Original subtitles

Okay, where is everybody?

I want to get this meeting started. I have got a big story, and I mean big. I

mean monster big. I mean taking out whole city blocks as it makes its way

through Tokyo big.

Soldiers are firing their guns at it. Pow, pow, pow! The Air Force is shooting

missiles at it.

It's plowing through transmission wires.

But my story doesn't care. It laughs at their puny little... Okay, Slugger, we

get it. It's big.

So you want to hear it? Sure, it sounds great to me. I want to hear it. Morning,

guys. You are not going to believe what I did. You're right, Frank. We won't.

Here, sit down. I'm just talking. No, no, no, no, wait. No, wait. This is

You've got to hear this.

Dana and I are sitting at brunch, right? We're just watching the cars go by.

Oh, man.

Life is so funny.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I did it.

I took the plunge. I don't believe it. So you want to hear my story? It

certainly is. And to think you did it without waking one of us up in the

of the night, whining over the phone, am I moving too fast? Am I doing the right

thing? Congratulations, Frank.

Wow, our little Frankie's getting married. But no, no.

It's a car.

I bought a car.

Frank, Frank, I bought a car. This is not just any car.

It's the new Jaguar XK8.

290 horsepower, 0 to 60 in 6 .3 seconds.

Dual knock sensors.

What do those do?

Oh, I don't know. I spent a fortune on a car. I have no idea what they do.

Oh, God, what was I thinking?

Did you think I moved too fast? Did I do the right thing?

Good morning, everyone.

I can't wait to tell you about my weekend in New York, Miles.

Yeah, yeah, we know. Three weeks of pent -up frustration exploding in 20 seconds

of ecstasy. Anyway, this tour is going to be a huge, gigantic interview with

Cronkite. I spoke to Walter Cronkite. You're kidding me. Walter Cronkite. Can

you believe it? We were at a party.

Miles went up and asked him what he thought about the state of network news

today. And he just opened right up.

He told us his opinion about everyone in the business. Wow, that must have been

fascinating. Oh, it was.

He told me he never misses an FYI. And, well, I could tell you a few things he

said about all of you that would just knock your socks off. Really? What did

say? What did he say? What did he say?

I can't say.

I'm sorry, but he told Miles and me in strict confidence, and I promised

I wouldn't breathe a word of it to anybody.

But boy, if you knew what I knew.

Wow!

Corky, let me ask you something. Do you know how the Iraqi secret police extract

information from unwilling prisoners?

No. Well, I do, so spill it, girly.

But I can't.

Well, okay.

But this can't go beyond us.

I don't want Walter to think he can't trust me.

After all, it was a private conversation. I don't want him to think

The words, Devin. Tell us the words. Okay.

He thinks I've really grown as a reporter. Yeah, what about me? What did

about me?

He actually is a big fan of yours, Frank.

And he loved your piece on the Blue Angels last month. He did?

Wow. Well, you have to admit, that was one pretty gutsy piece of journalism.

Yeah, gutsy. is the right word for it. Some poor Navy janitor had to mop your

guts off the windshield of that F -14.

Hey, I was on antibiotics.

Well, anyway, I think we should get back to business.

Yeah, Murphy's right. Now, about my commentary, did he mention it? Did you

what I did last week? Oh, he loved it, Jim. He said it really moved him.

Moved him?

Really?

You hear that, Uncle Harold? It moved him.

And the man wanted me to be an optician.

Corky, did he say anything about me?

Wait, why Woody? The man of the national treasure.

And I'm just a nameless, faceless cog in... Ashley, he said a change in

leadership at FYI has been seamless.

He thinks you're doing a great job. A cog who is about to tattoo that man's

beautiful mug right onto my left butt cheek.

That's how we honor people in my family.

That's very nice.

What about Murphy? What did he say about Murphy? Yes, what did he say? Save it.

I don't need a pat on the head from Walter Cronkite to feel good about

I learned early in my career not to care what anybody thinks of me. Well, you

sort of had to, didn't you?

I want to know, what did he say about Murphy?

Well, to tell you the truth, he didn't really say anything. He just sort of

a sound.

Sound? What kind of sound?

Sort of grunt. A grunt? That's not a grunt, is it? It could be. What do you

think he meant?

I don't know and I don't care, and neither should any of you.

I am shocked.

Shocked that you would care so much what anyone thinks about how you do your

job. Here I am with a groundbreaking story that affects people's lives, and

you care about is some water -cooler gossip that affects no one but

Well, I, for one, am disgusted.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.

Ouch. She has a point.

I feel terrible.

Well, Shemp, I guess you and Yanni are just going to have to wait a little

longer for some company.

Oh,

hi, Murphy.

Did you come to see me about something?

No, I don't think so.

Weren't you just about to knock on my door?

Oh, yeah, now I remember.

11, 12, 13...

14. I wish I had the building across the street. It's 14 stories high. Franklin

said I would.

Murphy, is there something you want?

No, that was it.

But as long as I'm here, I might as well stop and chat. You know how I like to

do that.

Stop and chat.

Say, that's a nice chair there. Is that new? When did you get it?

1989.

Well, it looks great. Mind if I try it out?

Ooh, springy. I like that in the chair.

What are you doing here, Murphy?

Nothing, why?

Because the only time you ever come up here is when you're planning something.

Like that time I came back from Florida and found my whole collection of First

Lady dolls naked on the floor with that squadron of G .I. Joes.

Don't blame me. They were just a bunch of lonely recruits on leave in the big

city. It's not funny, Murphy.

Every time I look up on that shelf and see poor little Eleanor Roosevelt

at me, well, it just doesn't mean the same thing anymore.

Anyway, if you came up here because you want to know what Walter meant, I

already told you everything.

Walter? Walter who?

Oh, you mean Walter Cronkite? That's what you think I'm here for? Cut it out,

Murphy. You're no better than the rest of us. You're dying to know what Walter

Cronkite thinks of you, and you know it. What?

Don't make me laugh.

Ha, ha, ha.

Not even remotely curious.

Anyway, it's a no -brainer, really.

You probably just... grunted out of pleasure after somebody commented on one

my hard -hitting exposés.

My razor -sharp interviewing style?

My satin ado?

Look, Murphy, I told you it was just a grunt.

Yeah, but I mean, there's all different kinds of grunts. There's good grunts,

bad grunts, there's indifferent grunts, there's a whole rainbow of grunts. So

what kind of grunt was it? Oh, I never should have said anything.

Now it's going to get back to Walter.

Why did I have to open my big fat mouth?

Well, That's a good question, Corky. I know I'd hesitate before I shared

anything with the likes of you. So, it was a good grunt then? Yeah, I guess.

I knew it.

When my name is mentioned, what other kind of grunt could it be?

Although, it was almost the same grunt he made when he took a bite out of that

candied yam and found a hair in it.

Not really.

Oh, I don't know. Can we just talk about something else?

You know, I can't believe I said anything to you.

Promise me you won't tell Walter.

Fine. If you promise not to tell Frank, Jim, or Kate that I was down here, not

that there's anything to tell, because, you know, as far as what Walter may or

may not have grunted about me, I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, the

is closed.

Hello, dearie. Walter Cronkite, please.

Oh, blimey. I'm just a reporter from London who wants to know Mr. Cronkite's

opinion about various public figures like, you know, the Pope, God, Murphy

Brown.

Sorry, Ducky, got our English muffins burning.

Who was that?

Oh, that was Irving Arlovine.

We often talk like that. He's a big Monty Python fan.

Would you believe it? He's got the whole fan routine memorized.

Stop it, Murphy.

Who were you talking to?

All right, it was Cronkite's office.

Had to pick Irving Arlovine.

You called Cronkite, but you promised you wouldn't let it get back to Walter.

I can't believe you'd do that. What, you can't believe I'd do something I said I

wouldn't do? How long have you known me, Corky?

Anyway, as long as you're here, I want you to look at something.

As it turns out, one of the guests at that party you went to had a video

and he got some film of you and Walter talking.

What? You told somebody else?

Oh, my God, why didn't you just post it on the Internet?

Well, I tried, but I couldn't get through the damn busy signal.

Okay. Okay, now there's Walter talking to Leslie Stahl. She's playing with her

hair and laughing at what he's saying. The kid's up. All right, there's Sam

Donaldson. He's playing with his hair and laughing at what Walter's saying.

is so sad.

Fast forward.

Okay, what is Walter saying to you right there?

I don't know, and I don't care.

I can't believe I mentioned this to you in the first place.

Such a blabbermouth.

Oh, now, Corky, don't be so hard on yourself. You're not a blabbermouth.

Hey, Murph, can we talk to you for a sec? Oh, sure.

Why don't we go up to the glass table? Because, um... Or better yet, Courtney's

office. She has this great new chair.

So, you want us to go up there, huh?

What do you think, Jim?

Hmm.

Well, now, is that a good grunt, a bad grunt, or an indifferent grunt?

Because, you know, there's a whole...

I told you not to tell. I'm sorry, Slugger, but you deserved that.

The way you lorded it over us yesterday, making us feel that we were wrong for

caring what Cronkite thought of us. Yeah, but you are no different than the

of us.

Thanks a lot. I'm glad you guys are getting such a kick out of this.

Oh, come on, Mervyn. Just relax.

It's not like we announced it to the bullpen.

Oh, no, rats. I'm too late. You already told her. We're too late. They already

told her.

That's it. Everybody out. Party's over. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

There's a reason Cronkite's opinion matters to all of us.

I can still remember his gripping coverage of the riots at the 68th

Convention. Boy, I'll never forget watching him the day Nixon resigned.

Or covering the fall of Saigon.

Yeah, well, it goes deeper than that for me.

A lot deeper.

I remember watching Cronkite's newscast the first time John Glenn orbited the

Earth. I turned around.

and there sat my father on the couch in tears.

That was the first time I realized the power of journalism.

Walter Cronkite made my father cry.

Not even my mother's lawyers could do that.

Of course, Dad lived on his allergies and had the dog sheared.

So, yes, Cronkite's opinion does matter to me.

He's the reason I became a reporter in the first place.

But, listen, I'm a big girl. I'll survive no matter what he thinks of me.

Come on, Art. I mean, what difference does it make? You said it yourself. Why

should we care what anyone thinks of how we do our job?

It's easy for you to say.

Cronkite likes your work. I know. Isn't that cool?

There's a buzz of excitement. Hey, guys.

Hi, Frank. Hi, Frank.

Where's Murphy? Didn't she come with you?

She wanted to walk over, so I drove on over here by myself.

You drove here?

Right, we're just across the street.

Oh, he's in a hurry. And what better machine to be driving when you need to

somewhere faster than the Jaguar XK8?

Zero to 60 in a mere 6 .3 seconds, top speed of 148 miles per hour.

How come we got here a half an hour before you did?

Well, um, you know, there's no place to park, so I had a circle of people.

Look, I bought a cap.

I'm really beginning to worry about Murphy.

Ever since this Cronkite thing, she just isn't the same.

I walked past her office this morning.

She looked just like my Uncle Vernon's prized pig after the little fellow lost

the blue ribbon in a county fair.

Poor animal really felt the loss.

Back to the way the bacon tasted, too.

Hey, guys. Hello, slugger.

Sorry I'm late.

Got wind that Diane Sawyer was trying to scoop me on that Hong Kong piece I've

been spending the last month working on. Really? So, what did you do to her?

Well, I called her up. And told her I thought she'd do a great job and wished

her luck.

I'm sure you have an equally wonderful story lined up, right, Slugger?

Yeah, I guess. I was thinking of doing a piece on, I don't know, boats or

something.

Listen, Murph, I know that you're really down about this Cronkite thing, but,

you know, I have a feeling that all that's going to change very soon.

Because, you know, there are still plenty of very important people who

are one great reporter.

Plenty of them.

Plenty.

Like, oh, Tom Snyder.

Oh, Murphy, I have to tell you, it's so nice to see you. You're doing a bang -up

job, and you make OTS proud to share the same network call letters with you.

It's really nice of you to say that, Tom. Hey, Murphy, did you hear what Tom

just said? You know, Murphy, can I tell you something? You remind me of Bill

Tolvin. In my first news job at KYW -TV in Philly, a real between -the -eyes

hard news guy. Now, this is a true story I'm going to tell you. Tom, Tom, Tom.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Anyway, Bill and I were putting the midnight oil one time at a great gin bar

South Street called The Corkscrew.

Seedy as hell.

The bar, not Bill.

Murphy, you're the best. Keep up the good work.

Nice try, Frank.

What? Oh, you think I set that up, Murphy?

Please. Miss Brown, I know that I am not a wordsmith, but let me tell you

something straight from the heart.

For my money, you are the best broadcast.

What's this right here?

Journalist.

Journalist in the business today.

Yep, I am in the wrong profession.

Well, guys, I appreciate your concern, but maybe I should just take what Walter

said as a wake -up call.

I mean, I've been doing this for 20 years. It's a long time.

It's starting to show.

Now, you listen to me.

I've had enough of this.

flat doodle.

Murphy Brown, I know, wouldn't sit there with her tail between her legs.

Yeah, she wouldn't. Murphy Brown, I know, wouldn't take this lying down.

she'd stand right up. Murphy Brown, I know, would find out what Cronkite meant

by that grunt, even if it means telling him Corky can't keep a secret.

Yeah, no.

Maybe she wants to lie down. Maybe she's tired. Maybe she likes her tail between

her legs.

You're right.

I can't just sit here, good or bad. I've got to find out what he thinks of me.

Without telling him I told you, right?

Well, of course, Corky. You told me something in confidence, and I'm going

honor that confidence.

Just exactly the way you would.

Keep going with her.

Sorry. Pardon me.

Out of my way.

Move it, Grant.

Both of you are so rude.

Oh, there he is. There's Corky.

You know, he looks really busy.

Maybe we should just go. Yep, let's go. That way Walter doesn't have to know I

said anything to anyone about anybody.

Anyhoo.

Get it, Corky. Come on.

May I help you?

Oh, I know you.

Yes, I'm Murphy Brown. I just want to talk to Walter.

I'm Carol Fordham.

And you can't.

Walter, but he's been so busy on this book tour.

I just need five minutes with him. You know, just five little minutes, that's

all. Oh, I see. You don't want to wait in line like everybody else.

Exactly. Well, you have to.

You don't understand. I've driven all the way from Washington. That's a 40

-minute drive.

Oh, that is rough.

Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't you get in front of the elderly woman in the

wheelchair who's been waiting in line since 3 o 'clock this morning?

Okay. Forget it.

I'm not going anywhere until I talk to Walter. Then you'll have to buy a book

and stand in line.

Fine. I'll buy a book and stand in line.

There's a fire alarm out there. I want you to go pull it. Then when people

panic, I'm going to make a mad dash for Walter.

Don't stand in line. I'll go buy a book.

Thanks for saving my place. I really appreciate it.

You were saving my place, remember?

No, I don't.

I guess with all the excitement of seeing Walter Cronkite, you forgot, so

just refresh your memory. See, I said I had to go to the bathroom, and you said

that you'd hold my place, and I'm back. If you have to go, I'll hold your place.

It's there by the drinking fountain. It's out there somewhere. Go ahead.

Look, I know who you are, and I don't care. You're not cutting in front of me.

Attention, I'm very sorry, but Mr. Cronkite is on a very tight schedule and

has a plane to catch and will only be signing books for five more minutes.

minutes?

Thanks for saving my place.

Thanks for saving my place.

Thanks for saving my place. She was saving my place.

I can't believe you cut in line.

What, you think I was going to wait in line with all these suckers?

Just take the book and get Walter a sign that you can get into a casual

conversation with him. That way he'll never know I told you anything.

No sweat.

Oh, no.

That'll never work.

Look at him. He's staring into my soul.

He knows.

He knows.

Murphy, hey, how are you? Hi, Walter.

Hi. Golly, thanks for coming. You didn't have to drive up all this way. I just

sent you a book.

Oh, you know me.

Any chance to get out and wait in line with people. So there you go. Just right

away. Anything you want about me, the truth is you see it. Just straight from

the gut.

The good, the bad, the good.

I think I got it there.

Thanks. Next time you're in D .C., feel free to stop by the office.

Thanks a lot. Look forward to that.

To Murphy.

All the best.

Walter Cronkite.

And what the hell is that supposed to mean?

It means he really, really likes you. Come on, Murphy.

Write some more.

I'm sorry, but Walter has to leave now.

but thank you all for taking the time to come out and meet Mr. Cronkite.

Oh!

Wait, wait, wait. We're not finished yet.

Murphy, I'm sorry. I've got a plan to get. Well, I know, but I've got to ask

something. What is that?

Don't worry.

Okay, say there's this one reporter, and he or she is talking to another

reporter about another reporter. Now, if that reporter had said something to

this reporter about the other reporter...

What would that reporter have said about the other reporter?

I mean... Murphy, I'm 80 or so. Get to the point.

What did you tell Corky about me at that party?

Murphy! I see. You want to know what I think of you, right?

Well, I'll tell you. You're pushy. You're brash.

You toss all the rules aside to get a story, and you just don't care who gets

trampled in your way.

And if Charlie Osgood had thrown you out of that campaign bus at 80 like he

threatened, There would have been a cheer from reporters heard around the

I paid $26 .95 for this?

Anne Murphy, it's exactly those qualities that make you one hell of a

In fact, you are one of the best there is.

And you are a blabbermouth.

What do you know? Did you hear that?

Walter Cronkite said I was one of the best.

Yeah, heard it.

One of the best.

Wait a minute.

One of the best?

That means there were others.

If he thinks Koppel or Sawyer are even in the same unit... Cronkite, get back

here. I gotta talk to you.

Hi, Frank.

What's the matter?

Oh, man.

All right, I'll tell you what happened if you promise not to repeat this to a

soul. Sure.

I'm down in the parking garage, testing out the turning radius of my new car

when I accidentally dinged Murphy's Porsche on the right rear fender.

It's really nothing. It's just a tiny little speck of blue paint. You can't

see it, but if she finds out about it, she'll go nuts. You have to promise me

not to repeat a word of this to anyone.

Of course.

Hey, guys. What's up?

Really?

Yikes. Her right rear fender?

She is definitely going to notice that blue paint.

I would not want to be you, Frank.

Slap her mouth.