flawed and get better, but if the sense I get is that they're not really trying, that doesn't give me confidence that they'll strive to improve.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I will always pick the show with great things about it and major flaws over the one with lots of decent things about it and no flaws.

 

[Christopher]

I will always pick the show with great things about it and major flaws over the one with lots of decent things about it and no flaws.

I don't think this show fits either description. It's more like some decent things and some flaws.

 

[Random_Spock]

No, but it does have to be good to be good. I'm not sure this show is there yet. I laughed a few times, but not many. It seemed too tame, too unambitious, not trying very hard. Yes, a show can start out flawed and get better, but if the sense I get is that they're not really trying, that doesn't give me confidence that they'll strive to improve.

Fair enough. I'm just glad that it's back and they're trying. Better than not doing anything at all.

 

[bigdaddy]

Yeah it was just there, and the ratings were lacking, but I was so happy seeing Murphy Brown's house again.

 

[Random_Spock]

Really liking tonights ep. Pretty good so far.