revival, again run by Emmy-winning creator Diane English, is conscious that the world has changed in the 20 years since we last saw Murphy and friends. The problem is that Murphy Brown itself really hasn’t, and that does more to tarnish the real show's legacy than anything else." In a more positive critique, Indiewires Liz Shannon Miller awarded the season a grade of "A−" and praised it saying, "Easily the best aspect of Murphy Brown is how it acknowledges the meta elements of its existence without sacrificing the quality of its comedy or breaking the fourth wall...The writing never forgets just what a trash fire the news can be today, but in unleashing Murphy on the world, there’s the faintest glimpse of hope that maybe, just maybe, change is possible." In an additional favorable assessment, the Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd said of the season, "It's funny and sweet and true to its roots, if, at times, a little obvious in its aims." Ratings While the first episode of the season showed a marked improvement in ratings in its time slot in comparison to the previous year, the series fell short of the ratings of two other recently revived sitcoms from the 1980s and 90s, Roseanne and Will & Grace. Nielsen, the primary provider of television ratings information to the entertainment industry, later reported that the first episode of the season ranked number one among same-gender couples for the first week of the 2018-19 television season. Awards and nominations References External links 2018 American television seasons Cultural depictions of Donald Trump