Father Murphy
| Father Murphy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Western |
| Created by | Michael Landon |
| Directed by | Michael Landon William F. Claxton Maury Dexter Victor French Leo Penn |
| 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 | Michael Landon |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | NBC Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | November 3, 1981 – September 18, 1983 |
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.
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.[citation needed]
Cast[]
- Merlin Olsen as John Michael Murphy[1]
- Moses Gunn as Moses Gage
- Katherine Cannon as Mae Woodward[2]
- Timothy Gibbs as Will Adams[3]
- as Ephram Winkler
- Lisa Trusel as Lizette Winkler[4]
- 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, Mykelti Williamson, 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 | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 2 | 1 2 | "Pilot" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | November 3, 1981 | 101-102 |
| Two-hour (with commercials) movie. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Eggs, Milk and a Dry Bed" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | November 10, 1981 | 103 |
| 4 | 4 | "Establish Thou the Works of Our Hands" | Leo Penn | Paul W. Cooper | November 17, 1981 | 104 |
| 5 | 5 | "A Horse from Heaven" | William F. Claxton | Frank K. Telford | November 24, 1981 | 105 |
| 6 | 6 | "By the Bear That Bit Me: Part 1" | William F. Claxton | Ron Bishop & Steve Hayes & Michael Landon | December 1, 1981 | 106 |
| 7 | 7 | "By the Bear That Bit Me: Part 2" | William F. Claxton | Ron Bishop & Steve Hayes & Michael Landon | December 8, 1981 | 107 |
| 8 | 8 | "False Blessings" | Leo Penn | Vince R. Gutierrez | December 15, 1981 | 108 |
| 9 | 9 | "The Ghost of Gold Hill" | William F. Claxton | John T. Dugan | December 22, 1981 | 109 |
| 10 | 10 | "Graduation" | William F. Claxton | Peter Dixon | January 5, 1982 | 110 |
| 11 | 11 | "Will's Surprise" | William F. Claxton | Chris Abbott | January 12, 1982 | 111 |
| 12 | 12 | "Eighty-Eight Keys to Happiness" | Victor French | George Atkins | January 19, 1982 | TBA |
| 13 | 13 | "Knights of the White Camelia" | William F. Claxton | Don Balluck | February 2, 1982 | TBA |
| 14 | 14 | "The Parable of Amanda" | William F. Claxton | Paul W. Cooper | February 9, 1982 | TBA |
| 15 | 15 | "The Spy" | William F. Claxton | Michael Landon | February 16, 1982 | TBA |
| 16 | 16 | "The Heir Apparent" | William F. Claxton | Michael Landon | February 23, 1982 | TBA |
| 17 | 17 | "In God's Arms" | William F. Claxton | Paul W. Cooper | March 2, 1982 | TBA |
| 18 | 18 | "The Dream Day" | Maury Dexter | Michael Landon | March 14, 1982 | TBA |
| 19 | 19 | "Laddie" | William F. Claxton | Larry Bischof | March 21, 1982 | TBA |
| 20 | 20 | "Matthew and Elizabeth" | William F. Claxton | Chris Abbott | March 28, 1982 | TBA |
| 21 | 21 | "The First Miracle: Part 1" | William F. Claxton | Chris Abbott | April 4, 1982 | TBA |
| 22 | 22 | "The First Miracle: Part 2" | TBA | TBA | April 11, 1982 | TBA |
Season 2 (1982–83)[]
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "Happiness Is..." | TBA | TBA | September 28, 1982 |
| 24 | 2 | "The Father Figure" | TBA | TBA | October 5, 1982 |
| 25 | 3 | "Stopover in a One-Horse Town" | TBA | TBA | October 26, 1982 |
| 26 | 4 | "Outrageous Fortune" | TBA | TBA | November 9, 1982 |
| 27 | 5 | "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 1" | TBA | TBA | November 16, 1982 |
| 28 | 6 | "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 2" | TBA | TBA | November 23, 1982 |
| 29 | 7 | "Buttons and Beaux" | TBA | TBA | November 30, 1982 |
| 30 | 8 | "John Michael Murphy, R.I.P." | TBA | TBA | December 7, 1982 |
| 31 | 9 | "The Witness" | TBA | TBA | December 14, 1982 |
| 32 | 10 | "Blood Right" | TBA | TBA | December 21, 1982 |
| 33 | 11 | "Sweet Sixteen" | TBA | TBA | December 28, 1982 |
| 34 | 12 | "The Rockets' Red Glare" | TBA | TBA | UNAIRED? |
| 35 | 13 | "The Matchmakers" | TBA | TBA | UNAIRED? |
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.
External links[]
- 1981 American television series debuts
- 1983 American television series endings
- 1980s American drama television series
- NBC original programming
- 1980s Western (genre) television series
- Period family drama television series
- Television series by Universal Television
- Television series by Sony Pictures Television
- English-language television shows
- Religious drama television series
- Television shows set in Kansas