Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’ Is Just Good Enough

On Nov. 1, Apple TV+ launched with original, star-studded television shows including “See” (starring Jason Momoa), “Dickinson” (starring Hailee Steinfeld), and “For All Mankind.” Apple TV+’s flagship series is “The Morning Show,” which stars Jennifer Aniston (in her first major television role since “Friends”), Reese Witherspoon (hot off the second season of “Big Little Lies”), and Steve Carell (a.k.a., Michael Scott from “The Office”). Let’s just read that sentence again, and realize just how star-packed Apple TV+’s most high-profile project is.

The series focuses on Alex Levy (Aniston), the longtime host of “The Morning Show,” a popular news program. Her life and successful career, as well as the show itself, are upended when Levy’s co-host of 15 years, Mitch Kessler (Carell), is fired over allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace. Yes, I know what you’re thinking — this show is similar in many ways to the fall of Matt Lauer on “Today.” Even worse for Levy, Kessler tells her that the network was planning on getting rid of her before his termination. As Levy fights to keep her job, she also engages in a rivalry with Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon), a younger and edgier journalist who is tapped to replace Kessler.

“The Morning Show” offers what may be the very best performance of Aniston’s career. As mentioned previously, Aniston plays a character who is fighting tooth and nail to retain her status as America’s top morning show anchor. Behind the scenes, she goes toe to toe with her male bosses in an attempt to be treated with more respect and dignity. The network executives seem to forget that Levy is actually the one waking America up every single damn morning. She also refuses to let the grossly inappropriate behavior of her former partner affect her own career path: a timely response that mirrors the career rises of Hoda Kotb and Gayle King after the sudden falls of Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose, respectively.

Witherspoon also churns out a well-rounded performance. Jackson’s life is completely turned upside down, going from a local journalist in West Virginia to a morning anchor on America’s morning show. Simply put, her story is true rags to riches, and yet, Jackson doesn’t change who she is as a person. As a result, Jackson often says things and asks questions that irritate the show’s executive producer, which lends the show its humor. To round things off, Carell plays a very convincing disgraced TV star, although I am very fearful that “The Morning Show” wants us to sympathize with a sexual predator. While the show wants us to start an important conversation about whether disgraced men not as “bad” as Harvey Weinstein should be able to make a career comeback, the show, more times than not, spends way too much time on the accused man and not nearly enough time on his actual victims.

Even though “The Morning Show” is enjoyable and highly bingeable, the show can’t help but feel as if it’s missing that extra something, especially given its stellar cast who deserve more. For starters, the show seriously lacks high-stakes drama, with most episodes moving at a sluggish pace until the last couple of minutes, in which something momentous happens that makes you want to click “Next Episode.”

For a show that reportedly cost over $300 million for its two-season order, the show is not actually that visually impressive. Sure, it’s high-definition, but the set of the show-within-a-show is underwhelming, to say the least. The fictional morning news program that Levy and Jackson host isn’t particularly exciting either, and it’s hard to see how it is supposedly one of America’s most watched broadcasts.

All this said, Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” is by no means the next big TV show that gives Netflix a run for its money. As much as “The Morning Show” isn’t a particularly good show, it’s not bad either, and there is really nothing better than watching Aniston back on TV again.