The Morning Show
By Joanna Langfield
Big, bright and irresistible, this ambitious series is consumable entertainment that checks a lot of boxes.
Drawn not just from the headlines, but also Brian Stelter’s book, “Top Of the Morning”, this shiny Apple Plus production serves up Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as vying TV personalities. They’ve come together, sort of, after the male anchor of the flagging network morning program has been fired for inappropriate behavior. That part sound familiar? It should. The wary ladies? Sadly, that part sounds familiar, too. In the three episodes provided for review, there are hints of a more complex relationship between the women, which I hope will develop because another ‘All About Eve’ spin rings really tired.
Still, this show, decidedly (and probably wisely) mixes fun with cognizance. Just about every hot button issue relevant to the subject gets a glancing blow: the #me, too movement, the haziness of defining abuse, women’s power in the workplace as well as the aforementioned cutthroat competition of the arena. But, there’s also spiffy behind-the-scenes peeks, chic clothes and great apartments. Hopefully, all of this will get more in depth treatment as the series continues.
What is a treat right off the bat is the cast, star filled and game. We may have seen Witherspoon play spitfires with accents before, but Aniston gets to go full on adult here, bringing a solidity to a woman dealing with a crisis not of her own making. Steve Carell is surprisingly sleazy, but it’s Billy Crudup’s scammy news chief who, so far, has created the most shower-worthy show stopper.
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