In an ideal world, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston would be the TV faces that wake us up every morning, but in the first full trailer for The Morning Show, it's their worst nightmare. The series, which will debut on the upcoming Apple TV+ this fall, is set in a Today show-type workplace that even has a vague Matt Lauer-inspired plotline. What ensues is a power struggle that, in true Big Little Lies fashion, prompts some incredible screaming.
The trailer begins with veteran host Aniston announcing that her co-host and partner Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) has been fired amidst unknown allegations, and now the network is looking to revamp the whole program. They think they may have found their answer in Reese Witherspoon, who appears reluctant to take on the role — but not reluctant enough for Aniston.
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"I just need to be able to control the narrative so that I am not written out of it," she says at one point in the trailer. Meanwhile, Witherspoon is given screen tests and fittings, her fresh blood bringing new life to the show.
"Your words spoke to America," Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Hannah Shoenfeld tells Witherspoon. "People are noticing. They want more."
What ensues is a power struggle that masks each of the characters' deeper, personal issues, all the while projecting an on-screen facade that could crumble at any moment.
"Most people want to trust that the person who is telling them about the world is an honest person," Witherspoon tells Aniston, leaving a long pause. "Like you."
The show also stars Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean K. Terry, Jack Davenport, and Janina Gavankar. It's expected to premiere on Apple TV+ this fall.