FYI: The Murphy Brown Podcast

An update to our format during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike! What's coming up and what to look forward to!

Time to meet the parents…again. This time: Frank’s parents! Lauren and Jesi chat about Barney Martin's(Seinfeld) & Rose Marie’s (The Dick Van Dyke Show)guest appearances and their amazing histories in show business! It’s all about Frank as we talk about his background, toxic masculinity, facing your fears, and the real-life celebrity-hosted anniversary party the episode is based on! Check out show notes for young pictures of Rose Marie - whose centennial is this year! Happy 100! RM! *This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike and will be our last breakdown episode until the strike is resolved. And our last episode until the strike is resolved. Please check out our episode with co-writer Gary Dontizg and guest panelist Matt Baume (Hi, Homo, I'm Home)

The gals are over the moon to have guest actor/writer/avid “pop culture consumer” Tarik Davis (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” Bway’s “Freestyle Love Supreme,” Boom Chicago, Second City, “Late Night With Seth Meyers”) to chat more about "Murphy Brown", censorship, journalism, and how Murphy’s takedown of an Andrew Dice Clay character, including how the episode was a reaction to the real-life comic. Please check out our show notes for further reading on the subjects we covered. *This was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA Strike www.tarikdavis.com

The gals are over the moon to have guest actor/writer/avid “pop culture consumer” Tarik Davis “("The Amber Ruffin Show,” Bway’s “Freestyle Love Supreme,” Boom Chicago, The Second City, “Late Night With Seth Meyers”) to chat about comedy, censorship, journalism, and how Murphy’s takedown of an Andrew Dice Clay (played by Michael Chiklis) character is relevant to today, including the history of how we got here. Check out our Patreon for more of Lauren and Tarik’s “New Jersey Convo” and Jesi and Tarik’s chat about the book “Burn It Down.” *This was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA Strike www.tarikdavis.com

Jesi and Lauren are back to start their favorite season of "Murphy Brown" - Season Three! Topics include: the history and function of focus groups in pop culture, the collaboration between The Temptations and The Supremes, the background of guest star Harry Shearer (SNL, The Simpsons, Christopher Guest player), and more! *This was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike. To follow along with us and watch Murphy Brown Season Three - check out our website - www.murphybrownpod.com

It’s a Season 2 (1989-1990 Season) Recap! Lauren and Jesi chat about their favorite themes of Season 2, Emmy wins and nominations, as well as a few missed stories they found along the way.

The gals chat about the final episode of season 2, which includes a wedding, couples, and flipped gender norms for the time! A short breakdown of the life of Janet Carroll (aka Doris Dial) and other sitcom legends who guest starred, as well as the debate on the explanations of gender in terms of dating and so-called “expectations” and “fluidity” in terms of dreams as you age. Oh, and The Temptations show up, and did we mention Corky (Faith Ford) gets married!

RSVP, everyone, for a jam-packed episode! Corky’s getting married, and the gals are here with the play-by-play for part one. The history of “Where Did Our Love Go?” and “Going To the Chapel” is discussed, Corky's (Faith Ford) growth and the concept of growing past your childhood dreams. And Doris returns!

Lauren and Jesi are excited to welcome from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel another Marvelous Ms. M - Matilda Szydagis -- who plays our favorite 1960s maid, Zelda! They chat with Matilda about her final season of Maisel and that Lenny Bruce scene! - But first, the gals finish chatting about Matilda’s first Murphy Brown, her thoughts on Eldin the house painter; we share behind-the-scenes thoughts from the writers of this episode and general thoughts on the last episode of Murphy season two before the two-part finale!

(recorded Summer of 2022) Lauren and Jesi are excited to welcome from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel another Marvelous Ms. M - Matilda Szydagis -- who plays our favorite 1960s maid, Zelda! They chat with Matilda about her audition for Maisel and her other work - including a new children's book. Together the three M’s chat about Murphy having to slow down in this season two episode! Topics include: wish fulfillment through TV characters and the difference in the diversity of roles for actors from all backgrounds in the 1980s/1990s vs. today. Join us for part two, where Matilda talks more about her experience on the finale season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and her impressions of watching Murphy for the first time. Check out our show notes www.murphybrownpod.com for more info and links on Matilda's children's books "All Cats Speak Polish" and "Penguin In The City"

(RECORDED Summer of 2019) The pod welcomes Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph.D., author of the book Gaslighting, and her friend, Murphy Brown fan and marketing expert Jennifer Novak, to chat with Lauren, breaking down the Murphy Brown characters' psychologies!

In this modern Cyrano, Miles-centric episode the gals chat about the history of fax machines, Ticonderoga pencils, and the art of flirting by the written word! Plus, the careers of episode guest star actors Teri Hatcher and Richard Masar! For more and to donate to the podcast visit at www.MurphyBrownPod.com!

Recorded in Aug of 2019 we are so happy to finally bring you the second part of our interview with Norm Gunzenhauser back in the “before times.” (Originally planned to have dropped in late spring 2020.) Part two we chat about more season 2 as well as working with Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler and more!

Recorded back in the summer of 2019, we are so happy to finally bring you the second part of our interview with Norm Gunzenhauser back in the “before times.” (Originally planned to have dropped in late spring 2020.) We continue our chat about Norm’s season 2 episodes as well as Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler, and more!

It’s an entire episode of pranks as Murphy starts a chain reaction that brings about a fun episode and fun discussions. Includes: the mystery behind the unveiling of Watergate source “Deep Throat,” how Legend Nora Ephron used that knowledge to get back at her ex-husband, and more on Connie Chung’s history! Plus the history behind the Brenton Wood “Gimme A Sign” sung by Brenton Wood. (wait until the end of the episode for something special!)

Jesi and Lauren go into a very timely topic as the FYI gang deal with a boycott of one of Murphy’s news stories regarding sex education for teens. Jesi takes on the history of boycotts (on both sides of the fence) while Lauren talks about the history of condoms commercials on television. And more on The Marvelettes!

Denise discusses writing for her favorite secondary character, her influences in her writing and her time writing for Frasier, as well as her love of writing despicable characters in episodes like Season 2’’s “Whose Garbage, Is It Anyway?” (Jerry Gold) And season three’s “Brown and Blue” (an Andrew Dice Clay stand-in) and her influences in writing comedy! Follow us on Social Media for episodes and clips.

We are so happy to have Denise Moss on the show! Denise is part of the writing team of Dukane & Moss - writers of last week’s episode “On The Road Again". She and her writing partner have worked on sitcoms from “Murphy Brown” to “Fraiser” to “Roseanne.” In this two-parter Denise discusses her experience from assistant to freelance writer to staff writer.

Charles Kimbrough sings! Yes, welcome to the last half of season 2, which means we are on this Jim-centric episode that leans into Charles Kimbrough’s musical background. We chat about Kimbrough's Broadway history and the episode's question: “Is flirting bad” as well as the importance of the episode in Murphy and Jim’s relationship. Follow us on social media for clips from the episode! Stay tuned for our next episode interview with the co-writer: Denise Moss to talk more about this episode and more!

It’s time for our most requested episode online! The return of Jerry Gold in his new role as “love interest” to our Murphy Brown. Topics include Redemption of characters previously written as villains, The” heart of gold” male troupe, The Jerry (Jay Thomas) and Murphy romantic dynamic, and the history of the Aretha Franklin song “Think.”