Series Description

The Father Murphy TV show was a 60 minute family western drama series on NBC about a drifter in the old west who chanced upon an unwanted group of orphaned children. He wanted to help them but figured no one would allow a drifter to take on a bunch of kids so he posed as a priest. Together with a former pal and the local schoolteacher, he makes a home for the children. As the series continues, "Father" Murphy plays the part of a priest to near perfection by protecting the kids and townspeople from the bad folk who would prey on them! Of course ... a bit of the big, tough drifter thrown in often came in handy dealing with those bad guys!

Father Murphy Cast

Merlin Olsen .... John Michael Murphy
Richard Bergman .... Father Joe
Kirk Brennan .... David Sims
Katherine Cannon .... Mae Woodward
Timothy Gibbs .... Will Adams
Scott Mellini .... Ephram Winkler
Moses Gunn .... Moses Gage
Warren Munson .... Doctor Thompson
Byron Thames .... Matt Sims
Lisa Trusel .... Lizette Winkler
Charles Tyner .... Howard Rodman
Charles Cooper .... Sheriff
Ted Markland .... Frank
Ivy Bethune .... Miss Tuttle (1981-1982)
Chez Lister .... Eli (1982)

Father Murphy Trivia

Many sources including other web sites claim that Father Murphy is a "spin-off" of the series, "Little House on the Prarie". This is not true. Merlin Olsen played a different character on Little House.

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Season 1

1. Pilot - Part 1 (11/3/1981)
2. Pilot - Part 2 (11/3/1981)
3. Eggs, Milk and a Dry Bed (11/10/1981)
4. Establish Thou the Work of Our Hands (11/17/1981)
5. A Horse from Heaven (11/24/1981)
6. By the Bear That Bit Me - Part 1 (12/1/1981)
7. By the Bear That Bit Me - Part 2 (12/8/1981)
8. False Blessings (12/15/1981)
9. The Ghost of Gold Hill (12/22/1981)
10. Graduation (1/5/1982)
11. Will's Surprise (1/12/1982)
12. Eighty-Eight Keys to Happiness (1/19/1982)
13. Knights of the White Camelia (2/2/1982)
14. The Parable of Amanda (2/9/1982)
15. The Spy (2/16/1982)
16. The Heir Apparent (2/23/1982)
17. In God's Arms (3/2/1982)
18. The Dream Day (3/14/1982)
19. Laddie (3/21/1982)
20. Matthew & Elizabeth (3/28/1982)
21. The First Miracle - Part 1 (4/4/1982)
22. The First Miracle - Part 2 (3/11/1982)

23. Happiness Is..... (9/28/1982)
24. The Father Figure (10/5/1982)
25. Stopover in a One-Horse Town (10/26/1982)
26. Outrageous Fortune (11/9/1982)
27. The Reluctant Runaway - Part 1 (11/16/1982)
28. The Reluctant Runaway - Part 2 (11/23/1982)
29. Buttons and Beaux (11/30/1982)
30. John Michael Murphy - R.I.P. (12/7/1982)
31. The Witness (12/14/1982)
32. Blood Right (12/21/1982)
33. Sweet Sixteen (12/28/1982)
34. The Rockets' Red Glare (6/1/1983)
35. The Matchmakers (9/18/1983)