Murphy Brown: Anatomy of a Sitcom

by Robert S. Alley

The authors of Love is All The Making of the Mary Tyler Moore Show take a behind-the-scenes look at the hit sitcom Murphy Brown, a highly acclaimed classic-in-the-making that's racking up ratings along with Emmys.

286 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Martin Maenza]

Very thorough background information on the show's development, operations and casting.

[Shane]

Weirdly readable, though too detailed for my preferences. An especially interesting thing about this book is that it was written midway through the second season of Murphy Brown, and the authors are arguing that it is going to be thought of as a classic television series because it contains the elements identified as constituting such shows.

And ... I don't think Murphy Brown has joined the ranks of classic series, even though some recall it fondly, and making predictions about such stuff is tricky - hence I always raise an eyebrow when something is hailed as an 'instant classic!'.

Anywho, there is also a bit of television history to add context to a show about a single professional woman, so even folks who aren't particularly fans of "Murphy Brown" might find this of interest. In terms of behind-the-scenes intrigue, there is quite a bit about what goes into making a situation comedy. Also, there's a bit of dish - most notably regarding one of the bigwigs being underwhelmed with Candice Bergen's audition; but this book was written with the full cooperation of the network and main talent, so those looking for the shocking, scandalous, or slanderous exposes might be disappointed.