The BEST episodes of Murphy Brown

Every episode of Murphy Brown ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Murphy Brown!

Murphy Brown is the star reporter of "FYI," a newsmagazine series. Murphy is sarcastic, ambitious, often self-involved and bossy - but she is also dedicated and ethical. She and her co-workers - including Jim, Frank and Corky - are often at one another's throats, even though they care about one another. This comedy series tackles some serious topics, including Murphy being a single mother and being treated for breast cancer.

Last Updated: 1/6/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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#MurphyToo
star
8.00
28 votes

#1 - #MurphyToo

Season 11 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/11/2018

After Murphy attends a sexual harassment seminar for the "Murphy in the Morning" staff, she is surprised to find herself reeling from the long-repressed memory of her own #MeToo moment.

Directors: Don Scardino
Watch Now:Amazon
Birth 101
star
7.96
50 votes

#2 - Birth 101

Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/18/1992

While doing the last show of the season, Murphy starts going into labor. The FYI gang and crew panics, and don't know what to do since they're in the middle of a live show, Miles asks Jim to take Murphy to the hospital, Corky to close the show, and Frank to get Eldin and anything else Murphy needs at her house. At the hospital, Murphy is still relaxed, she's starting to feel the first contractions and they're not as painful as she thought. She even asks Jim to play cards with her. Everything is under control, but not for long, the contractions are starting to get very painful. Murphy is screaming and Jim doesn't know what to do. A nurse shows up and after examining Murphy says that it's still too early and suggests that Murphy walks a little to relieve some of the pain. And that's what Murphy does, Miles is with her trying to calm her down, because Murphy is a 'little' cranky. Later on, Murphy is screaming even more, she's holding Frank and Miles through their neck cursing and bl

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Never Can Say Goodbye (2)
star
7.95
43 votes

#3 - Never Can Say Goodbye (2)

Season 10 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/18/1998

Jim seeks some career advice from Mike Wallace. Mike tells him he is boring and has lost his spark. Murphy begins her interview with God, who tells her she must make the best of the gifts she has been given. The surgery uncovers the abnormality was just a cyst, Murphy can go on with her life. The gang is happy for her, but unsure what to do with themselves without Murphy as a part of FYI. Frank and Julia finally get together and arrange a date. Jim prepares to leave and Murphy returns to the office. She is ready to tell everyone that she's changed her mind, when they all mention what they have in the works for their careers. Murphy confesses her selfishness, but mentions that she doesn't want to leave. After a group hug, they all get together to reminisce on memories of the past. At the end of the day, Murphy returns to her townhouse. Ten years later, Eldin makes the same entrance back into her life. Seems Avery used his mother's Sprint card to track Eldin down. Eldin proposes marriage

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Never Can Say Goodbye (1)
star
7.91
46 votes

#4 - Never Can Say Goodbye (1)

Season 10 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/18/1998

Murphy fires her last secretary, she plans on leaving FYI, it has been six months since her last chemotherapy treatment. She wants to live the rest of her life. Jim mentions it might be time for him to go as well. The rest of the staff tries to come to grips with the situation. Meanwhile, shooting on location down the street, Julia Roberts stops by the offices of FYI hoping to meet Frank Fontana. To be free and clear of cancer, Murphy needs to get another mammogram. Unfortunately, the mammogram shows something that will require exploratory surgery to uncover its nature. Seeking comfort, Murphy reflects on the need to talk with Phil and no one is more surprised than she is when he returns from the dead. Seems he knew too much about Whitewater. Murphy goes under the knife as the gang waits outside. Murphy has an out of body experience that brings up to heaven to conduct the only person she hasn't interviewed, God.

Directors: Steve Zuckerman
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Uh-Oh (3)
star
7.90
50 votes

#5 - Uh-Oh (3)

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/16/1991

Jake tells Murphy he has decided he isn't ready to settle down, and they both agree they can't do it together. Murphy decides to exercise her right to choose and her choice is motherhood. Even though it's Jake's baby, Jerry knows fatherhood isn't for him. While everyone else freaks out at the news, only Eldin is truly happy for Murphy. Murphy ""Do you think I'll make a good mother."" Eldin ""No, but I will.""

The Summer of '77
star
7.80
89 votes

#6 - The Summer of '77

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/8/1989

Eldin meets Corky for the first time and becomes infatuated with her. Phil reflects on the first time he met Murphy, when she first came to Washington to audition against Linda Ellerbee & Frank Fontana for FYI.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Driving Miss Crazy
star
7.80
49 votes

#7 - Driving Miss Crazy

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/4/1991

While the FYI staff car pool together, Murphy works on her will, Frank gets over a relationship, Corky obsesses over being right about a trivia question, Jim tries to think of an anecdote for an interview and Miles almost gets everyone killed.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Tom Palmer
Watch Now:Amazon
Uh-Oh (1)
star
7.79
57 votes

#8 - Uh-Oh (1)

Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/20/1991

Jake resurfaces with matrimony on his mind, Murphy is caught between him and her ex-lover, Jerry Gold, when he returns unexpectedly. Later Murphy takes a home pregnancy test, the results are positive.

Contractions
star
7.75
51 votes

#9 - Contractions

Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/21/1991

The Wolf network tries to woo Murphy away, something she isn't interested in until she finds out the network is taking her for granted.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Scott Kaufer
On Another Plane (2)
star
7.74
43 votes

#10 - On Another Plane (2)

Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/25/1991

Frank and Murphy witness their wake, giving them further time for reflection on their lives.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Going to the Chapel (2)
star
7.73
44 votes

#11 - Going to the Chapel (2)

Season 2 - Episode 27 - Aired 5/21/1990

Upon returning, Corky decides to go ahead with the wedding, but the event is marred by even more last minute indecision, and then Murphy brings out the ""soul.""

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Going to the Chapel (1)
star
7.72
79 votes

#12 - Going to the Chapel (1)

Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/14/1990

When a ""geek"" from her high school days comes to Washington, Corky's mother & his mother arrange to have them get together. They meet, fall in love, and within two weeks announce their plans to get married. Corky runs out into the night with Eldin, when she thinks that maybe she hasn't really experienced life.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Rootless People
star
7.71
48 votes

#13 - Rootless People

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1990

Finished early with her story, Murphy terrorizes the rest of the staff with her practical jokes. When a gang of environmental terrorists kidnap her, nobody believes her.

Watch Now:Amazon
Hoarse Play
star
7.71
51 votes

#14 - Hoarse Play

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/4/1991

Ten years ago Murphy was banned from the White House press conferences. To top off her story on the education crisis, Murphy decides she needs a quotation from the ""Education"" president. When she manages to get a pass, she loses her voice two days before the conference.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
The Usual Suspects
star
7.69
52 votes

#15 - The Usual Suspects

Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/6/1991

Murphy goes off the deep end when a tabloid prints lies about her, one of which says she is drinking again.

Directors: Peter Bonerz
Writer: Sam Austin
Watch Now:Amazon
The Novel
star
7.68
50 votes

#16 - The Novel

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/11/1991

Jim's new novel, seems to uncover his affection for Murphy, when the central character meets a blonde female reporter.

Writer: Korby Siamis
Watch Now:Amazon
Inside Murphy Brown
star
7.68
50 votes

#17 - Inside Murphy Brown

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/18/1991

Murphy has an appointment with a gynecologist for a test she can't drive to, when no one else is available, Jim must take her. The results of the test are normal with one exception, it's a boy.

Directors: Peter Bonerz
Watch Now:Amazon
Q & A on FYI
star
7.68
53 votes

#18 - Q & A on FYI

Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/13/1991

The FYI staff vies against Yale on a TV quiz show, but at the dress rehearsal, they realize just how much they've forgotten since their school days.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Writer: Peter Tolan
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Uh-Oh (2)
star
7.67
55 votes

#19 - Uh-Oh (2)

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1991

Murphy begins to ponder her fate, tells Frank her suspicions and tries more tests (all positive). Murphy tells Jake the news.

On Another Plane (1)
star
7.67
51 votes

#20 - On Another Plane (1)

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/25/1991

When their plane gets in trouble: Murphy and Frank's lives flash before their eyes.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Funnies Girl
star
7.67
63 votes

#21 - Funnies Girl

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/10/1989

An on-camera slip of the tongue, makes Murphy the butt of a cartoonist's joke in ""The Adventures of Mouthy Brown,"" then the rest of the staff falls victim.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
The Memo That Got Away
star
7.65
60 votes

#22 - The Memo That Got Away

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1989

A high-school computer hacker stumbles onto a memo by Murphy about her co-workers, and he plans to publish it in the school paper.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are
star
7.65
51 votes

#23 - Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/4/1992

After Miles describes a, according to Frank's opinion, homoerotic dream of him and the new publicity guy, Rick 'frolicking', Miles panics. Frank says that's no big deal, and that he probably picked up from the fact that Rick was gay, Murphy does not think Rick is gay so they make a bet. When Rick shows up at the bullpen the gang start to question him about many things about his life, to see if he says anything more revealing about his sexuality. Rick notices that and confirms he is gay, emberassing the whole gang. Miles is totally freaked out, so he goes to one shrink after another, they all agree that there's a possibility that he is really gay. Without knowing what to do, Miles asks for advice Frank, but it doesn't really help, then he goes to Murphy, which doesn't help very much either. Moments later Rick asks Miles to go to Phil's with him to show the new promos for the show, Miles reluctantly goes. At Phil's, Rick notices Miles is giving excuses to get away from their meeting.

Watch Now:Amazon
I'm As Much of a Man as I Ever Was
star
7.63
52 votes

#24 - I'm As Much of a Man as I Ever Was

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/23/1991

Gene Kinsella finds out about Murphy's pregnancy and considers the idea of taking her off the air. But Miles convinces him not to. Once that is solved, Murphy must get a quote from the president for her latest story. Frank says the only way to get this quote is jogging with him. Murphy thinks she's up for the job but Frank and Jim don't think so because of her pregnancy. So, Murphy accepts Frank's offer of getting the quote for her. When that doesn't work, Murphy tries to get it herself and ends up running over the president with her bike. Even though Murphy didn't get her quote she's happy, and concludes that her pregnancy will not make her life any more difficult, all she has to do is be a little more creative.

Directors: Peter Bonerz
Watch Now:Amazon
Moscow on the Potomac
star
7.61
64 votes

#25 - Moscow on the Potomac

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/13/1989

Murphy prepares for a joint broadcast with the Soviet news equivalent of Murphy Brown.

Directors: Barnet Kellman
Watch Now:Amazon