The Conners Snags Murphy Brown Star Candice Bergen For Special Role

Candice Bergen is no stranger to comedy, having won five Emmy Awards for her work as the titular Murphy Brown on the CBS hit comedy. Now, the actress will be taking her comedic talents to ABC, as she is set to guest star on the Jan. 13 episode return of The Conners.

Candice Bergen To Guest On The Conners

According to Deadline, the legendary actress will appear as Barb, the mother of Ben (Jay R. Ferguson), and she’ll have some strong opinions about his relationship with Darlene (Sara Gilbert).

The character is described as being “highly judgmental” with “a superior air and a sharp tongue,” though she becomes much more agreeable when she’s had a few drinks in her.

In a preview video, Bergen’s character says “they bust into houses like this on that program Cops” upon entering the Conner’s household the first time. No wonder Darlene is heard saying, “This is too much for one day!” in the promo.

Additionally, Barb will deliver some “shocking information” to her son, and that’s sure to bring up some interesting storyline developments.

Sounds like the ideal visitor to the Conner household and it will be fun to see the actress play off against comedy vets John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), and Katey Sagal (Louise).

Interestingly, Murphy Brown premiered in 1988, just weeks before Roseanne (The Conners’ mothership), and both went on to long sitcom glory. Both shows had revivals during the 2017-18 season.

An Academy Award nominee for Starting Over, Bergen has also appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, such as Gandhi, ABC’s Boston Legal, and the popular movie, Book Club, alongside Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, and Mary Steenburgen.

She can currently be seen opposite Meryl Streep and Dianne Wiest in the HBO Max film, Let Them All Talk directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Here’s hoping Barb sticks around Lanford for a while and continues to mix things up with the cast. The Conners airs Wednesdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.