When The Morning Show first premiered on Apple TV+ in 2019, fans couldn't help but wonder just how accurate the show's depictions of the behind-the-scenes drama on morning television were, and now Sunday Today host Willie Geist is offering a hint.
About two years before the fictional drama's debut, Matt Lauer became one of the most visible men implicated in the #MeToo movement when he was fired after allegations of sexual assault. Steve Carrell's character, Mitch Kessler, undergoes a very similar reversal of fortune for his misdeeds.
Though the parallel is undeniable, the Today Show host maintains that that is as far as any of the similarities get.
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Answering fan questions on the After Show of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Willie revealed he has watched the show, admitting to viewers: "I resisted it for a while, and then I watched it," adding: "It's just a great show."
But it's just a great show and nothing more, he says, certainly not reality, not at least over at NBC. He said: "It's not an accurate depiction of morning television," adding: "But that's beside the point. It's just fun."
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While the third season of The Morning Show has yet to air – it's slated for fall without a specified date – renewal for a fourth season was recently confirmed.
© GettyDeadline reported that both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom also serve as executive producers of the series, had already met their three season contracts, though discussions are underway with Apple to extend them.
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The second season aired at the end of 2021, and saw UBA, the company behind The Morning Show, struggle both to modernize their cable network offerings and with the Covid-19 pandemic. Though the plot for season three has been kept largely underwraps, it features some exciting cast additions, most notably Jon Hamm, who has been spotted several times filming in New York City alongside Jennifer.
© GettyThe Mad Men actor is set to play a character named Paul Marks, a "corporate titan who sets his sights on UBA," further adding to the contentious and dramatic dynamic between the faces of the morning show the series portrays, and the cut throat producers and media moguls behind-the-scenes.
Speaking during an FYC event in Los Angeles last year, Reese said Jon joining has "everybody excited," and also told Entertainment Tonight during a separate occasion that not only has the updated cast "upped the game," but she promised "lots of romance this year" and that the new season is overall "really juicy and good."
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