Tyne Daly joins ‘Murphy Brown’ cast

Tyne Daly, who played Lacey in CBS’ groundbreaking “Cagney and Lacey,” about two female police detectives, is joining the cast of the planned reboot of “Murphy Brown.”

CBS announced that Daly will play the role of Phyllis, the sister of the deceased bar owner Phil from the original series. As the new bar owner, Phyllis will be a friend and confidant to Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) and her colleagues.

The network has ordered 13 episodes of the series as it approaches its 30th anniversary. The ’80s sitcom focused on Brown, a news anchor and investigative journalist for FYI, a television newsmagazine, and her colleagues. The original series had a 10-year run and received 18 Emmys.

In the revival, Brown will grapple with the news industry in the current universe of cable news, social media and fake news.

Bergen will be joined by original cast members Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud. New cast members include Jake McDorman and Nik Dodani.

“Murphy Brown” joins “Roseanne,” which returned to ABC in March with high ratings, and “Will & Grace,” which returned to NBC in 2017. Both have been renewed for second seasons.

‘60 Minutes’ tackles Alzheimer’s disease

NEW YORK — Filmed over 10 years, a “60 Minutes” report airing 7 p.m. Sunday shows in startling detail the progression that Alzheimer’s disease takes on a patient.

CBS medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook began interviewing Mike and Carol Daly of Staten Island, New York, in 2008, shortly after Carol learned of her diagnosis. She was mildly forgetful but functional, although upset at how it had affected her ability to cook, or enjoy books and movies.

“I don’t want to be like this; I really don’t,” said Carol Daly, then 65.

LaPook went back to the couple, who volunteered for the project, six more times. By this January, Carol Daly was uncommunicative and slumped in a wheelchair with restraints holding her in place. She required round-the-clock care.

“It broke my heart,” LaPook said of the most recent visit.

While there may be clinical studies, the national Alzheimer’s Association is unaware of any broadcast report that followed a patient with the disease over this length of time in this manner, said Mike Lynch, a spokesman for the group.

“We would hope that it raises awareness about the challenges these families face, given that it’s a very devastating disease,” Lynch said.