Father Murphy
Father Murphy is an American western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership with William F. Claxton, Maury Dexter, Victor French and Leo Penn.
| Father Murphy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Western |
| Created by | Michael Landon |
| Starring | Merlin Olsen Moses Gunn Katherine Cannon Timothy Gibbs Byron Thames Lisa Trusel Richard Bergman Ivy Bethune |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 34 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Michael Landon |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | November 3, 1981 – September 18, 1983 |
Synopsis
The series stars former NFL Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle football player and Little House on the Prairie actor Merlin Olsen as an 1870s frontiersman named John Michael Murphy who teams up with prospector Moses Gage (Moses Gunn) to shelter a group of orphans who are being threatened with internment in a workhouse. Murphy disguises himself as a priest and befriends a schoolmarm to help the children find a home.
At the end of the first season, John's true identity is revealed to the head of the workhouse, and the orphans seem destined for a life of labor. Instead, Murphy marries the schoolmarm and they get custody of the children.
Production
Many of the episodes were filmed at the Old Tucson Studios and theme park just outside Tucson, Arizona. The main village featured in the show was located at Big Sky Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, California; this was also the filming location for the television series Little House on the Prairie. The village was located approximately 200 yards (180 m) uphill from the Ingalls' farm set.
Father Murphy is an NBC production and is syndicated worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. However, Sony does not own the video rights.
Cast
- Merlin Olsen as John Michael Murphy[1]
- Katherine Cannon as Mae Woodward[2]
- Timothy Gibbs as Will Adams[3]
- Moses Gunn as Moses Gage
- Scott Mellini as Ephram Winkler
- Lisa Trusel as Lizette Winkler[4]
- Kirk Brennan as David Sims
- Byron Thames as Matt Sims[5]
- Chez Lister as Eli Matthews
- Richard Bergman as Father Joe Parker
- Charles Tyner as Howard Rodman
- Ivy Bethune as Evelyn Tuttle
- Burr DeBenning as Paul/Richard Garrett
- Ted Markland as Frank
Notable guest appearances on the series include: Shannen Doherty, Kellie Martin, John M. Pickard, Eddie Quillan, Christina Applegate, Amanda Peterson, Donna Wilkes, Tina Yothers, Mary Beth Evans, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Jerry Hardin, and James Cromwell.
US TV ratings
| Season | Episodes | Start Date | End Date | Nielsen Rank | Nielsen Rating | Tied With | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | November 3, 1981 | April 11, 1982 | 52[6] | N/A | N/A | |
| 2 | 13 | September 28, 1982 | September 18, 1983 | 66[7] | N/A | N/A | |
List of episodes
Season 1 (1981–82)
| Nº | Ep | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Father Murphy" | November 3, 1981 | |
| Two-hour (with commercials) movie. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Eggs, Milk and a Dry Bed" | November 10, 1981 | |
| 3 | 3 | "Establish Thou the Works of Our Hands" | November 17, 1981 | |
| 4 | 4 | "A Horse from Heaven" | November 24, 1981 | |
| 5 | 5 | "By the Bear That Bit Me: Part 1" | December 1, 1981 | |
| 6 | 6 | "By the Bear That Bit Me: Part 2" | December 8, 1981 | |
| 7 | 7 | "False Blessings" | December 15, 1981 | |
| 8 | 8 | "The Ghost of Gold Hill" | December 22, 1981 | |
| 9 | 9 | "Graduation" | January 5, 1982 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Will's Surprise" | January 12, 1982 | |
| 11 | 11 | "Eighty-Eight Keys to Happiness" | January 19, 1982 | |
| 12 | 12 | "Knights of the White Camelia" | February 2, 1982 | |
| 13 | 13 | "The Parable of Amanda" | February 9, 1982 | |
| 14 | 14 | "The Spy" | February 16, 1982 | |
| 15 | 15 | "The Heir Apparent" | February 23, 1982 | |
| 16 | 16 | "In God's Arms" | March 2, 1982 | |
| 17 | 17 | "The Dream Day" | March 14, 1982 | |
| 18 | 18 | "Laddie" | March 21, 1982 | |
| 19 | 19 | "Matthew and Elizabeth" | March 28, 1982 | |
| 20 | 20 | "The First Miracle: Part 1" | April 4, 1982 | |
| 21 | 21 | "The First Miracle: Part 2" | April 11, 1982 | |
Season 2 (1982–83)
| Nº | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | "Happiness Is..." | September 28, 1982 |
| 23 | 2 | "The Father Figure" | October 5, 1982 |
| 24 | 3 | "Stopover in a One-Horse Town" | October 26, 1982 |
| 25 | 4 | "Outrageous Fortune" | November 9, 1982 |
| 26 | 5 | "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 1" | November 16, 1982 |
| 27 | 6 | "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 2" | November 23, 1982 |
| 28 | 7 | "Buttons and Beaux" | November 30, 1982 |
| 29 | 8 | "John Michael Murphy, R.I.P." | December 7, 1982 |
| 30 | 9 | "The Witness" | December 14, 1982 |
| 31 | 10 | "Blood Right" | December 21, 1982 |
| 32 | 11 | "Sweet Sixteen" | December 28, 1982 |
| 33 | 12 | "The Rockets' Red Glare" | June 1, 1983 |
| 34 | 13 | "The Matchmakers" | September 18, 1983 |
Home media
Image Entertainment (under license from NBC Studios) released both seasons of Father Murphy on DVD in Region 1 in 2004/2005.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 22 | October 26, 2004 | |
| Season 2 | 13 | January 25, 2005 | |
References
- "Merlin Olsen". IMDb.com.
- "Katherine Cannon". IMDb.com.
- "Timothy Gibbs". IMDb.
- "Lisa Trusel". IMDb.
- "Byron Thames". IMDb.
- Lina. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1981-82 Ratings History -- Primetime is Awash in a Bubble Bath as Nighttime Soaps Become the Rage". Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- Lina. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1982-83 Ratings History -- Soap Bubbles Rise, Several Veterans Part and NBC Renews Poorly Rated Masterpieces". Retrieved 1 April 2018.