Murphy Brown
Double Rush
February 18, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Double Rush was a short-lived sitcom on CBS that aired from January to April 1995.
Stephen Nathan and Diane English created the show.
Its setting was familiar -- the workplace.
Cheers had the bar in Boston where everybody knows your name.
WKRP in Cincinnati had a rock and roll radio station in the Queen City.
And Double Rush had a bicycle messenger service in Manhattan named Double Rush.
The owner is would-be rock musician Johnny Verona, played by Robert Pastorelli.
Pastorelli earned the respect, laughter, and loyalty of fans of Murphy Brown as Eldin Bernecky, the house painter who constantly created new projects for Murphy’s home.
Corinne Bohrer plays the practical-minded Harvard Business School grad Zoe Fuller, a good complement and potential love interest for Johnny.
There is a dynamic between dreamer Johnny and intellectual yet unfulfilled Zoe that is reminiscent of Sam and Diane on Cheers.
Double Rush was funny. Its characters were well-defined. And its supporting cast was solid.
D.L. Hughley, Adam Goldberg, and David Arquette play bike messengers.
Sam Lloyd plays dispatcher Barkley. You may know him as Ted Buckland, the attorney for Sacred Heart Hospital on Scrubs.
Veteran comedic character actor Phil Leeds plays veteran bike messenger The Kid.
In the pilot, we learn that Johnny won’t sell Double Rush to a competitor because if he does, the competitor will lay off the messengers.
We also learn that Johnny’s loyalty is inherent. Twenty-five years prior, Johnny had the opportunity to sign with a record label. But the label only wanted Johnny, not his band mates.
Johnny wouldn’t sign without them, so he continued his bike messenger job to pay the bills. Eventually, he bought Double Rush.
Despite the cast and writing, Double Rush did not live to see the Fall 1995 lineup.
david@davidkrell.com
Double Rush was a short-lived sitcom on CBS that aired from January to April 1995.
Stephen Nathan and Diane English created the show.
Its setting was familiar -- the workplace.
Cheers had the bar in Boston where everybody knows your name.
WKRP in Cincinnati had a rock and roll radio station in the Queen City.
And Double Rush had a bicycle messenger service in Manhattan named Double Rush.
The owner is would-be rock musician Johnny Verona, played by Robert Pastorelli.
Pastorelli earned the respect, laughter, and loyalty of fans of Murphy Brown as Eldin Bernecky, the house painter who constantly created new projects for Murphy’s home.
Corinne Bohrer plays the practical-minded Harvard Business School grad Zoe Fuller, a good complement and potential love interest for Johnny.
There is a dynamic between dreamer Johnny and intellectual yet unfulfilled Zoe that is reminiscent of Sam and Diane on Cheers.
Double Rush was funny. Its characters were well-defined. And its supporting cast was solid.
D.L. Hughley, Adam Goldberg, and David Arquette play bike messengers.
Sam Lloyd plays dispatcher Barkley. You may know him as Ted Buckland, the attorney for Sacred Heart Hospital on Scrubs.
Veteran comedic character actor Phil Leeds plays veteran bike messenger The Kid.
In the pilot, we learn that Johnny won’t sell Double Rush to a competitor because if he does, the competitor will lay off the messengers.
We also learn that Johnny’s loyalty is inherent. Twenty-five years prior, Johnny had the opportunity to sign with a record label. But the label only wanted Johnny, not his band mates.
Johnny wouldn’t sign without them, so he continued his bike messenger job to pay the bills. Eventually, he bought Double Rush.
Despite the cast and writing, Double Rush did not live to see the Fall 1995 lineup.
Murphy Brown
December 08, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
From 1988 to 1998, Murphy Brown showed us the personal and professional lives of a fictional, accomplished, perpetually single television newswoman.
Candice Bergen stars in the title role -- a Motown-loving, Barry Manilow-detesting, alcoholic-reforming anchor of the fictional FYI prime time news program. Each FYI show begins with anchor Jim Dial saying some variation on the phrase For your information, tonight.
Bergen had the great fortune of solid writing, a strong cast, and exemplary guest stars and recurring actors.
In the guest star category, Darren McGavin and Colleen Dewhurst play Murphy’s parents, Morgan Fairchild plays an actress researching a sitcom role loosely based on Murphy, and Harry Shearer plays an image consultant.
Real-life celebrities play themselves, including Connie Chung, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Walter Cronkite, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn.
Jane Leeves plays the recurring role of Audrey, girlfriend of FYI Executive Producer Miles Silverberg.
Alan Oppenheimer and Garry Marshall play the recurring roles of network executives Eugene Kinsella and Stan Lansing, respectively.
The central cast gives Murphy a strong quasi-family.
Charles Kimbrough plays veteran television newsman Jim Dial.
Grant Shaud plays the young, eager, and initially inexperienced executive producer, Miles Silverberg.
Faith Ford plays beauty queen turned television journalist Corky Sherwood.
And Joe Regalbuto plays Murphy’s best friend and investigative journalist Frank Fontana.
One hallmark of Murphy Brown is the constant changing of Murphy’s secretaries.
One secretary ran a phone sex line from her desk!
Another hallmark is Murphy’s house painter Eldin Bernecky, played by Robert Pastorelli. Eldin is Murphy’s sounding board at home because he always finds new work to do in Murphy’s elegant house.
In 1992, art met life on Murphy Brown.
Murphy got pregnant by an old flame. But he did not stick around because his passion is traveling the world to help less fortunate people.
Murphy decides to have the baby. And Vice President Dan Quayle criticizes the Murphy Brown character for having a child out of wedlock and calling it just another lifestyle choice.
Quayle’s comments reflect the importance of a father in a child’s life. But it triggered a media firestorm.
Murphy Brown incorporated Quayle’s comments into the show. In the Murphyverse, Quayle criticizes the real-life Murphy Brown rather than a fictional character.
Murphy Brown responded to the vice president’s criticism by saying that families come in all shapes and sizes.
In a later season, Kay Carter-Shepley replaces Miles Silverberg as Executive Producer of FYI. Lily Tomlin plays Carter-Shepley.
In the final season, Murphy battles and defeats breast cancer.
Murphy Brown. For your information, she’s America’s favorite fictional television news superstar.
david@davidkrell.com
From 1988 to 1998, Murphy Brown showed us the personal and professional lives of a fictional, accomplished, perpetually single television newswoman.
Candice Bergen stars in the title role -- a Motown-loving, Barry Manilow-detesting, alcoholic-reforming anchor of the fictional FYI prime time news program. Each FYI show begins with anchor Jim Dial saying some variation on the phrase For your information, tonight.
Bergen had the great fortune of solid writing, a strong cast, and exemplary guest stars and recurring actors.
In the guest star category, Darren McGavin and Colleen Dewhurst play Murphy’s parents, Morgan Fairchild plays an actress researching a sitcom role loosely based on Murphy, and Harry Shearer plays an image consultant.
Real-life celebrities play themselves, including Connie Chung, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Walter Cronkite, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn.
Jane Leeves plays the recurring role of Audrey, girlfriend of FYI Executive Producer Miles Silverberg.
Alan Oppenheimer and Garry Marshall play the recurring roles of network executives Eugene Kinsella and Stan Lansing, respectively.
The central cast gives Murphy a strong quasi-family.
Charles Kimbrough plays veteran television newsman Jim Dial.
Grant Shaud plays the young, eager, and initially inexperienced executive producer, Miles Silverberg.
Faith Ford plays beauty queen turned television journalist Corky Sherwood.
And Joe Regalbuto plays Murphy’s best friend and investigative journalist Frank Fontana.
One hallmark of Murphy Brown is the constant changing of Murphy’s secretaries.
One secretary ran a phone sex line from her desk!
Another hallmark is Murphy’s house painter Eldin Bernecky, played by Robert Pastorelli. Eldin is Murphy’s sounding board at home because he always finds new work to do in Murphy’s elegant house.
In 1992, art met life on Murphy Brown.
Murphy got pregnant by an old flame. But he did not stick around because his passion is traveling the world to help less fortunate people.
Murphy decides to have the baby. And Vice President Dan Quayle criticizes the Murphy Brown character for having a child out of wedlock and calling it just another lifestyle choice.
Quayle’s comments reflect the importance of a father in a child’s life. But it triggered a media firestorm.
Murphy Brown incorporated Quayle’s comments into the show. In the Murphyverse, Quayle criticizes the real-life Murphy Brown rather than a fictional character.
Murphy Brown responded to the vice president’s criticism by saying that families come in all shapes and sizes.
In a later season, Kay Carter-Shepley replaces Miles Silverberg as Executive Producer of FYI. Lily Tomlin plays Carter-Shepley.
In the final season, Murphy battles and defeats breast cancer.
Murphy Brown. For your information, she’s America’s favorite fictional television news superstar.
The Ultimate TV Network
July 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
June 16, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Summer means baseball.
It also means rainouts for baseball games.
When a rainout occurs, you can get your baseball fix with a baseball movie. For those of us who grew up in the 1970's, one movie in particular has just the right amount of fantasy, emotional depth, and baseball.
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Gentler than its predecessor (The Bad News Bears) and more compelling than its successor (The Bad News Bears Go To Japan), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training gives the underdogs from the North Valley League in southern California a shot at the Houston Toros. The Toros players are bigger, stronger, and faster.
Where else could the climactic game take place but the Houston Astrodome, the post-modern Eighth Wonder of the World and a popular cultural touchstone?
With Tatum O'Neal and Walter Matthau absent as star pitcher Amanda and Coach Morris Buttermaker respectively, the Bears need a pitcher, a coach, and a way to get to Houston.
Except for Timmy Lupus. The Bears' worst player can't travel with the team because of health reasons -- he broke a leg while skateboarding.
Jimmy Baio plays Carmen Ronzonni, the replacement pitcher.
The Bears employ an almost mute maintenance worker to play the part of the coach. Bears star Kelly Leak teaches him to say some scripted bland sentences because he wants to convince the players' families that a coach will be chaperoning them. They gather at one of the players' homes for the sendoff.
As soon as the families leave, the Bears take a van to Houston with Kelly at the wheel. Jackie Earle Haley plays Kelly.
Along the way, they almost pick up a gorgeous hitchhiker, evade cops on the highway, and motor to a catchy 1970's song called Looking Good, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, music by Craig Safan, sung by James Rolleston.
A subplot reveals itself when Kelly confronts his long-absent father, factory worker Michael Leak. William Devane plays Michael Leak.
Tanner Boyle, the Bears' loudmouth shortstop, writes to Lupus a.k.a. Looper that nobody knew Kelly had a father.
However, earlier in the movie, we learn that Carmen may have prior knowledge of Kelly's secret. The Bears know that Kelly knows a guy in Houston. After one of them inquires further, Carmen says that it's just some guy that Kelly knows. One can infer that Carmen's vagueness is merely a cover for Kelly.
Initially, for appearances sake, Michael agrees to be a figurehead coach. His status soon changes because the Bears realize he can actually help them in their game against the Toros.
The already strained relationship between Kelly and Michael continues to fracture during a tense moment in a practice where father eclipses son as the team leader.
Right before the game at the Astrodome, Tanner gives a locker room speech mirroring the climactic Win One For the Gipper speech in Knute Rockne, All-American. Tanner saw the movie on late night television while the rest of the team slept, except for Kelly who watched the scene quietly in the background.
Tanner's Win One for the Looper speech motivates the Bears.
The four-inning game between the Toros and Bears takes place between the games of a doubleheader at the Astrodome.
Only one problem. The powers that be call the game on account of time.
Real-life Houston Astros Bob Watson and Cesar Cedeno appear in the Bears' dugout and Watson says, Come on, let the kids play!
Inspired, Michael Leak takes the field and shouts, Let them play! Let them play! Soon, Kelly, the rest of the Bears, and the entire Astrodome join the chant. Meanwhile, Tanner refuses to leave the field and continues to evade the two suited gentleman trying to capture him.
Caving into massive crowd pressure, the powers that be resume the game.
Carmen Ronzonni hits an inside the park grand slam to win the game.
Michael and Kelly repair their relationship after the game.
And the Bears have Japan in their sights for their last adventure in the little league trilogy.
The television connections are highly significant in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
William Devane played Greg Sumner for several seasons of the CBS nighttime soap opera Knots Landing.
Pat Corley plays the coach of the Houston Toros. He also played Phil, the favorite bar owner and bartender for the gang from the fictional television news program FYI on Murphy Brown.
Lane Smith plays a sheriff in Breaking Training. He also played The Daily Planet editor Perry White in the 1990's yuppie version of Superman -- Lois and Clark starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.
CBS aired a short-lived comedy based on the movies. The Bad News Bears starred Jack Warden as Coach Buttermaker.
david@davidkrell.com
Summer means baseball.
It also means rainouts for baseball games.
When a rainout occurs, you can get your baseball fix with a baseball movie. For those of us who grew up in the 1970's, one movie in particular has just the right amount of fantasy, emotional depth, and baseball.
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Gentler than its predecessor (The Bad News Bears) and more compelling than its successor (The Bad News Bears Go To Japan), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training gives the underdogs from the North Valley League in southern California a shot at the Houston Toros. The Toros players are bigger, stronger, and faster.
Where else could the climactic game take place but the Houston Astrodome, the post-modern Eighth Wonder of the World and a popular cultural touchstone?
With Tatum O'Neal and Walter Matthau absent as star pitcher Amanda and Coach Morris Buttermaker respectively, the Bears need a pitcher, a coach, and a way to get to Houston.
Except for Timmy Lupus. The Bears' worst player can't travel with the team because of health reasons -- he broke a leg while skateboarding.
Jimmy Baio plays Carmen Ronzonni, the replacement pitcher.
The Bears employ an almost mute maintenance worker to play the part of the coach. Bears star Kelly Leak teaches him to say some scripted bland sentences because he wants to convince the players' families that a coach will be chaperoning them. They gather at one of the players' homes for the sendoff.
As soon as the families leave, the Bears take a van to Houston with Kelly at the wheel. Jackie Earle Haley plays Kelly.
Along the way, they almost pick up a gorgeous hitchhiker, evade cops on the highway, and motor to a catchy 1970's song called Looking Good, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, music by Craig Safan, sung by James Rolleston.
A subplot reveals itself when Kelly confronts his long-absent father, factory worker Michael Leak. William Devane plays Michael Leak.
Tanner Boyle, the Bears' loudmouth shortstop, writes to Lupus a.k.a. Looper that nobody knew Kelly had a father.
However, earlier in the movie, we learn that Carmen may have prior knowledge of Kelly's secret. The Bears know that Kelly knows a guy in Houston. After one of them inquires further, Carmen says that it's just some guy that Kelly knows. One can infer that Carmen's vagueness is merely a cover for Kelly.
Initially, for appearances sake, Michael agrees to be a figurehead coach. His status soon changes because the Bears realize he can actually help them in their game against the Toros.
The already strained relationship between Kelly and Michael continues to fracture during a tense moment in a practice where father eclipses son as the team leader.
Right before the game at the Astrodome, Tanner gives a locker room speech mirroring the climactic Win One For the Gipper speech in Knute Rockne, All-American. Tanner saw the movie on late night television while the rest of the team slept, except for Kelly who watched the scene quietly in the background.
Tanner's Win One for the Looper speech motivates the Bears.
The four-inning game between the Toros and Bears takes place between the games of a doubleheader at the Astrodome.
Only one problem. The powers that be call the game on account of time.
Real-life Houston Astros Bob Watson and Cesar Cedeno appear in the Bears' dugout and Watson says, Come on, let the kids play!
Inspired, Michael Leak takes the field and shouts, Let them play! Let them play! Soon, Kelly, the rest of the Bears, and the entire Astrodome join the chant. Meanwhile, Tanner refuses to leave the field and continues to evade the two suited gentleman trying to capture him.
Caving into massive crowd pressure, the powers that be resume the game.
Carmen Ronzonni hits an inside the park grand slam to win the game.
Michael and Kelly repair their relationship after the game.
And the Bears have Japan in their sights for their last adventure in the little league trilogy.
The television connections are highly significant in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
William Devane played Greg Sumner for several seasons of the CBS nighttime soap opera Knots Landing.
Pat Corley plays the coach of the Houston Toros. He also played Phil, the favorite bar owner and bartender for the gang from the fictional television news program FYI on Murphy Brown.
Lane Smith plays a sheriff in Breaking Training. He also played The Daily Planet editor Perry White in the 1990's yuppie version of Superman -- Lois and Clark starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.
CBS aired a short-lived comedy based on the movies. The Bad News Bears starred Jack Warden as Coach Buttermaker.
Happy Mother's Day
May 10, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Who is your choice for the greatest television mom of all time?
Is it Murphy Brown? She had the strength to be a single mom even though she admittedly knew nothing initially, instinctively, or substantively about babies.
Is it Donna Stone? Donna Reed played her alter ego with compassion, sensitivity, and intelligence. She was a little more involved in solving family issues than her counterparts June Cleaver and Margaret Anderson.
Is it Shirley Partridge? She balanced the challenges of the family business -- performing -- with the challenges of running a household. Keith's girl problems, Laurie's strive for independence, Danny's mischievousness, and Chris and Tracy's younger child issues made the Partridge household a vibrant one.
Mothers in the televerse range from domestic to ambitious, strong-willed to neurotic, traditional to progressive.
Whoever your choice, she will have one thing in common with everyone else's choice. They all have the toughest job in the world.
Happy Mother's Day!
david@davidkrell.com
Who is your choice for the greatest television mom of all time?
Is it Murphy Brown? She had the strength to be a single mom even though she admittedly knew nothing initially, instinctively, or substantively about babies.
Is it Donna Stone? Donna Reed played her alter ego with compassion, sensitivity, and intelligence. She was a little more involved in solving family issues than her counterparts June Cleaver and Margaret Anderson.
Is it Shirley Partridge? She balanced the challenges of the family business -- performing -- with the challenges of running a household. Keith's girl problems, Laurie's strive for independence, Danny's mischievousness, and Chris and Tracy's younger child issues made the Partridge household a vibrant one.
Mothers in the televerse range from domestic to ambitious, strong-willed to neurotic, traditional to progressive.
Whoever your choice, she will have one thing in common with everyone else's choice. They all have the toughest job in the world.
Happy Mother's Day!