MovieChat Forums > Murphy Brown (1988) Discussion > Topical humor killed this show's chances...

Topical humor killed this show's chances at longevity


Let MB be a warning to any TV show writer who decides to base his show around topical humor or obscure references. This show has very little currency today because so much of it was based on the political climate of the early 90s, which was radically different from what it is today.

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I disagree. The who Bush two presidency resembled the climate of the early 90's and sharp viewers will note that the humor is just as on topic today as it was then.

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Well, George W. Bush isn't president anymore (and hasn't been for nearly a decade now). Would the humor still be "on topic" regardless, say five or ten years from now?

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Not sure TV shows necessarily focus on being aired decades later. I agree that Murphy Brown is probably one of the best examples of a show which is so focused on the people and events of the day (in their case, primarily political figures), that new viewers won't get a lot of what's going on because it's SO focused on dropping names for laughs.

Family Guy parodied this. If I remember, it went something like one of the characters saying "BLAH BLAH BLAH John Sununu BLAH BLAH BLAH!" With actually using the word BLAH.

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This show stopped being funny after Clinton was elected. Candice Bergen is such a left wing suck up, she can't make fun of her "gods and godesses" in the democrat party.

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Many references to Hillary were made and they still apply if not more so.

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