Gary Dontzig Movies

This Yuletide-season TV movie reverses the standard "three girls on the make" formula of many an old 20th Century Fox movie, of which How to Marry a Millionaire is a choice example. This time out, a trio of enterprising young men decide to go on the prowl for rich wives, after first consulting a nonplussed department-store Santa with their intentions. The plan, as hatched by the impoverished heroes, Tom (John Stamos), Jason (Shermar Moore), and Mark (Joshua Malina), is as follows: They will pose as hot-shot Hollywood movie producers, the better to entice attractive and wealthy young women to invest in their newest "production" -- and hopefully, to entrap said women into matrimony. As so often happens in stories of this nature, however, love ultimately triumphs over money. A bit too top-heavy with racy double entendres and potentially unsavory situations, the film is redeemed somewhat by the presence of Dabney Coleman and Rhea Perlman, cast as an older couple named -- believe it or not -- John and Jackie Kennedy. How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale made its first Fox Network appearance on December 20, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This final episode of Murphy Brown's sixth season coincides with the 500th telecast of the fictional investigative-report series "FYI." It also coincides with contract-renewal time for "FYI" stars Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen), Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough). Unfortunately, the network is unwilling to pay the trio what they think they're worth (after all, Diane Sawyer gets 7 million per annum, doesn't she?), leading to a possible mass walkout--not to mention the "Attack of the Anchorperson Clones." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Remember way back when "Political Correctness" was merely a source of humor and not the official doctrine of the United States? In this episode, both Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Peter (Scott Bakula) get into trouble for making on-the-air comments that are labeled "insensitive" by certain special-interest groups. As a result, Miles (Grant Shaud) orders the enter "FYI" staff to attend a cultural-sensitivity seminar...and the results are guaranteed to offend just about everyone!. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stuck at a fogbound airport in New York, Murphy (Candice Bergen) is unable to attend her son Avery's first birthday party. This traumatic state of affairs sets Murphy to rethinking her purpose in life, as illustrated in a series of "flash-forwards." Meanwhile, back in DC, Avery's party yields an unexpected highlight as Barry Manilow sings "I Am Your Child" (Manilow was something of a running gag on the series, but he stops running here). This final episode of Murphy Brown's fifth season also features an appearance by future NewsRadio regular Vicki Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After enduring some pre-term labor pains, Murphy (Candice Bergen) is confined to her home for two weeks. Ex-lover Jerry (Jay Thomas) generously offers to move in and help out, an offer Murphy is hardly in a position to refuse--and besides, she still harbors warm feelings for her benefactor. Alas, things quickly cool off as Murphy and Jerry realize that they simply can't live with each other--not without homicide as an option! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the concluding half-hour of Murphy Brown's Season Five opener (originally telecast as a single hour-long episode), Murphy is still seething over the words of Vice President Dan Quayle, who has publicly chastised her decision to bear a child out of wedlock as a mockery of "Family Values" (this episode is of course based on the real-life controversy surrounding Mr. Quayle's reaction to the series' Season Four finale). While trying to mount a suitable response to these words, Murphy is also being stressed out by her efforts to choose a name for her baby--to say nothing of hiring a suitable nanny and prepping herself to return to "FYI". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As indicated by its deliberately misspelled title, this opening episode of Murphy Brown's fifth season is a rebuttal to the "Family Values" speech made by Vice President Dan Quayle after single mother Murphy (Candice Bergen) gave birth at the end of Season Four. Originally telecast as a single 60-minute installment, the season opener has since been divided into two half-hours, the first of which finds Murphy still adjusting to motherhood--which in her case involves finding a suitable name for her newborn, and hiring a nanny who isn't, in Murphy's words a "psychopath" (our heroine goes through three candidates before the episode is half over!) Making life even more difficult for Murphy are the words of VP Quayle, who has gone on record condemning her decision to bear a child out of wedlock as "mocking the importance of fathers"--among other things. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Murphy's decade-long banishment from the White House is finally lifted and she is invited to attend a Presidential press conference. So certain is Murphy (Candice Bergen) that she'll be able to get in a question about the education crisis that her producer Miles (Grant Shaud) is willing to put up money. Alas, on the eve of her triumphant return, Murphy suddenly comes down with a REALLY bad case of laryngitis! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although the network has given the okay to Murphy's unwed pregnancy and allows her to remain on "FYI", Miles (Grant Shaud) worries that Murphy (Candice Bergen) will soon be physically incapable of maintaining her usual exhausting pace. Her first big challenge is to secure an interview with President Bush, who agrees to talk with her only while he's jogging. Once she realizes that being on foot with the Prez is out of the question, Murphy tries to keep up with the Chief Executive on a bicycle--yet another in a long line of blunders! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having seen it all an more besides, gonzo investigative journalist Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) barely bats an eyelash as he defuses a dangerous hostage situation. Thus, it's quite a shock to Murphy (Candice Bergen) when she sees Frank quaking with fear at the prospect of his parents arriving in town for their 50th anniversary party--a party that Frank was supposed to arrange, but forgot all about (Small wonder he'd rather have a gun pointed at his head). Why does it come as no surprise that Frank's mom Rose and dad Dominic are respectively played by the former Sally Rogers (Rose Marie) and the future Morty Seinfeld (Barney Martin)? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For most of the United States, February is the month of Presidents' birthdays and Valentine's Day; at the headquarters of "FYI", February means "Sweeps Month." Hoping to score a huge ratings coup, Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Corky (Faith Ford) team up to write a shocking expose of a crooked oil company. Unfortunately, their investigation requires the ladies to pose as members of the World's Oldest Profession--fish-net stockings and all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Murphy (Candice Bergen) is getting tired of accusations that she dates men solely on the basis of their looks, especially since the accusations are true. To prove something not only to her friends but to herself, Murphy agrees to go out with her new acquaintance, nerdish-but-brilliant physicist Victor Rudman (Buck Henry). Naturally, Murphy is certain that she is in for an evening of intellectual rather than carnal stimulation--but Victor Rudman turns out to have other ideas! This is the 17th episode of Murphy Brown--which happens to be the same number of secretaries that she's already hired and fired. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A technician's strike results in a veritable orgy of foul-ups, bleeps and blunders during the weekly "FYI" telecast. Not wishing for a repeat of this embarrassing experience, Murphy (Candice Bergen) takes it upon herself to be mediator between labor and management. Unfortunately, the hard-bitten techies are somewhat resistant to Murphy's uncharacteristic acts of hospitality, which include tea and cakes and cozy chit-chat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide