Murphy Brown: Season 10 (1997 - 1998)

Joan Lunden makes a brief appearance in the opening episode of Murphy Brown's tenth and final season. Fired from her new White House staff job after a record 40 minutes, Murphy (Candice Bergen) returns to her old stand at "FYI." In Murphy's absence, Corky (Faith Ford) has prepared a report on breast cancer. Murphy is impressed by Corky's work--and also chastened by the realization that she hasn't had a mammogram recently. Without going into further detail, this situation leads to a seriocomic throughline that will permeate the rest of Season Ten.

The "FYI" gang is forced to run quite a gauntlet while trying to assemble a story on health-food violations within a major supermarket chain. In the course of the ordeal, Jim (Charles Kimbrough) is obliged to compromise his journalistic integrity by doing network promos, and Kay (Lily Tomlin) is enlisted to substitute for Frank (Joe Regalbuto) on an undercover assignment. Meanwhile, Murphy (Candice Bergen) nervously awaits the results of her biopsy.

The rest of the "FYI" staff displays a variety of reactions--from shock to solace--when Murphy (Candice Bergen) reveals the results of her biopsy. Once this is done, Murphy must decide which of two painful surgical options to choose; she also spends much of the episode going through doctors like she goes through secretaries! And what effect does all this have on Murphy's love life? Welll, Kay (Lily Tomlin) thinks she knows the answer to that one--but she's wrong. This episode originally ended with Candice Bergen doing a PSA for the American Cancer Society.

Murphy (Candice Bergen) can't bring herself to tell her son Avery about her cancer surgery--nor, for that matter, has she been able to even say the "C" word to anyone, herself included. As Murphy relentlessly cross-examines the doctors assigned to her surgery (apparently none of them are qualifed enough to suit her!), the rest of the "FYI" gang tries to protect her secret from conniving tabloid photographer Rudy Grasso (Don McManus), even unto having Kay (Lily Tomlin) impersonate Murphy to throw Grasso off the track. Future Sixth Sense star Haley Joel Osment makes his first appearance as Avery Brown in this episode, which originally ended with PSAs delivered by both Candice Bergen and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A still-groggy Murphy (Candice Bergen) has trouble getting her act together after cancer surgery, so Corky (Faith Ford) offers to temporarily say with her colleague as both caregiver and cook. Before long, Corky is devoting so much time to Murphy that she can't deal with her own problems--which include her disintegrating long-distance marriage to Miles. Not that Murphy really cares; she has come to rely 100 percent on Corky's exotic desserts and round-the-clock ministrations, and she isn't about to give them up just because she's feeling better.

Murphy's chemotherapy treatments have left her not only exhausted but almost permanently nauseous. Hoping to ease his colleague's pain, Jim (Charles Kimbrough) takes to the streets and purchases some marijuana for medicinal purposes. Although Murphy (Candice Bergen) is reluctant to use Jim's weed stash, before long both of them are "toking up"--and flying high. Not surprisingly, this proved to be the most controversial episode of Murphy Brown's tenth season.

Joanna Gleason guest stars as Athena Gillington, a prominent Washington hostess with whom Murphy (Candice Bergen) has been feuding for years. When Athena invites Murphy to a party, Murphy thinks that the gesture has been made out of pity. In fact, the invite was made for purely mercenary reasons, to help promote Athena's new book "I Just Turned 50." Characteristically, Murphy swears vengeance upon Athena--and vengeance may well be in her grasp when she learns a startling secret about her hostess.

When she is nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Humboldt ceremony, Murphy (Candice Bergen) cannot help but feel that her mortality is rapidly closing in on her. For this reason, she accepts a date from Scott (Joe Flanigan), a much-younger man whom she met while chaperoning son Avery's field trip. Scott's presence has Murphy feeling younger than Springtime -- but her colleagues foresee naught but a very cold Winter when she comes down to earth.

After filling in for Murphy (Candice Bergen) on "FYI", Corky (Faith Ford) is offered a plum assignment in the Middle East. Normally, this situation would have Murphy pitching a hissy-fit, but our heroine has more pressing matters on her mind. Instead of her usual three-year contract, the network offers Murphy merely a one-year pact--leading her to conclude that her age and her illness have seriously impaired her career.