Original subtitles

So General de Gaulle looks straight into my eyes, and he says to me, and you

must bear in mind that although he was quite old at this point, he was

nevertheless an imposing figure. Whoops, forgot my cigarette. Be right back.

Geez, Frank, can we have a little courtesy, please? The man's telling a

Okay, okay, I'm back. Sorry, Jim.

So, General de Gaulle said to you... De Gaulle stares right at me, and he

says... Baggage!

It's like a wedding gift!

Hello! I'm over here!

How long is this going to go on?

You've been married for almost a year, and you're still Lord & Taylor's

of the month.

According to wedding etiquette, Miles, guests have one full year to buy gifts.

In case anyone was worried about offending me with a gift at this late

Frank. I gave you my love and support, Corky. What, you want a gravy boat, too?

I have a gravy boat. I want a ladle, Frank, and I want it by close of

on Friday.

Open that now, Corky. Jim's right in the middle of a story. Go on, Jim. We're

all ears.

Well, all right.

Charles de Gaulle leans over to me, and in that distinctive voice known to a

generation of Frenchmen, he says, You're not Murphy Brown.

That package is for Murphy Brown. For me? Really?

Sign it.

General de Gaulle leans over, grabs my arm, and he says, Please, I have this

package to open.

I wonder who's sending me a gift.

Whoa, it's from Barry Tartelage. Barry Tartelage?

President of the Wolf Television Network?

Gee, what an interesting thing.

Barry Tartledge sent you a gift. I didn't realize you knew him. I don't. He

called me last week, wanted to take me to lunch.

Take you to lunch?

Now, why would he need to do that?

You know how to get your own lunch. You've been doing it for years.

I think it's obvious, Miles. My contract here is up in two months. The Wolf

Network is new. They're aggressive.

I'd have to say I'm being wooed.

Wooed?

Don't swallow your time, Miles.

I turned down his invitation. I told him I didn't have time.

Now he sends me this jar of time.

Here's all the time a busy woman could want. Let me know if you need parsley,

sage, or rosemary. Now, how about that lunch?

Well done, Mr.

Tarvelidge. Handcut crystal, sterling ring, neck, $375.

Now, to go ahead, a collection of fine crystal. Gee, Mark, it must be nice to

wooed, huh?

Management panics, people giving you anything to make you happy.

Oh, come on, Frank. You don't really buy into that, do you? This Tarlage guy

must be really dumb sending a gift to a journalist.

I've never seen anything so pathetic in my entire life.

Have you ever seen anything so pathetic in your entire life?

Murphy.

Miles, relax. I'm going to call the man, say thanks for the thought, but I'm

happy where I am. You gonna call him?

Don't you think you already have enough to do today? I'd be happy to call him

for you. Come on, Miles. You can listen. It's all right.

I don't need to listen. Why would I need to listen?

What's going on here?

Another gift from Tartalich?

Doesn't the man have anything better to do than shop?

What kind of an adventurous operation is he... What's that?

What can you give someone who's hard to get except something that's hard to

find? Hope you'll reconsider lunch.

Barry.

Whoa. It's a first edition of 1984.

Price check, Jim.

Five, no, $600.

Holy,

some gift, a used book.

Who knows where it's been?

Oh, look, someone even wrote all over it.

George Orwell.

$3 ,000.

Okay, look, look, this is starting to get to be too much of a disruption.

I think you should meet the guy for lunch, thank him for his little

and that'll be that.

And don't be concerned about me.

I'm absolutely fine with it. Really.

Good bluff, Miles. I could never tell you were scared.

But I don't want to add to your worries by mentioning that the president of ABC

was talking to me at a party last month. I know, Frank. I was there. He told you

to stop staring at his wife's chest.

Miles, will you relax? For the last time, I'm happy here. You're not going

lose me to the Wolf Network, okay?

Okay, Murphy.

I was kind of shaking in my shoes there for a while.

I've never been faced with this before.

I don't know why I was worried.

They said you weren't going anywhere.

Who said that?

The guys upstairs.

Kinsella, Harris, Leahy. I told them about the gifts, but they said you'd be

crazy to leave.

Oh, really?

Deepest sympathy on your unfortunate blunder, Miles.

Well, so they said I'd be crazy to leave, huh? Because you belong here.

fixture, like the Washington Monument. They compared me to a big pointy slab of

granite? No, no, that was me right now, grasping at straws, digging myself

deeper with every word. Why can't I learn to shut up? Oh, God, I'm still

talking!

Miles, are you finished?

I want to tell you something. When I say I'm happy here, that's one thing. But

when I'm taken for granted, that's a whole new ballgame.

You know, suddenly I have a taste for some lunch.

All right, here we go, people. Going live. Thank you.

In five, four, three.

On the neck.

Hiya, Phil.

Hey there, Murphy.

Hold it a second.

That's not your usual daytime perfume.

You're not meeting someone from another network.

Oh, Bill, you're good, but you're not that good. You don't expect me to

you figured that out from my perfume, do you?

Sure.

Plus, Miles called three times asking if Barry Tarleton was here yet.

Hey, Murphy, you're not thinking about jumping ship, are you? Are you kidding?

just want to throw a little scare into management.

And here comes a scared little manager now.

Murphy. Good day.

Good day? What is this, Noel Coward Week?

God, Miles, I can't believe you came here to spy on me. Well, aren't you

to feel foolish? It just so happens I have a poppy seed caught in my teeth

a bagel this morning, and I needed a toothpick.

Murphy, hello.

I'm Barry Tartledge, the late Barry Tartledge. I really apologize, but I had

go to three different floras to find these. I hope I'm forgiven.

Sterling roses, my favorites.

You're a very thorough man, Mr. Tartledge. It's nice to finally meet

late. We were worried.

And this is my old silver bird. Executive producer, FYI. Please, don't

awkward about this.

Oh, I don't. I much prefer everything to be out in the open. After all, we're

both after the same thing.

The sad fact is only one of us will get a chance to work with the most

intelligent and talented journalist in America.

Well, you'll learn how to deal with disappointment when you've been in this

business as long as I have.

Wasn't there something else you were going to say, Miles?

I believe it was goodbye.

Right.

Enjoy your lunch.

And if you're going to sit by the door, wear your scarf, and want to catch a

cold, care about you.

I do wish you would have let me take you to Sardella's. The guy likes to show

off a little.

Look, Barry, I think I should get something out of the way right up front.

I appreciate all the gifts and the thought, but I'm really not looking to

FYI. I know, but you did promise me the chance to seduce you.

So, Murphy, we're prepared to double your salary if you come to the Wolf

Network.

So much for foreplay.

I'm sorry, but I am trying to compete with your network. I imagine they're

offering you everything underneath the sun to stay at FYI.

You'd be surprised.

No, I wouldn't. You deserve it, especially after your report last week

America's cities. That was remarkable stuff.

I bet your phone was ringing off the hook with calls from every executive at

your network.

Well, I wouldn't say ringing off the hook, exactly.

I think they were a little disappointed with the ratings.

Since when are ratings the only thing we care about?

I mean, that piece had so much heart.

The way you showed that one mother talking to her son about gangs, it

a lot about what television could do.

Well, thank you. It means a lot for you to say that.

But look, Barry, the people at FYI are my family.

No, Murphy.

Your family's in Idaho.

Idaho? And Tennessee and Vermont and Rhode Island. Everywhere in this country

that people sit down in front of a TV set.

To let you teach them how the world works. That's who your family is.

Wow. You're really good at this, but... Naturally, you'd anchor the political

conventions for us next year. Election night as well.

I promise you that no one at the Wolf Network will be offered an assignment

until Murphy Brown has turned it down. I want you to be the cornerstone of our

news operation.

Your agenda is our agenda.

Look.

The last thing I want to do is waste your time. I'm not one to accept defeat,

but if your mind's really made up... Well, um... Actually, I think I'd like

hear more.

Good. Very good. Okay.

I'd like you to do four specials a year.

Interviews of your choice. You say the name, we'll get them.

Do you like Barbados?

We've got a corporate beach house fully staffed.

How was your lunch, Murphy?

Jim, please, it was a lunch. There's no need to pry.

Thank you, Miles.

I appreciate your professionalism.

But you know, nothing finishes off a lunch like a good strong cup of coffee.

I just happen to have some right here.

Mmm, rich and full -bodied.

So, as long as I'm here, anything else I can get you?

All right, Miles, you want to hear about my lunch? I'll tell you. It was very

eye -opening. I never realized how unappreciated I am around here.

Do you realize my contract is up in two months and I haven't heard word one from

this network?

You know if it were up to me, you'd get whatever you ask for. And I'm sure the

guys upstairs feel the same way. It's just that they had this great... God,

Miles, how long are you going to keep apologizing for them? And what about

Some old jar, a beat -up book, and suddenly you're on sale to the highest

bidder. What do you expect? me to do? Stay here under these sweatshop

just because we're family?

Well, let me tell you, my family is in Idaho and Tennessee and Barbados.

Okay, fine. Go over to Wolf. Go work for Tartledge. Marry him and have his

babies for all I care. You'll be making the biggest mistake of your life.

Excuse me, Miss Brown.

I'm Barbara Griffin.

I just wanted to introduce myself and say that I took the liberty of updating

your Rolodex while you were at lunch.

Also, that opening tonight at the Kennedy Center, I called a friend who

the White House. You'll be sitting in the presidential box with the Bushes.

Well, sorry to interrupt.

Oh, wait a minute.

Barbara, was it?

You know, I've been looking years to find someone like you. Please, come on

Oh, I wish I could, but Mr. Tartle did send me over here just to help you out

for a few hours.

I'm in the secretarial pool at the Wolf Network.

Who knows?

Maybe we'll meet again soon.

Bye.

That's right, Richard. You tell them if they want me to stay on it.

FYI, it's going to cost them big.

Of course they're going to hate you. You wouldn't be a good agent if they

didn't. Now, I've added some things to my list.

I need a stereo system in my dressing room, a masseuse on show night.

Nope, sorry. I want an answer from them immediately.

And every day that goes by, my price goes up a thousand bucks. Ooh, that's

Be sure to tell them that.

Yeah? Well, that's what the short hairs are for.

Bye.

You know, you think you know somebody.

You paint their walls.

You miter their joints. You don't understand, Eldon. In this world, money

respect. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be.

May I remind you...

I now have $1 .2 million from that mural I sold.

I've got stockbrokers and investment counselors all over me trying to tell me

how to turn it into more money.

Do I look like I need more money?

I already feel funny about that tanning salon I bought.

I'll get that on my way out. No charge.

Hi, Elder. She's inside.

If you're smart, you'll hide your money in your shoe.

I just came by to tell you how really awful I feel about our conversation

earlier today.

It got so bad, I found myself in the Georgetown Mall running from store to

trying to find a gift that would really impress you.

Miles, you didn't have to do that. I know. I suddenly realized what a

ridiculous, competitive little gesture it was.

Anyway, here.

It's a cheese slicer with a picture of the Alps on the handle.

I know you've been to Switzerland.

Gee, thanks.

I always wanted one of these.

Murphy, I was such a jerk today.

If you didn't already know why, it's because I know I'm losing you.

Believe me, Miles, I don't want to leave FYI.

It's just that I need to be where I have the respect of the people I work for,

and so far Gene Kinsella and the others don't seem to be ready to give me that.

Well, actually, I talked to them about an hour ago, and I sort of demanded that

they negotiate a new contract with you immediately.

They said okay.

Miles, thank you.

Thank you very much.

So, when will I be hearing from them?

Well, actually, again, you won't be hearing from them.

Mr. Kinsella thought I should negotiate your new deal.

You?

Doesn't that put you in an awkward position, negotiating with a friend?

I'm a little surprised Gene would do that.

So was I. But he feels I can handle it.

To be honest, I'm a little nervous.

After all, I've never done anything like this. But like you said, we're friends.

So we should be able to get through it without any of that silly game -playing

other people do, right?

Right. Right. Oh, I hate that. Where one side tries to get the advantage over

the other side.

But hey, as long as we're here, why don't we just sit down and just work on

deal right here in the comfort of my living room?

Gee, Murphy, I wasn't really ready to start tonight here in your house.

Seems to me negotiation is something that should be done in an office.

So what do you say, what, my office tomorrow morning at 10 o 'clock?

I have absolutely no problem with that.

Tomorrow it is.

But what about my office? It's more intimate.

True, true.

But, you know, my office is a lot quieter.

Although my office is closer to Phil's in case we get hungry.

Yes, but my office has that kitchenette. Oh, Miles, Miles, an office is an

office. If you prefer your office, that's fine with me.

Oh,

hi, Miles. Gee, is it 10 o 'clock already?

I must have lost track of the time.

Let's go up to your office, shall we? No, Murphy, we shall not go up to my

office. There are three big guys with carpet shampoos working up at my office.

Seems someone called them last night and told them my carpet had to be clean

first thing this morning.

That crazy bureaucracy.

Go figure.

Well, as long as we're here, why don't we do this in my office? Pull up a chair

and sit down.

Maybe I don't want to sit. Maybe I want to stand.

Fine. Then stand.

Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? I'll just sit. Thank you very much.

All right. Have it your way.

Let's get started. I've drawn up a proposal of what I'd like in my new

It's pretty straightforward.

You know...

I don't think I realized until this moment how much our relationship has

over the years.

At first, it was strictly boss -employee.

But now we have this great friendship.

It's great to work with a friend, isn't it? It adds such an interesting slant to

things. I know what you mean.

Here I am wondering whether my friend should have her own personal trainer on

staff or not.

Well, you know, I just want you to be happy.

I tell you what, why don't you bargain me out of something? Um, say the weekly

masseuse. That way, the boys upstairs will be impressed, I'll almost be

completely happy, and we both walk away winners.

Thank you, Murphy. That's very generous of you.

Okay, why don't we go celebrate?

Uh, how about I treat you to a late breakfast?

What? What are you doing? What's that?

A 50 % salary increase? I don't think so.

Miles, my friend, my buddy, Wolf was ready to double my salary. I think I'm

being totally fair. But Murphy, my pal, my compadre, that would throw off the

balance of our salary structure. We don't do things that way. Isn't it

seem to remember you saying if it were up to you, I'd get everything I asked

for. And I remember you mentioning how you didn't want to leave FYI.

Guess we both know more than we should.

So what do you say we cut the crap, roll up our sleeves, hammer out a deal, and

make the best man win?

You're on.

That's it. My absolute bottom line.

I guess it all comes down to whether you think I'd really leave FYI or not.

All I can tell you, Miles, is my father taught me that the only way to get what

you want is if you're prepared to walk away.

Trust me, Miles.

I'm prepared to walk away.

I'll give you a minute to think about it. I'm going to go get some tea.

You guys have been in there for hours. What's going on?

It's in the bag, the deed is done, the fat lady has sung, and she's gone out

donuts.

They sent a boy to do a man's job, Frank. I played Miles like a violin.

I'm going to let him sweat for a few minutes, and then I'm going back for

Well, I'm happy for you, and it is a good thing you worked it out. I just

that the Wolf Network signed Diana Ryan for the job they were talking to you

about.

Diana Ryan?

That anchor from New York? Yeah, I tell you, if I were the cynical type, I might

think that they were just using you to get her to agree to their terms.

It doesn't matter. You are staying, and that's all I care about.

Would you just excuse me for a minute?

I have to feed my fish.

So, Miles, how's it look?

Should we start the old celebration?

Murphy, I can't agree to these terms.

The network would have my head.

This has to be the lowest moment of my life.

But I just can't do it.

I really loved working with you, Murphy.

I hope you know that.

Whoa! I told you so!

They're for bottom lines!

and there are bottom lines.

Come on.

Now, sit down. We're family. We can work this out.

Your family's in Idaho. Forget them.

I'm lighting in your salary offer.

The profit participation, gone.

What do I need with my own hairdresser?

Free dry cleaning, I have to tell you, I never really expected it.

Out, out, out. So, what do you think, Miles? How does it look?

I guess I can live with this.

Well, there we go.

Now, let's just sign this so it's legal until we can get it drawn up all nice

and neat.

Well, it's official.

I'm back.

Murphy. Murphy.

Clear the way, people. I need coffee.

Well, look at this. He's still able to walk. That's a good sign.

I never want to have to go through anything like that again.

I tell you, this must be a big day for deal -making. Did you hear? The Wolf

Network just signed Diana Ryan.

You're kidding. Where did you hear that? It's all over the building.

I don't know, Frank. You can't believe everything you hear.

Come on. Why would somebody start a rumor like that?

Well, Frank, you never know.

You just never know.