Page 8 - Time Magazine, Sep. 17, 2018

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Times. English marvels at how little CREATIVE MINDS AT WORK
has changed since then. She even used
a clip of Quayle criticizing Murphy in Many of television’s most lauded creators and writers
a subsequent episode. For her, every- are returning this fall with buzzy new shows. —E.D.
thing is copy.
Murphy became the face of the cul-
ture wars, appearing on a TIME cover
headlined “Hollywood & Politics” in
which Lance Morrow wrote: “What is
occurring today is a war of American
myths, a struggle of contending stories.
And pop culture, often television, is the
arena in which it is being fought ... On
certain levels, the U.S. is a dangerously
splintered and tribal country.”

IN THE ’90S, Murphy was certainly
controversial. But in 2018, her mere ex-
istence on TV is political. In reprising
her role as the acerbic and unapologetic
Murphy, a role that earned her five THE ROMANOFFS (AMAZON)
Emmys and the devotion of a genera- In each episode, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner’s new miniseries spotlights
tion of young women who had never different characters, like Marthe Keller, Inès Melab and Aaron Eckhart (above).
seen a boss like her on TV, Bergen has But they all harbor delusions of grandeur: characters in each story claim to be
the chance to reach a new audience. descended from the Russian royal family. (Oct. 12)
“[Murphy] made her way in a man’s
world,” says English. “People loved
somebody who didn’t have that filter,
who just really spoke her mind. She was
most definitely a feminist but she didn’t
walk around calling herself that. She
just did it.” Both English and Bergen
say they have heard from women who
grew up with Murphy—who was in her
40s during the show’s original run—as
a role model, someone who rebuilt her REL (FOX) I FEEL BAD (NBC)
career after struggling with alcoholism A year after his beloved series The Television vet Aseem Batra’s new
and then started her family late. Carmichael Show was canceled, writer- series follows a working mom played by
producer Jerrod Carmichael is teaming Blockers’ Sarayu Rao (above) who feels
And now, Murphy, like a Rip van
up with Get Out’s Lil Rel Howery (above) guilty about falling short of her own high
Winkle of news, must learn to operate for a new comedy about a man going expectations—executive-produced by
at the speed of social media after more through a divorce. (Sept. 9) Amy Poehler. (Oct. 4)
than 20 years away. And again there’s
no one quite like Bergen on TV, an
actor in her 70s leading a prime-time
comedy created by another woman
over 70, Diane English. What are the
odds? In fact there’s no lead woman
on the show under 50. (Faith Ford is
in her early 50s, and Tyne Daly is also
over 70.) “Maybe we’re going to be an
example once again at this age,” says
English. “We’re most definitely show- KIDDING (SHOWTIME) CAMPING (HBO)
ing that we’re not done. We have plenty Weeds writer Dave Holstein asks, “What Jennifer Garner and David Tennant
to offer.” if Mr. Rogers came unraveled?” Jim (above) team up with Girls creators Lena
As high as the stakes are for Murphy Carrey (above) plays a children’s-show Dunham and Jenni Konner for a comedy
host, who, after a tragedy, struggles
series about a celebratory camping trip
Brown’s second life, Bergen says she to contain the anger and sadness that goes terribly—and hilariously—
feels liberated now. “After 70, you have that doesn’t fit his onscreen persona. awry. (Oct. 14)
an angel on your shoulder.”  (Sept. 9)
56 TIME September 17, 2018