About
"I think I'm always trying to walk that tightrope between comedy and drama. I think you can't have one without the other. I try to keep my writing as grounded in reality as possible, try to keep one foot in the dramatic world and one foot in the comedy world, because I think they really enhance each other. It's tough to do. It requires perfect pitch sometimes, and I don't always have it, obviously, but that's what I try to do, and I think it has made my work a little different from other people's."
In her two-and-a-half-hour interview, Diane English discusses her upbringing in Buffalo, NY where she first worked as an English and drama teacher before moving to New York City to pursue a career in playwriting. She describes how she instead landed her first industry job at public television station WNET, and began writing for the small screen --penning PBS' first television movie, The Lathe of Heaven. English outlines her first forays into half-hour comedies as a writer for Foley Square and My Sister Sam, and speaks at length on the creation and production of her hit series, Murphy Brown. She divulges which actress she asked to play "Murphy Brown" before Candice Bergen won the role, and sheds light on the infamous debate on single motherhood sparked by Vice President Dan Quayle. She chronicles the formation of her production company, Shukovsky/English, with husband Joel Shukovsky, and details her film and television work (The Women, Love & War, Ink) after Murphy Brown went off the air. Jenni Matz conducted the interview in a joint venture with the American Comedy Archives at Emerson College on February 8, 2007 in North Hollywood, CA.
Highlights
Diane English on casting Candice Bergen for Murphy Brown
Diane English on the believable character of "Murphy Brown" and doing research with Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer
On the legacy of Murphy Brown
On her writing process
On the luckiest moment of her career
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her childhood and early influences; on her talent for writing
On her college theater teacher and mentor and moving to New York in 1971
On working in New York Public Radio at WNET Channel 13; on Theater in America and The Television Laboratory
On her TV column for Vogue
Chapter 2
On leaving public television and rewriting TV movie The Lathe of Heaven for PBS
On moving to Los Angeles and writing movies of the week including Her Life as a Man
On writing for CBS sitcom Foley Square
On writing for My Sister Sam
On creating Murphy Brown
Chapter 3
On who she wanted in a writer's room; on her producing partner/husband Joel Shukovsky and his role helping to cast Murphy Brown
On casting Candice Bergen as "Murphy Brown;" on her love for actors
On the characters of Murphy Brown
On the pilot of Murphy Brown; on the music in the opening sequence
On the focus groups for and audience of Murphy Brown
On the strong, believable character of "Murphy Brown"
Chapter 4
On the cast of Murphy Brown
On references to Dan Quayle on Murphy Brow n; on the character "Murphy Brown" becoming a single mother
On "Murphy Brown" battling cancer and making a serious situation humorous
On her favorite episodes and scenes; on the final episode of Murphy Brown
Chapter 5
On Candice Bergen and the character "Murphy Brown"
On the legacy of Murphy Brown
On Love & War, Double Rush and Living in Captivity
On changes in network television over the years; on working in different forms of media
On advice to aspiring writers; on her voice as a writer
On winning her first Emmy; on her current projects - The F Word, Forty-Nine and Change, The Women
On future goals; on Ink
On how she'd like to be remembered
Shows
Double Rush
Diane English on creating the show Double Rush starring Robert Pastorelli, David Arquette and D.L. Hughley
Foley Square
Diane English on writing for CBS sitcom Foley Square
Her Life as a Man
Diane English on her television movie, Her Life as a Man, with producer Larry Schiller
Ink
Diane English on revamping Ink
Lathe of Heaven, The
Diane English on PBS' first television movie, The Lathe of Heaven
Living in Captivity
Diane English on Living in Captivity, created by Tom Palmer
Love & War
Diane English on creating the show Love & War
Murphy Brown
Diane English on creating Murphy Brown
Diane English on writing and casting Murphy Brown
Diane English on Murphy Brown
Diane English on Murphy Brown
My Sister Sam
Diane English on writing/producing for My Sister Sam
Topics
Characters & Catchphrases
Diane English on naming the character of "Murphy Brown"
Diane English on what Candice Bergen brought to the role of "Murphy Brown"
Diane English on the strong, believable character, "Murphy Brown"
Diane English on "Eldin Bernecky" as "Murphy Brown's" Jiminy Cricket
Diane English on Candice Bergen's contributions to her character, "Murphy Brown"
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Diane English on her childhood and early influences; on her talent for writing
Emmy Awards
Diane English on winning her first Emmy
Women
Diane English on the network's thoughts on having a 40 year old woman as the main character of Murphy Brown
Diane English on character "Murphy Brown" becoming a single mother and Dan Quayle's response
Professions
Writers
Diane English on loving writing for television
Diane English on her writing process
Diane English on being flexible with writing so actors can bring their own magic to the piece
Diane English on her voice as a writer
Genres
Comedy Series
Diane English on writing for Foley Square
Diane English on writing/producing for My Sister Sam
Diane English on creating Murphy Brown
Diane English on Murphy Brown
Diane English on Murphy Brown
Diane English on Murphy Brown
People
Candice Bergen
Diane English on casting Candice Bergen for Murphy Brown
Diane English on the rapport between Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown") and Joe Regalbuto ("Frank Fontana")
Diane English on how much of herself is in the character of "Murphy Brown"
Diane English on "Murphy Brown" battling cancer and making a serious situation humorous
Diane English the emotional cast at the final episode of Murphy Brown
Diane English on Candice Bergen's contributions to her character, "Murphy Brown"
George Clooney
Diane English on George Clooney guest starring on the final episode of Murphy Brown
Pat Corley
Diane English on Pat Corley, "Phil" on Murphy Brown
Ted Danson
Diane English on revamping Ink - Ted Danson's return to television after Cheers
Colleen Dewhurst
Diane English on Colleen Dewhurst, Murphy's mother on Murphy Brown
Linda Ellerbee
Diane English on her admiration on Linda Ellerbee and her influence behind Murphy Brown
Faith Ford
Diane English on Faith Ford, "Corky Sherwood" on Murphy Brown
Barnet Kellman
Diane English on Murphy Brown director Barnet Kellman and casting the part of Miles Silverberg
Diane English on Murphy Brown director Barnet Kellman
Charles Kimbrough
Diane English on Charles Kimbrough writing a biography for his Murphy Brown character Jim Dial
Diane English on Charles Kimbrough, "Jim Dial" on Murphy Brown
Burt Metcalfe
Diane English on writing for My Sister Sam, created by Burt Metcalfe
Bette Midler
Diane English on Bette Midler guest starring on the final episode of Murphy Brown
Leslie Moonves
Diane English on Les Moonves wanting her to revamp Ink
Bernie Orenstein
Diane English on writing for CBS sitcom Foley Square with producers Saul Turtletaub and Bernie Orenstein
Robert Pastorelli
Diane English on Robert Pastorelli, "Eldin Bernecky" on Murphy Brown
Dan Rather
Diane English on the believable character of "Murphy Brown" and doing research with Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer
Joe Regalbuto
Diane English on the rapport between Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown") and Joe Regalbuto ("Frank Fontana")
Diane English on Joe Regalbuto, "Frank Fontana" on Murphy Brown
Julia Roberts
Diane English on Julia Roberts guest starring on the final episode of Murphy Brown
Diane Sawyer
Diane English on the believable character of "Murphy Brown" and doing research with Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer
Diane English on character "Murphy Brown" winning the most number of votes as the replacement for Diane Sawyer
Larry Schiller
Diane English on her television movie Her Life as a Man with producer Larry Schiller
Thomas Schlamme
Diane English on revamping Ink, with the pilot directed by Thomas Schlamme
Grant Shaud
Diane English on Murphy Brown director Barnet Kellman and casting the part of Miles Silverberg
Joel Shukovsky
Diane English on producing partner and husband Joel Shukovsky and pitching Murphy Brown
Diane English on how involved her husband, Joel Shukovsky is in their company's projects
Mary Steenburgen
Diane English on revamping Ink - Ted Danson's return to television after Cheers
Howard Stringer
Diane English on Howard Stringer's advice to her on the controversy surrounding the character "Murphy Brown" becoming a single mother
Saul Turteltaub
Diane English on writing for CBS sitcom Foley Square with producers Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein
Mike Wallace
Diane English on Mike Wallace guest starring on the final episode of Murphy Brown