On This Day 28 Years Ago, a Fan-Favorite Workplace Sitcom Reached Its Emotional Finale

The final episode of CBS's Murphy Brown didn't just close a series-it defined a moment in TV history.

On May 18, 1998, the series ended a decade of episodes with a finale titled "Never Can Say Goodbye." It was written as a farewell to journalist Murphy Brown (Candace Bergen) and her coworkers at the fictional investigative newsmagazine program FYI.

The finale was a two-part episode. The episode featured Murphy facing a second breast cancer scare and contemplating retirement to focus on her health.

While under anesthesia for a procedure that determined if she was free of the disease, Murphy dreamed she interviewed God, played by Alan King. He told her not to retire and that she should continue to work with her beloved team at FYI, including Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud), Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough), Phil (Pat Corley), and Eldin (Robert Pastorelli).

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A who's who of celebrities helped close out the series final two installments. These stars included Julia Roberts, Bette Midler, George Clooney, King, and Mike Wallace.

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Bergen said she felt fated to play the strong-willed reporter. She shared a statement with CNN as Murphy Brown ended. "I remember the pilot like it was yesterday. From the day I read that script, there was some kind of destiny to it."

Murphy Brown creator Diane English discussed writing the series finale with Entertainment Weekly. She called the process "agonizing."

"It nearly killed me. The writing of a series finale is horrible," she began.

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English continued, "The expectation level is so high, especially with a series like ours, which had won so many Emmys and become kind of iconic. The expectation level on yourself, and then the emotion of knowing this is it, you're not gonna write this again anymore - it was agonizing."

English said she rewrote the series' final scene "at least five times." She added, "I sent it down really just out hours before the audience came in, and they rehearsed it once, and it was tough, and everybody was crying. And then the audience came in, and it was still extremely fresh for them."

Bergen ultimately reprised the role in a 2018 revival that lasted just one season. The actress told PEOPLE Magazine that playing the character was a "gift." She added, "I just always made the effort to insist that she not be too tough and to be kind at the end of the night."

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:31 AM.