Ritch Brinkley Movies

Roberta Lighton guests as Candy Dix, a former Marine girlfriend of Luke Duke (Tom Wopat). Now embarked upon a career as a country western star, Candy arrives in Hazzard for a concert. Unbeknownst to either Luke or Candy, her heavily-in-debut manager (Jeffrey Osterhage) has arranged for a fatal "accident" so he can collect the girl's $75000 life insurance policy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After a big-time country singer (Dolly Parton) brags that she can turn anybody in to a country-singin' star, she's out to prove she can live up to her talk when she recruits a cab-driver (Sylvester Stallone) as a country singer. He's scheduled to sing at a big-time NYC country night club and Dolly puts her ample powers to work in preparing her protege. ~ All Movie Guide

In this rather routine adaptation of the French hit, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, Richard (Tom Hanks) is a bicycling violinist who is innocently drawn into a nasty struggle for control of the CIA. Cooper (Dabney Coleman) is the unscrupulous current head honcho of the notorious U.S. agency, Ross (Charles Durning) is his nemesis, and Maddy (Lori Singer) works for Cooper. After Richard the violinist is forced into the picture, Maddy fights off an attraction to the rather dull man, and complications introduce enough gadgetry to fill a James Bond movie, almost. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this faithful remake of the Stanley Kramer classic buddy film, two members of a chain gang, one black and the other white, escape. They are chained together. At first they hate each other, but as time passes they begin to develop a grudging friendship. ~ Sandra Brennan, 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

Whatever you do, don't ask Murphy (Candice Bergen) what sort of a day she's had. It's bad enough that she's making the latest in a long line of efforts to quit smoking. It's worse that house painter Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) is making even less progress than usual. But it's too much to bear when, in the middle of an "FYI" telecast, Murphy and her coworkers are held at gunpoint by a nerdish nutcase (Robert Harper) who demands that his nonsensical manifesto be read on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Thanks to a mix-up at birth, two sets of twins are separated and grow up in radically different social circles. The four baby girls grow up to be Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin-and Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin. One of the Midlers is a ruthless New York CEO, while one of the Tomlins is her air-headed "save the whales" business partner. Thousands of miles away in a Southern industrial town, a blue-collar Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin work for a company that the white-collar Midler plans to devour in a hostile takeover. The "poor" Midler and Tomlin head to New York to argue against the takeover, inevitably getting mixed up with the "rich" Midler and Tomlin. Three of the four twins team up to save the small-town company, while CEO Midler remains as nastily greedy as ever. Clear enough? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's ethics vs. ratings when the staff of "FYI" decide to fight fire with fire in their ongoing battle with tabloid talk-show reporter Jerry Gold. Having long disdained Gold's fondness for sensationalism, Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Jim (Charles Kimbrough) begin to prepare a serious, dignified piece on the homeless. Unfortunately, the spectre of sensationalism rears its ugly head when, in their desperation to get viewers to watch their story, Murphy and Jim agree to precede the piece with a debate between housewives and hookers. What follows is on-the-air donnybrook, the likes of which has seldom been seen outside the realm of Geraldo Rivera and Jerry Springer! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"FYI"'s resident airhead Corky (Faith Ford) wins her first Humboldt Award for her special report "The Women's Touch at West Point", leaving Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Frank (Joe Regalbuto) stewing at the starting gate. Hoping to capitalize on all the publicity, Miles (Grant Shaud) assigns Corky to the show's next BIG STORY--adding insult to injury by asking Murphy to help the novice newscaster with her report. Alex Rocco carries over his characterization of oily talent agent Al Floss from the CBS sitcom The Fabulous Teddy Z (seems that Al also represents Corky and Frank!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank (Joe Regalbuto) considers himself quite the clever fellow when he chooses a present for Murphy's 42nd birthday. The "gift" turns out to be a woman named Maddie (Christine Ebersole), who for the next 12 hours will pretend to be the sister that Murphy (Candice Brown) never had. It hadn't occurred to Frank that Murphy never wanted a sister--and she certainly doesn't want the annoyingly persistent Maddie! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Long before The Commish and The Shield, Michael Chiklis guest-starred on this Murphy Brown episode as a foul-mouthed, misogynistic standup comedian named Andrew Dice...er, named Tony Rocket. Not wishing to put up with Rocket's patented anti-feminist slurs, Murphy refuses the opportunity of interviewing the man (sort of like what's-her-name on Saturday Night Live, remember?) But Miles (Grant Shaud) forces Murphy to proceed with the interview, struggling to keep her cool in what the CBS publicity folks described as "Rocket's Red Glare"! ~ 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