After an award-winning season one debut on AppleTV+, The Morning Show is coming back for a second season—with stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell all returning for more drama.
The series was forced to halt production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but reports have revealed its second season has officially begun filming again.
For those that need a refresher: The Morning Show, which consisted of 10-episodes, follows a morning news show that is rocked by sexual misconduct accusations against its longtime host, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell). Aniston, who plays news anchor Alex Lev, is left to front the program alone, while also dealing with behind-the-scenes maneuverings that could see her removed as an anchor. Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) is an outspoken local field reporter who soon finds herself sitting next to Aniston at the anchor desk.
The series received much critical acclaim, with Aniston taking home a Screen Actors Guild Award on top of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The show received eight Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.
Apple announced the series would return for a second season with another run of 10 episodes. Below, everything we know about The Morning Show’s second instalment.
When Will The Morning Show Season 2 Be Released?
After months on hiatus, The Morning Show resumed production, with the second season officially being released on September 17.
Who Will Be Returning For Season 2?
While Witherspoon and Aniston were always on board for a second season—the pair also serve as producers on the show—there were questions surrounding Carell’s involvement, as the actor had only signed a one-year deal, per Deadline. Good news is, the publication confirmed Carell would be making he second appearance earlier this month.
Recently, it was just announced that The Good Wife‘s Julianna Margulies, a 10-time Emmy-nominated actress, will be joining the all-star cast as Laura Peterson, an anchor at UBA News. In the trailer, we see her sitting down with Alex for an explosive tell-all interview in a Diane Sawyer type format.
Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Bel Powley, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, and Desean Terry will also return, with Hasan Minhaj recurring.
What Storyline Will Season 2 Follow?
Director Mimi Leder sums it up best: “The writing will reflect the world we’re living in.”
According to reports, the show is undergoing rewrites to reflect current events—including the global pandemic. In the latest trailer, we see a glimpse of a New Year’s party with a 2020 sign. It’s unclear just how far into last year the series will dive, but we can anticipate they will touch on the pandemic in some way.
Emmy nominee Mark Duplass, who plays producer Chip Black, said: “I know that [the writers are] rewriting, which is crazy because that’s what happened in the first season. They had a whole set of scripts [then] and they rewrote everything to include the #MeToo movement, and now we’ve got other, larger, a global phenomenon to deal with. I don’t know what they’re doing, but I know they’re rewriting.”
As for what else we’ve gathered from the short trailer, it seems Alex and Bradley’s friendship is under serious strain following the aftermath of their decision to out the network. Bradley has decided to stay on, while Alex has left and seems intent on not returning (despite Cory’s best efforts to coax her back).
It seems the second season will take a deep-dive into the allegations made against Kessler, and how these two women navigate their careers in a very uncertain world. We couldn’t be more ready.
