My Top 10 this week is Top 10 Murphy Brown Characters!
I know a lot of people like Eldin, but his character wasn't quite for me. He has some nice moments but in general, I tend to want the "home" scenes to go by quickly and get back to the office scenes. And as far as recurring jokes go, the revolving door of secretaries is a much better one than Eldin painting Murphy's house for years and years. But the character did have a heart of gold so that has to count for something.
9. AVERY BROWN
There were two Avery Browns on Murphy Brown - Murphy's mother and Murphy's son. Colleen Dewhurst won Emmys but it's been a long time since I've seen her limited appearances. So I went with Avery, the son, thanks to the ill-advised 2018 revival. While that revival was completely stale and unnecessary, Jake McDorman was easily the best part of it with a fun personality and a good relationship with his on-screen mother.
8. ANDREW J. LANSING III
After his infamous off-screen scandal that brought down his Pee Wee Herman persona, Paul Reubens eased back into public life slowly with appearances here and there. One of those early returns was as Stan Lansing's overly ambitious and perhaps downright psychopath nephew Andrew. Reubens gave his all to the role and, while he was a little bit of a caricature, he livened up the later years of the show.
Phil was the beloved owner of Phil's Bar and he had connections to pretty much everybody in Washington. You wanted to believe there was a real life Phil's and a real life Phil behind the bar. While I mentioned my dislike for Murphy's home scenes, the scenes at Phil's were always a nice change of pace and Pat Corley had an amiable and friendly personality who could call out the craziness of Murphy and her colleagues.
6. STAN LANSING
Garry Marshall had a rare role in front of the camera with his recurring role as the network president, Stan Lansing. He was basically doing a shtick and a more contemporary version of Alan Brady but he was so darn funny in the role. He flailed between being very charming and incredibly aggressive towards the staff and everyone had to basically bow to his whims. Even though Stan was a jerk and everyone loved Garry Marshall, I think there were inflections and line deliveries that were sort of similar to the real life Marshall.
Jim Dial was an interesting character who was best used in smaller doses than the other main characters on the show. I liked when he was delightfully out of touch with something and when he harkened back to his background as an old fashioned newsman. He brought a different sensibility to the neurotic gang of FYI and was a steady presence on the show. I just didn't think the episodes that focused on him were as strong.
4. FRANK FONTANA
There are a lot of parallels between Murphy Brown and The Mary Tyler Moore Show for obvious reasons but the closest comparison, without question, is that Frank Fontana fills the Murray Slaughter role. A sometimes thankless character, he was a little bit of a sad sack at times but a very loyal friend to the main character. Frank was a little bit more manic than Murray but he was also probably just a little bit more lovable too.
The title characters comes in at #3 on the list. There's no denying that there is no Murphy Brown without Murphy Brown but Murphy only makes it to third on the list because I didn't always buy Candice Bergen's acting. And I do lay the blame on Bergen for that even though she was wildly acclaimed in the role. I think the character was fascinating and very well-written, I just didn't think Bergen always pulled it off as much as she got credit for.
2. MILES SILVERBERG
I know some people find Miles annoying but I really thought he was a great character and I thought the show lost something when he left after Season 8 (to be replaced by Lily Tomlin in an ill-advised role). Miles was really funny when he was having his meltdowns about anything under the sun. He had some epic battles with Murphy and created a lot of really great comedic moments.
Another character that some might have found annoying but I found just right for the show. I liked the evolution of Corky from a truly naïve southern girl to a self-assured character who was able to stand up to Murphy and the rest of the FYI team and be a reliable journalist in her own right. Most characters filled the same role for the duration of the series but Corky evolved and that is what puts her at #1 on this list. That and a very committed performance from Faith Ford.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at Covington Cross!
Next Tuesday: Top 10 Friends Characters!
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