CBS Exec on ‘Murphy Brown’ Reboot Ratings: ‘I’m Not Sure We’ll Get ‘Roseanne’ Numbers’

Kelly Kahl lays out premise for Candace Bergen’s return

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CBS

Despite the success that ABC has seen with its revival of “Roseanne,” CBS isn’t getting too far ahead of itself in predicting world-beating success for the return of “Murphy Brown.”

“We’re extremely hopeful. We would love to get ‘Roseanne’ numbers,” CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl told TheWrap during a conversation with reporters Wednesday morning at the company’s pre-upfront breakfast. “I’m not sure we’ll get ‘Roseanne’ numbers, but we’re going to be hopeful.”

CBS announced its fall schedule Wednesday morning, placing the revived sitcom the behind “Mom” at 9:30 on Thursdays. “We’re going to put a lot behind ‘Murphy Brown’ and sure going to try like hell to get as big an audience there as we can,” Kahl continued.

Kahl, along with Thom Sherman, CBS’ senior executive vice president of programming, also shared a bit of what will happen in the new “Murphy Brown.”

For starters, Candace Bergen will trade in her “FYI” newsmagazine show and will host a morning cable news show called “Murphy in the Morning.”

“Her son is going to be in the series and he is on a competing network at the same time frame,” explained Sherman.

When asked if it would be similar to the real-world battles between MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Kahl responded: “That’s a pretty good characterization.”

CBS held its annual pre-upfront breakfast for the press at its New York City headquarters ahead of its presentation for advertisers at Carnegie Hall Wednesday afternoon. CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves was noticeably absent from the event, which in the past has been dubbed “Lox with Les,” with Kahl pointing to “a number of questions of he couldn’t answer,” likely referencing CBS’ current situation with Viacom.

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