Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

Well, just when I thought Fox was heading in the right direction, they come up with a show like “Anchorwoman.”

This new reality sitcom stars former Miss New York and WWE superstar Lauren Jones. The series starts as Jones is offered a job as anchorwoman for a news station in Tyler, Texas. Okay, all stereotypes aside, how on earth could station manager Phil Hurley think hiring a blonde, beauty queen-turned-wrestler would be a good idea?

So much for journalism, so much for Fox’s new show. I just can’t help but wonder why they would come out with a new show about news anchors just weeks before they start another new show about anchors (“Back to You” starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton).

My advice is to skip “Anchorwoman” (it’s only signed up for 5 weeks), and tune in for “Back to You.” Believe me; you’ll be glad you did.

I must leave you on a happy note, so here is a look at two of the best newsroom sitcoms to hit network television.


“Murphy Brown” (1988-1998)

Who knew investigative journalism could be so funny?

Candace Bergen starred as Murphy Brown, journalist and anchor for FYI, a fictional newsmagazine in Washington, D.C. Brown was a recovering alcoholic with a no-nonsense kind of style.

Charles Kimbrough played fellow anchor Jim Dial, a stuffy pretty boy. Joe Regalbuto played field reporter Frank Fontana, who was forced to wear a toupee on air, and F Faith Ford played Corky Sherwood, a former Miss America turned journalist. Grant Shaud later joined the cast as Miles Silverberg, who was hired as FYI’s producer and recipient of Murphy's wrath.

Although on the surface the characters were very different, they had great chemistry. The show was never short on laughs – or guest stars. Murphy never seemed to have a competent secretary and each episode (it seemed) featured a new face outside her office. She had everyone from a phone sex operator, to a rapper, to a crash test dummy. She had Bette Midler, Don Rickles, Rosie O'Donnell, Sally Field, Laura Kightlinger, Cecily Adams, Paul Reubens, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Julie Brown all give it a go, but no one seemed to live up to Murphy’s demands.

The show also tackled a few serious issues in its 10-year run. After a single Murphy gave birth to a son and decided to raise him alone she became the real-life subject of Dan Quayle’s political campaign. When the show returned for the next 1992-1993 season, writers brought that real-life battle to the screen. The show even devoted an entire episode to the diversity of American families.

The last season devoted every episode to Murphy’s battle with breast cancer. The season-long arc helped to raise awareness among women and the American Cancer Society even honored Bergen for her work.

During its run, the show won 7 Emmy Awards, 3 Golden Globes and received another 27 nominations.


“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” 1970-1977

Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) is a single woman ready for a new career. After ending a relationship with her boyfriend, Richards moves to Minneapolis for a secretarial job at WJM-TV. When she arrives, she learns the secretary job is no longer available, but is offered the position of associate producer for the six o’clock news.

It doesn’t take Mary long to make new friends. Her best friend happens to be her upstairs neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper). She also plays nice with her self-involved landlady Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) and her daughter Bess (Lisa Gerritsen).

At work, Mary learns to rely on her boss tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside Lou Grant (Ed Asner) and news writer Murray Slaughter (Gavin McLeod). Other at-work acquaintances are Ted Baxter (Ted Knight), the ego-centric buffoonish anchorman; and Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White), the man-crazy host of the station’s cooking show.

This show dealt with important issues too, only they tended to showcase the comical aspects of romance, death, careers, and friendships. In season five, Chuckles, WJM-TV’s clown is crushed by an elephant while dressed as Peter Peanut. This unleashes a torrent of black humor that has everyone, except Mary, in stitches. Finally unable to hold it in anymore, Mary releases the built up laughter – at Chuckle’s funeral.

The show won 29 Emmy’s and 3 Golden Globes. It also yielded 3 spin-offs: “Lou Grant,” a dram that ran from 1977 – 1982; “Rhoda,” which ran from 1974-1978; and “Phyllis,” which only lasted two seasons, from 1975-1977.