The Morning Show (2019-present) * * *

 

Starring:  Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Mark Duplass, Billy Crudup, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Julianna Margulies, Jack Davenport, Greta Lee, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Karen Pittman, Desean K. Terry, Nestor Carbonell, Jon Hamm    

The Morning Show is probably as accurate a depiction of "behind the scenes" of a network morning show as Shrinking is about psychiatry.  It's a soap opera and despite its unevenness at times, it works and maintains interest even when its plot developments make you scratch your head.  The show should be called, "Fuck you.  I quit.  Welcome back," Translated:  I lost count of how many times one character says "Fuck you" to another (usually a superior).  The character quits and then through contrived circumstances winds up welcomed back to the show with open arms.   Yes, it's silly but it's guilty fun.

I won't encapsulate all of the characters and subplots for the four seasons of Apple TV's flagship show.  In the pilot episode, UBA's The Morning Show is rocked by scandal.  Co-anchor Mitch Kessler (Carell) is fired in the wake of sexual assault and harassment claims by several female staffers.  His co-star Alex Levy (Aniston) is devastated by the news and at first distances herself from Mitch but soon reconciles with him amidst the scandal.  It turns out they slept together once or twice and how much did the producers and network know about Mitch's behavior?  A replacement is needed, and one is found in Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon), a West Virginia on-air reporter who goes viral after a confrontation with a protestor in the area.  She at first appears on The Morning Show as a guest, but Alex then paints the network into a corner during contract negotiations by publicly announcing Bradley as Mitch's successor.  Gasp.  

Bradley doesn't know if she even wants the job, but network news President Cory Ellison (Crudup) likes her, and likely even loves her, so he lets it ride.  Crudup's performance is the best part of The Morning Show.  Yes, he's a confident schemer who is always playing an angle, but the subplots involving his unrequited love for Bradley and how he handles his dying mother bring depth to a character whom we think we have nailed down.  The people in The Morning Show don't realize they are part of a daytime drama.  Over four seasons, these people have endured so much drama that they should be treated for PTSD.  Perhaps that will be part of the fifth season.