Apple TV may be considered the runt when it comes to the popularity of streaming services, but the platform has managed to nab some great talent and has quite a lot of critically acclaimed shows in its library.
One particular gem for Apple TV is The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The show had started way back in 2019 and is still going strong, but it’s going to be a while before the next season makes it to air.
Though the wait is going to be a while, there are some other series that are worth checking out for anyone who loves workplace drama and anything that addresses current social issues.
What’s The Morning Show about?
For context, The Morning Show had started out as a series about a morning news show that had to suddenly deal with sexual misconduct allegations thrown at one of its hosts (Steve Carell). The show’s co-anchor Alex Levy (Aniston) is then forced to deal with the blowback of the allegations and she’s suddenly paired with idealistic reporter Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) who wants to have embrace new way of doing things.
Though the #MeToo Movement was at the center of the first season, the following seasons have shifted in trying to deal with other social trends at the time such as the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and the danger of tech billionaires.
Besides the characters dealing with all these real-world issues, there is also the case of them dealing with each other and the workplace—which is the main meat of the show. So with that in mind, what other series like The Morning Show is worth checking out while fans wait for the next season?
The Newsroom
Probably the closest thing to The Morning Show when it comes to a workplace drama, HBO’s The Newsroom follows the news team of fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) as they gather up world news and try to deliver it to their audience as comprehensively as possible.
Like The Morning Show, Newsroom deals directly with the ethical compromises and dilemmas that are usually faced by the news industry, from verifying credible sources to dealing with greedy executives.
The series was created by Aaron Sorkin and has a cast that is led by Jeff Daniels who is at his most dramatic that you can forget that he was in Dumb and Dumber.
The series managed to run for three seasons and is considered to be a must-watch for anyone who ever wants to pursue a career in journalism.
30 Rock
Though Aniston and Witherspoon may be focusing on drama right now, the two have made names for themselves in comedy, so it’s only right that this list should also come with some comedy suggestions—and the first one is Tina Fey’s 30 Rock.
The show follows the hapless crew of a TV series called The Girly Show (TGS) which is written and shot at 30 Rockefeller Center. Liz Lemon (Fey), must wrangle the series writers and actors and have to make sure they deliver a good show every week; while at the same time making sure to address any concerns from the network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) who is mostly focused on the show earning money.
Considered to be one of the best-written comedy shows of its time, 30 Rock was said to be inspired by Fey’s days as head writer for Saturday Night Live and should be a neat look into the TV industry—particularly the variety TV show world. Filled with great characters and a piece of whimsical showtune-inspired music, 30 Rock is an all-time classic.
House of Cards
Before Morning Show co-creator Jay Carson was working on his Apple TV+ series, he was a producer for one of Netflix’s flagship shows House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Though it’s not primarily about a TV show in the making, it does go in-depth into the inner workings of government and follows ruthless politician Frank Underwood (Spacey) as he attempts to claw for power in the US government; on his side is his equally ambitious wife Claire (Wright).
It’s every bit as technical and dramatic as The Morning Show, albeit it is a way darker and more violent series. It’s actually kind of funny that Carson’s next series after House of Cards would deal with #MeToo since this series was pretty much hit with that dilemma when the allegations against Kevin Spacey started coming out and they had to write him out of the final season.
Hacks
Another comedy show with just a hint of drama, HBO’s Hacks follows the duo of veteran comedienne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) as the two attempt to rise to the top of the comedy industry.
Deborah, who is filthy rich and fabulous, is considered a fading star and fighting for relevance when she is suddenly stuck with Ava, a struggling writer who can be too progressive for her own good. The two have a very obvious clash in values, but they soon learn that they have a lot to learn from each other; and as the series runs, Deborah and Ava grow to be the most important people in each other’s lives.
While not putting the social issues in the spotlight all the time, Hacks does use the character of Deborah to address longtime toxic practices in the entertainment industry; and Ava is there to nudge her in the right direction. Jean Smart absolutely shines in her role as the fabulous Deborah and Hannah Einbinder is just so lovingly endearing even when she’s being an opinionated millennial.
Big Little Lies
Before she was playing co-anchor to Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon had teamed up with HBO for her hit series Big Little Lies.
The show was based on a best-selling book from Liane Moriarty and starred A-list celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz; the series even managed to bring in Merly Streep for the second season. The series follows a group of mothers in a California beach town whose lives are intertwined because of family and community.
Though it’s not set in a workplace like The Morning Show, Big Little Lies does share that same love for drama and gossip; and it’s also grappled with themes of sexual assault and how it affects communities. Admittedly, the likelihood of murder is way more amped up here compared to Morning Show.
For now, the series is said to be waiting on a third season, but it is worth checking out while The Morning Show is currently on hiatus.