Murphy Brown: Season 8 (1995 - 1996)

The first episode of Murphy Brown's eighth season ties up the loose ends left dangling at the end of Season Seven, and throws a few extra added attractions into the mix. First off, Murphy (Candice Bergen) has decided not to marry her lover Peter Hunt--but in a surprise move, "FYI" producer Miles (Grant Shaud) and Murphy's co-anchor Corky (Faith Ford) have eloped. Secondly, although Murphy isn't going to get hitched after all, she receives a personalized wedding present from no less than John F. Kennedy Jr., who uses his unbilled cameo as an opportunity to plug his new magazine "George".

Paul Reubens returns as Andrew Lansing III, geeky nephew of network president Stan Lansing (Garry Marshall) and former "secretary from Hell" to Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). Newly promoted to the position of Vice President of Current Affairs, Andrew entices Murphy with an offer to cohost "The Awful Truth", a hard-hitting news program with Walter Cronkite. But by the time the program gets out of development and on the air, it has degenerated into a vapid info-tainment series specializing in brain-dead trivia contests and "special features" about hot new sitcom stars--and cohosted by Murphy's longtime bete noir Miller Redfield (Christopher Rich)!

After nearly getting killed during a jailhouse interview with a multiple murderer, Frank (Joe Regalbuto) wants nothing more to do with "action" stories. Network president Lansing (Garry Marshall), however, has other ideas, and insists that Frank continue risking his neck for big ratings. Thus it is that the hapless Mr. Fontana is subjected to one hazardous on-the-air stunt after another--and if this keeps up, he will be literally riding for a fall!

Insisting upon taking a traffic ticket to court, Murphy (Candice Bergen) intends to fight for her rights all by herself--and without invoking any special celebrity privileges. But when a news story leaks out suggesting that the judge will be lenient for no other reason than Murphy is a TV star, the circumstances alter drastically. As a result ,the network provides our heroine with a "dream team" of expensive lawyers...and before long, the dream turns into a nightmare.

In deciding to whom he should assign a high-profile political story, Miles (Grant Shaud) finds himself stuck in a no-win situation. He can either risk losing a romantic evening with wife Corky (Faith Ford) or having all of his bones broken by Murphy (Candice Bergen). Miles' ultimate decision is both democratic and imbecilic: He assigns BOTH ladies to the story!

It's Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) vs. Miller Redfield (Christopher Rich) when both of them want to land a highly coveted interview with famed anthropologist Elizabeth Corning (Ruth Kobart). When Miller lands the interview, Murphy is outraged--and even more so when she finds out how the conniving Mr. Redfield scored the coup. This episode is one of several directed by series regular Joe Regalbuto (Frank Fontana).

When the "FYI" studio is decimated by a truck (you had to be there!), the news team heads en masse to Murphy's alma mater, where our heroine is to receive a doctorate for helping to create the school's Women's Studies Program. Murphy (Candice Bergen) of course anticipates being received like a conquering warrior by the female students. Unfortunately, times have changed, and now Murphy's "protégées" regard her particular brand of feminism as being hopelessly out of date! Featured among the students is future That 70s Show regular Lisa Robin Kelly.

In order to coerce Murphy (Candice Bergen) into working on a searing expose of a powerful software CEO, weaselly Andrew Lansing (Paul Reubens) leaks some "hot" information about the subject of the expose to Frank (Joe Regalbuto). Thus, though Murphy had originally resisted participating in the story, she now demands the opportunity. There's only one problem: The aforementioned software mogul has just purchased the network!

Dropping her longtime agent Steve (Chris Elliott), Murphy (Candice Bergen) signs on with the agent representing her coanchor Jim (Charles Kimbrough). This makes Jim sore, especially when it appears that his agent is favoring Murphy over him. But Jim's jealousy doesn't reach the boiling point until both he and Murphy are scheduled to appear alongside John McLaughlin, Fred Barnes and Eleanor Clift on The McLaughlin Group!