UPDATE: Apple TV Plus is finally going live, as of Friday 1 November. You can see what the critics are saying about The Morning Show – and the rest of Apple TV Plus' programming – in our reviews roundup here.
When Apple announced its plans for a new streaming service called Apple TV Plus, The Morning Show was one of the first titles we got to hear about. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon it promises to be one of the biggest draws of the new service and, now that we have the first teaser trailers to gawk at, the hype has never been higher.
So what, exactly, can we expect from the new drama? We know Apple has already ordered two seasons of the show and will draw – at least partially – from Brian Stelter's book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV. It’s Steve Carell’s first lead in a TV show since The Office, and Aniston’s first major TV role since Friends back in the early Aughts.
We also know who’s in charge of the show – showrunner Kerry Ehrin. Ehrin is a longtime TV veteran, working on a number of series including Bates Motel, Friday Night Lights and The Wonder Years, the latter of which won her nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award in Outstanding Drama and Comedy Series, respectively.
Apple TV Plus doesn't have quite the launch library as, say, Disney Plus will, but could the quality of its first flagship series keep the service afloat? We'll have to wait and see what viewers like you make of it.
Here’s what we know so far – though if you want to hear about other upcoming show, check out our guides to Stranger Things season four, The Game of Thrones prequel and Netflix’s The Witcher.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple’s first big drama series
- Where can I watch it? Apple TV Plus
- When will it be released? November 1
The Morning Show trailers
Apple has finally released a full trailer for the The Morning Show – and the drama looks to be a lot darker than we imagined.
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show examines the complicated power dynamics between men and women in a bustling morning news show, with Carell and Aniston playing co-anchors.
The trailer opens to Aniston breaking the news that her co-anchor has been fired amid a scandal; the details of the scandal aren't revealed in the trailer, but Carell is seen screaming at his TV that Aniston has "thrown me under the bus".
You can watch the full trailer below:
Before the release of the full trailer, Apple gave us a glimpse of The Morning Show through a short teaser in mid-August.
The teaser (embedded below) focuses on the conversations and tone we can expect from the series. We can overhear the characters talking about the fame and prestige that comes along with the show and how that stands in respect with their duty as journalists, and plays at ideas of truth in the news.
It didn't really showcase the show’s talent all that much, but it did set expectations that have been heightened even further since the full trailer was released.
The Morning Show release date
The Morning Show originally had a Fall 2019 release window, though we now know it will be hitting the service on launch day: November 1. Get out there and watch it already.
What is The Morning Show about?
Although it sounds like The Morning Show is Apple’s rival to Good Morning America, The Morning Show is a lot closer to The Newsroom than any of the morning news shows. That is to say it will be dramatic and dark with tons of character conflict. Expecting fluff segments with animal trainers? You won’t find that here.
So far we know that Aniston and Witherspoon both play leads in the show, with Carell playing a co-anchor named Mitch Kessler. Also listed on the IMDB page for the show is Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Watchmen, Almost Famous) and Nestor Carbonell (Bates Motel, LOST) among a number of other actors and actresses.
The best description we have of the series comes from series star Reese Witherspoon, who told the audience at Apple TV Plus’ April debut that the show “pulls back the curtain on the power dynamic between men and women in the high-stakes world of a morning news show.”
Apple's description of the show says: "What happens when the people you trust to tell the truth prove themselves to be dishonest? The Morning Show follows the free fall of an early morning newscast in the wake of a scandal, and its struggle to survive in an era when news arrives in the palm of your hand."
The new trailer opens to Aniston breaking the news that her co-anchor has been fired amid a scandal; the details of the scandal aren't revealed in the trailer, but Carell is seen screaming at his TV that Aniston has "thrown me under the bus".
The trailer also introduces Reese Witherspoon's character, an ambitious field reporter who appears to threaten the position of Aniston's veteran news anchor.
Where can you watch it?
For now, the only place you'll be able to stream the show is Apple TV Plus. Apple says it's a launch exclusive for the streaming service, but didn't say whether the show would remain there indefinitely or if it would eventually come to other networks.
That's something we'll learn more about post-launch, though we imagine Apple will try to maximize the pull of the show's cast by keeping it exclusive for as long as possible – especially given the quite broad global release of the platform.
- Here's everything we know about Apple TV Plus
