Good morning to Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and Witherspoon and Aniston only.
Apple TV has released the first full trailer for ‘The Morning Show,’ co-produced by and starring the ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Murder Mystery’ actresses as two journalists taking on a patriarchal broadcast news industry. The much-anticipated drama series will be one of the first to launch on Apple’s new streaming service, Apple TV +.
“Good morning, I’m bringing you some sad and upsetting news,” Aniston’s anchor character Alex Levy says, mirroring the aftermath of former ‘Today Show’ host Matt Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct. “While I don’t know the details of the allegations, Mitch Kessler, my co-host and partner of 15 years, was fired today.”
“She’s throwing me under the bus!” a disgraced Mitch, played by Steve Carell, howls before destroying his home TV.
While Mitch declares his life is over “for no good reason,” Alex’s career kicks into high gear, with her remaining male colleagues, played by Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass, on the hunt for new blood.
The rest of the trailer seems to set up a morning showdown between Aniston’s veteran host and Witherspoon’s outspoken field reporter, but hints at a more complex feminist narrative as Aniston’s character deals with an industry that sees her as well past her “sell by” date.
“Most people want to trust that the person who is telling them about the world is an honest person,” Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson tells Alex. “Like you.”
The #MeToo-and Time’s Up-era drama marks Aniston’s first series-regular role since her breakout turn as Rachel Green in ‘Friends.’ A team effort between her production company Echo Films and Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the 10-episode series is set to debut on Apple TV + in the autumn.
“The part you guys never seem to realise is that you don’t have the power anymore,” Alex hisses at her coworkers. “Frankly, I’ve let you bozos handle this long enough. We are doing this my way.”
