Feature Story
As if the communications business doesn’t have enough complications these days, “The Morning Show” is back to add some more.
After almost two years, the award-winning Apple TV+ drama returns Wednesday, Sept. 13, to start its third season with an ownership change of the fictional UBA network potentially in the offing. A major player in the tech world, Paul Marks — played by “Mad Men” alum Jon Hamm — shows interest in acquiring it, sparking concern for many employees, including those who work on the UBA morning program. Among them are hosts Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson, played by Jennifer Aniston (“Friends”) and Reese Witherspoon (“Wild,” 2014) — who are also among the executive producers of the series — after the characters were last seen dealing with respective crises when the world was at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Returning cast members also include Billy Crudup (“Hello Tomorrow!”) as UBA chief Cory Ellison, a role that brought the actor a Primetime Emmy Award for the show’s first season; Mark Duplass (“Goliath”) as the morning show’s executive producer, Charlie “Chip” Black; Nestor Carbonell (“Lost”) as meteorologist Yanko Flores; Karen Pittman (“And Just Like That...”) as producer Mia Jordan; Greta Lee (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” 2023) as UBA news president Stella Bak; and Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”) as news anchor Laura Peterson. Along with Hamm, joining “The Morning Show” in Season 3 is Nicole Beharie (“42,” 2013) as Christina Hunter, a new UBA anchor.
If the themes of “The Morning Show” (which already has a fourth season ordered) have seemed timely before, they’ve only become more so with real-world developments in the industry it concerns, in an era marked by numerous consolidations and takeovers. Season 1 began as an examination of sexual harassment in the workplace, with Alex’s longtime co-anchor, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell, “The Office”), fired over allegations of inappropriate behavior. It seemed like Alex might be the next to go, until she took control of the situation by naming the promising Bradley as her new on-air partner.
As Bradley began to usurp Alex’s popularity, things got tense — with the erosion of Alex’s marriage not helping. As opposing factions over Mitch’s dismissal continued to take shape, behind-thescenes politics escalated, with UBA president Fred Micklen (Tom Irwin, “Devious Maids”) fearing for his own job as his covering for Mitch became known. Eventually, Alex and Bradley became partners in televising what they knew about their workplace, in a warts-and-all manner.
Season 2 started with Alex quitting the morning program and relocating to write a tell-all book, as Bradley got a new cohost... but the ratings took a hit, with Bradley wanting to move to the evening news (a job that ultimately went to her new morning
teammate). Alex did end up returning, but medical problems took her off the air, with Laura — who also was involved with Bradley away from the cameras — filling in. The approaching publication of a reporter’s (Marcia Gay Harden, “So Help Me Todd”) exposé about the show caused extra headaches, though Bradley’s televised interview with the author helped to turn the tide.
For Aniston and Witherspoon, “The Morning Show” has been a reunion, following their portrayals of sisters Rachel and Jill Green on two episodes of “Friends.” Witherspoon has been quite active in television elsewhere as well in recent years, also as a star and executive producer of “Big Little Lies” and “Little Fires Everywhere” (plus an executive producer of “Daisy Jones & the Six”). Meanwhile, Aniston had success with the two “Murder Mystery” movies she made with Adam Sandler for Netflix.
Media journalist Brian Stelter, who appeared as a performer in Season 2 of “The Morning Show,” gave the program its inspiration via his book “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV”; Kerry Ehrin (“Bates Motel”) developed the series from that. Mimi Leder, known for her work on “ER” (and also for the movies “Deep Impact” and “The Peacemaker”), has been a driving force as an executive producer and frequent director of the show.