CBS Boss Reveals Renewal Plans for Return of ‘Murphy Brown’

The Murphy Brown reboot could still see a second season on CBS.

Despite less than favorable ratings during the reboot’s 13-episode first season, the Candice Bergen-led reboot series is still being considered for renewal at the network, as CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl revealed during a Television Critics Association winter tour panel.

“It definitely remains in the mix for possibly returning next season, along with several other shows,” Kahl told reporters during the panel, as first reported by Deadline.

Despite the reboot not being a successful as other revivals, such as Will & Grace and Roseanne, Kahl said he was proud of the show’s first season, which aired in fall 2018.

“Creator Diane [English] and Warner Bros came to us with a vision for the show,” Kahl said. “We were excited for the vision and put it on very true to what Diane wanted to do. We are very proud of the show, and as I said it remains in contention.”

Fans of the series worried back in December when news surfaced that the sitcom had not received a backorder for more episodes in its first season, fearing the show might be canceled.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter however, Kahl reiterated English’s previous statement that the season was never met to last more than 13 episodes.

“We understood we were doing 13 episodes of the show and planned it that way,” Kahl told the outlet. “There was really no talk of anything beyond that because that’s what we understood; that was the deal with the show when it came to us.”

Back in December, English told fans the same thing, urging them to not take the show’s December end the wrong way.

“Murphy Brown fans. We are NOT CANCELED!!!!! Several entertainment sites read a mid season schedule put out by CBS that did not have our show on it and the assumption was made that we were not renewed,” English said on Twitter in early December. “Our order, at our request was 13 [episodes]. We look forward to a second season.”

Despite the ratings underperforming other reboots, Kahl revealed the reboot actually showed better numbers than other shows had done in the timeslot. Bergen also got some love from the Hollywood Foreign Press when she secured a nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role as Murphy Brown.

We’ll have to wait for a decision on Murphy Brown‘s future in May for upfronts.