The streaming wars are currently in full effect, and are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Each streaming service has its own set of megahit original projects, and for Apple TV+ that definitely includes The Morning Show. The series has an outstanding cast, led by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. The drama’s third season is airing now, which is the first where Steve Carell is no longer in the cast. The Morning Show’s showrunner spoke to CinemaBlend about the “Carell-sized hole” that was present at the start of Season 3.
The Morning Show is currently airing its third season for those with an Apple TV+ subscription. Like its predecessors, the show addresses various high profile news stories from the last year, such as the January 6th insurrection. I recently had the privilege of speaking with showrunner Charlotte Stoudt about her work on Season 3. I asked about what it was like to craft the show without Steve Carell’s character Mitch Kessler, where she told me:
I definitely think there was a Carell-sized hole in this show when he left. You’re always looking for people who can hold the screen with these extraordinary actors. And Jen is just so charismatic and such a star that if you have her fall in love with somebody it’s got to be a pretty special person. So a lot of it is just ‘Who is a good scene partner for these characters?’ That’s what you really look for.
Points were made. When The Morning Show premiered, it touted a trio of leading actors in Anniston, Witherspoon, and Carell. The first season was very much inspired by Matt Lauer’s controversial firing from The Today Show, getting a response from Katie Couric in the process. But he’s noticeably absent from the most recent chapter in the drama series, which required Stoudt and company to fill that space.
Steve Carell’s absence from Season 3 of The Morning Show wasn’t a surprise, but it definitely feels like a different show without one of the lead characters. His character Mitch was killed off back in Season 2, and he surprisingly hasn’t really been mentioned in recent episodes. But perhaps this is because we experienced a significant time jump, with the action of the show occurring two years after Season 2.
While no one could really fill the Carell-sized hole in The Morning Show, the series got some A-list talent presumably in an attempt to do just that. Namely Jon Hamm, who joined in Season 3 as tech billionaire Paul Marks. He’s been endlessly charismatic, while his character causes some bold narrative changes for the show as a whole. Another newcomer is Sleepy Hollow’s Nicole Beharie, who plays TMS co-host Christine Hunter.
The Morning Show is streaming now on Apple TV+. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
