Pat Finn Movies

Superstar stand-up and comedic leading man Dane Cook stars in a pair of never-aired sitcom pilots in this collection from Sony Television. The first one finds Cook treading familiar ground, playing a stand-up comic who lands on hard times. Justine Bateman also stars. Then, in the second show, Cook stars as a fun-loving guy with a penchant for the absurd. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Before accepting any marriage proposal, Lily (Tammy Lauren) insists upon knowing the "real" Drew (Drew Carey). Thus, our hero drops his gentlemanly façade and reveals the awful truth--porn collection, flatulence and all. This doesn't bother Lily, but she is still upset at the notion that Drew merely wants to marry her merely because he's already plunked down $3000 to book the chapel. Can our hero persuade Lily to accept his offer with the help of a "coming attractions" video featuring some familiar participants? Elsewhere, Mimi (Kathy Kinney) tries to arrange a date between Kellie (Cynthia Watros) and Mr. Donahue (Pat Finn), headmaster of an exclusive prep school in which she wants to enroll baby Gus; and Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) make a game effort to market "Beer-sicles". This episode was originally telecast in tandem with the Season Eight finale "The Bataan Wedding March". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first half of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single hour-long episode), the divorce of their friends Barry and Mindy leads the gang to imagine how their lives might have turned out had they made different choices in life. In this parallel universe of the mind, Monica (Courteney Cox) is overweight and a virgin; Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) has a crush on famous soap opera leading man Joey (Matt LeBlanc); Ross (David Schwimmer) is still wed to a "straight" Carol (Jane Sibbett); and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) has a high-paying job on Wall Street -- and a bad heart condition! The "alternate reality" theme of this episode is even carried over into the opening credits. ~ All Movie Guide

Kramer (Michael Richards) and Newman (Wayne Knight) reverse the peepholes on their apartment doors, leading to the usual landlord troubles (usual for Seinfeld, that is). Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) doesn't like carrying his girlfriend's stuff around, but that's nothing compared to his ill feelings toward so-called friend Joe Mayo (Pat Finn). Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) suffers mightily when Puddy (Patrick Warburton) wears a "man fur coat." And George (Jason Alexander) enjoys a new massage chair so much that he "forgets" the chair is a gift for someone else. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rue McClanahan) guest stars as Virginia Redfield, ultra-critical mother of "FYI" anchor Miller Redfield (Christopher Rich). When Mom threatens to disown Miller because he isn't married yet, he drops several hints suggesting that he is married to Murphy (Candice Bergen)--and that he is the father of her child. Murphy, of course, knows nothing of these prevarications...but when she finds out, all Hell and its Suburbs break loose! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With Miller Redfield's "Q" ratings in the toilet, Murphy (Candice Bergen) at last sees a chance to get rid of her hated co-anchor. Her plan involves handing Miller (Christopher Rich) over to her incompetent former agent Steve (Chris Elliott), knowing that Steve will try to use the "underdog" plan to get Miller a raise--a plan that always failed spectacularly for Murphy. Miracle of miracles, the scheme works--but it still manages to backfire on our conniving heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank (Joe Regalbuto) finally thinks he's found "the one" when his new girl friend Dana (Julie Hagerty) wins the approval of Murphy (Candice Bergen). Unfortunately, neither Frank nor Murphy are fully aware of a few minor secrets in Dana's past. This situation will soon be remedied (if that is indeed the word) in the course of a harrowing evening wherein Frank meets Dana's delinquent son Danny (played by future ER regular Erik Palladino), her menagerie of fecund farm animals, and her escaped-convict husband! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In deciding to whom he should assign a high-profile political story, Miles (Grant Shaud) finds himself stuck in a no-win situation. He can either risk losing a romantic evening with wife Corky (Faith Ford) or having all of his bones broken by Murphy (Candice Bergen). Miles' ultimate decision is both democratic and imbecilic: He assigns BOTH ladies to the story! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Making its first appearance on November 14, 1988, the long-running, Emmy-winning CBS sitcom Murphy Brown starred Candice Bergen as the title character, the driving, driven, often overbearing but essentially likable star reporter of the Washington, D.C.-based TV magazine "FYI." A thorough professional, Murphy never gave less than her best before the cameras -- but behind the cameras, it was a different story. Constitutionally incapable of doing anything by halves, Murphy told her colleagues exactly what she thought of them at all times, seldom made a comment that wasn't laced with sarcasm, and was addicted to tobacco and, for a while, booze (this last shortcoming required her to do some time at the Betty Ford Clinic). Though the rest of the "FYI" staffers were accustomed to Murphy's mood swings and idiosyncrasies, outsiders tended to be scared off by our heroine: indeed, one of the series' most famous running gags was the fact that Murphy had a different secretary in practically every episode! Also in the cast were Charles Kimbrough as "FYI"'s uptight, humorless anchorman Jim Dial; Joe Regalbuto as the show's gonzo (and obviously toupeed) investigative reporter Frank Fontana, Faith Ford as "FYI"'s voluptuous, somewhat vacuous cub reporter and ex-Miss America Corky Sherwood, who considered Murphy to be her role model (often to Murphy's dismay) and who eventually married staff writer Will Forest (Scott Bryce), thereby becoming -- are you ready? -- Mrs. Corky Sherwood Forest; and Grant Shaud as "FYI"'s nebbishy executive producer Miles Silverberg, not exactly what one would call a born leader of men (or of Murphy!).

When not on the set of her show, Murphy could be found in her townhouse apartment, often conversing with quirky, philosophy-spouting house painter Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli), who spent day and night trying to finish redecorating Murphy's living room -- a job he still hadn't entirely completed when he left the series in season seven. Murphy also hung out with her co-workers at a neighborhood bar owned by another erstwhile philosopher named Phil (Pat Corley), at least until he reportedly died, whereupon Murphy and company purchased the bar themselves (as it turned out, reports of Phil's death were slightly exaggerated -- by Phil!). Additionally, Jay Thomas appeared intermittently as Geraldo-like journalist Jerry Gold, with whom Murphy frequently clashed -- when they weren't romancing one another, that is. As the series progressed, the basic throughline, and the characters, underwent a few changes. After her divorce from Will Forest, Corky eloped with Miles Silverberg, though she stayed in Washington when he left to run a CNN-style news service in New York. Murphy's brief fling with her ex-husband, Jake (Robin Thomas), produced a baby named Avery (who apparently grew up rather quickly, since he was played during the final season by Haley Joel Osment) -- and also stirred up a controversy when no less than Vice President Dan Quayle chastised Murphy Brown for eroding "family values" in America by bearing a child out of wedlock. Later on, dashing international reporter Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) joined the "FYI" staff, sweeping Murphy off her feet and ultimately asking her to marry him (she didn't). Other additions to the cast included Garry Marshall as new network president Stan Lansing, who waged an ongoing war with Murphy over her non-PC attitude; Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) as Stan's whiny nephew Andrew, who was forced upon Murphy as her secretary -- and actually kept the job for more than a single episode; Christopher Rich as "FYI" co-anchor Miller Redfield, just the sort of gorgeous-looking, empty-headed TV personality whom Murphy despised with every fibre of her being; and Lily Tomlin as Kay Carter-Shepley, "FYI"'s imperious, and not altogether competent, new executive producer. In addition to the main and supporting cast, the series featured a number of real-life news personalities as "themselves," among them Walter Cronkite, Connie Chung, Larry King, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn. The series' tenth and final season found Murphy undergoing treatment for breast cancer, an outwardly grim situation that, amazingly enough, never intruded upon the laughter. Murphy Brown ended its network run on August 10, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide