The Best Episodes of Murphy Brown Season 1
Every episode of Murphy Brown Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Murphy Brown Season 1!
Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) is a recovering alcoholic who returns to the fictional newsmagazine FYI for the first time following a stay at the Betty Ford Clinic residential treatment center. Over 40 and single, she is sharp tongued and hard as nails. In her profession, she is considered one of the boys, having shattered many glass ceilings encountered during her career. Dominating the FYI news magazine, she is portrayed as one of America's hardest-hitting (though not the warmest or more sympathetic) media personalities.
Season 1 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Murphy Brown" season 1 is "Respect", rated 7.7/10 from 149 user votes. It was directed by Barnet Kellman and written by Diane English. "Respect" aired on 11/14/1988 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Devil With a Blue Dress On".
7.7/10 149 votes#1 - Respect
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 11/14/1988
Murphy returns to FYI after ""drying out"" at the Betty Ford clinic. The show has undergone some changes while she was gone, including the addition of a beauty queen to the anchor desk and a new young executive producer. In her first week back she isn't sure whether she still has her edge.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.7/10 121 votes#2 - Devil With a Blue Dress On
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/21/1988
Miles assigns Corky to work with Murphy on a big story about a corporate big shot. Corky inadvertently uncovers the fact that he is a drug smuggler, this isn't immediately apparent to her. Murphy almost feels guilty about taking credit for the story, but she doesn't get the chance, Corky ""grabs the brass ring.""
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Korby Siamis
7.5/10 112 votes#3 - Nowhere to Run
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/28/1988
Murphy investigates a federal prosecutor who's linked to mob-run prostitution, Miles fears for his life when he receives his first death threat.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Russ Woody
7.3/10 101 votes#4 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 12/5/1988
Miles schedules Murphy to interview her radical ex-husband. Murphy & Jake's feelings for one another begin to ruin the chance of a professional interview.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.2/10 99 votes#5 - Murphy's Pony
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 12/11/1988
During the Christmas holidays, a mother abandons her children to the care of Murphy Brown. Murphy goes all out to help them out.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.0/10 91 votes#6 - Baby Love
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 12/12/1988
Murphy feels maternal pangs after visiting with a pregnant friend. She considers in vitro fertilization and talks Frank into being the donor. When that option doesn't pan out, they consider a physical union.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Korby Siamis
7.2/10 93 votes#7 - Set Me Free
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 12/19/1988
Murphy's having a rotten day, complicated by a gunman who interrupts the show and demands they read his statement on the air and it gets capped off by the painter she hired to do her kitchen sticking around to finish ""extending myself.""
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.3/10 91 votes#8 - And So He Goes
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 1/2/1989
Murphy's long time nemesis asks for her to deliver the eulogy at his funeral, and Murphy sees it as her chance to have the last laugh or so she thinks.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Sy Dukane, Denise Moss
7.2/10 92 votes#9 - I Would Have Danced All Night
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 1/9/1989
Murphy is perplexed and angry when everyone on the staff is invited to the inaugural ball of President-elect Bush. Was it something she reported? Miles debates about asking a taller woman to the ball.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Steven Peterman, Gary Dontzig
7.3/10 94 votes#10 - Kyle
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 1/16/1989
Murphy's story wins freedom for an innocent man; when the rest of the team realizes he has a problem adjusting with the outside world, Miles offers him a job as Murphy's secretary.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Russ Woody
7.0/10 85 votes#11 - Off the Job Experience
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/23/1989
Miles suspends Murphy for her handling of an interview. So she leaves the office for two weeks and becomes miserable.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Norm Gunzenhauser, Tom Seeley
7.3/10 83 votes#12 - Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 2/13/1989
Cupid strikes the staff when Murphy reluctantly fixes Frank up on the condition he finds someone for her. Murphy's latest secretary has a crush on Jim.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Korby Siamis
6.9/10 83 votes#13 - Soul Man
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 2/20/1989
Murphy tries to gain entry into Washington's last exclusive club, trouble is, it's for men only. Murphy tries to get Jim to sponsor her, when she discovers a loophole in the by-laws.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Norm Gunzenhauser, Tom Seeley
7.1/10 86 votes#14 - It's How You Play the Game
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/27/1989
To get the public to see Frank's piece on the homeless, the FYI team competes with Jerry Gold's show on its level, with surprising results.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Russ Woody
7.4/10 89 votes#15 - Mama Said
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 3/6/1989
Murphy's overbearing mother comes to visit for an unspecified length of time.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.2/10 79 votes#16 - Moscow on the Potomac
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 3/13/1989
Murphy prepares for a joint broadcast with the Soviet news equivalent of Murphy Brown.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Denise Moss, Sy Dukane
7.3/10 84 votes#17 - My Dinner with Einstein
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/20/1989
Murphy dates a physicist to prove looks aren't everything, but he proves to be a party guy.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Steven Peterman, Gary Dontzig
7.2/10 82 votes#18 - Funnies Girl
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 4/10/1989
An on-camera slip of the tongue, makes Murphy the butt of a cartoonist's joke in ""The Adventures of Mouthy Brown,"" then the rest of the staff falls victim.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Norm Gunzenhauser, Tom Seeley
7.3/10 89 votes#19 - The Unshrinkable Murphy Brown
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 5/1/1989
While Murphy is grilling him on the show, a judge dies of a heart attack. This causes Murphy to lose her edge, so she attends a group therapy session.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Denise Moss, Sy Dukane
7.6/10 85 votes#20 - The Summer of '77
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 5/8/1989
Eldin meets Corky for the first time and becomes infatuated with her. Phil reflects on the first time he met Murphy, when she first came to Washington to audition against Linda Ellerbee & Frank Fontana for FYI.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Diane English
7.1/10 78 votes#21 - The Bickners
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/15/1989
A minor traffic accident, with a sweet elderly couple, results in a 1.5 million dollar lawsuit for Murphy.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Russ Woody
7.5/10 84 votes#22 - The Morning Show
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/22/1989
During an off week at FYI, Murphy & Corky co-anchor the network's morning show, and Murphy finds it's a job she just isn't made for. Murphy's new secretary has a passing resemblance to a ""dead"" celebrity.
Director: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Kathryn Baker