It has been a while since we had an update regarding Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon's upcoming TV show. Well, the project just took a major step forward. It has found its male lead! Steve Carell has signed on to star in the untitled Apple series.
For those in need of a refresher, the drama (yes, drama) revolves around those who help get America's mornings started. The series was picked up with a two-season order that will span 20 episodes. The Apple series has yet to receive a title. It is based in the world of morning television. So, who is Carell playing?
The actor has signed on to play Mitch Kessler, per THR. Mitch is an anchor at a morning show. There is more to his story than just that. He is struggling to maintain his relevance amidst an ever-evolving media landscape.
For whatever reason, this character is sort of bringing up Office vibes. It sounds kind of reminiscent of those episodes where Michael worked at the call center. Plus, Michael was always trying to preserve his relevance. The Apple show should be much darker in contrast, given its billing as a drama.
This casting is a massive accomplishment for Apple. Already having Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on board to co-star in a series was incredible; landing Steve Carell is another huge win. Neither of Apple's rivals, including Netflix or Amazon, managed to pull off such a feat.
Why is it such a big deal? Because it marks a career milestone for Steve Carell. It is his first TV role as a series regular since he left The Office. Carell left the series as a regular in 2011. Since exiting the show, he has found enormous success in his film career, including having earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Foxcatcher.
Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston's on-screen union brings together two big NBC stars of days gone by. Both actors found success on their own NBC comedies and then went on to have success in their movie careers after their television achievements.
Steve Carell is in good hands. Bates Motel's masterful co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin is set to executive produce and serve as showrunner on the Apple series. Carell's role in the Apple series also sounds promising with the potential for him to veer in many different directions.
Seeing him get to go opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon offers particularly significant appeal. What makes each of them so special as actors is that they are as skilled at playing comedy as they are drama. That is no small feat. Seeing Steve Carell go toe-to-toe with them should be amazing!
A release date has not been announced for the Apple series yet, so stay tuned. Steve Carell's return to television should be here before we know it. There is a lot of fall television to enjoy in the meantime though.
