The Morning Show’s Shift Away from Politics
Producers of the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show” have revealed they won’t be centering the storyline around the upcoming 2024 presidential election, as confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
This Emmy Award-winning show, featuring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, focuses on behind-the-scenes dynamics of a fictional morning news program. It draws inspiration from Brian Stelter’s book, “Top of the Morning,” published in 2013.
While it’s fictional, the series has previously engaged with real-world political matters, including the #MeToo movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the events surrounding the Capitol riots on January 6th.
Interestingly, the fourth season, which is set to premiere on September 17, seems to bypass major political happenings of the 2024 election, including the re-election bid of Donald Trump.
“We didn’t touch on the election — this season will conclude just before it,” explained director and executive producer Mimi Rader. “Our narrative isn’t about elections. It dives into topics like AI, deepfakes, environmental crises, and the question of whether journalists can be trusted.”
Although the election itself won’t be a focal point, showrunner Charlotte Stoud hinted it would be referenced in a lighthearted way, noting the candidacy of “two white men” — Trump and Joe Biden.
Stoud also added that the show is approaching political themes “sideways.” She joked, “Why were there two older white men running for president?”
Nestor Carbonell, a co-star, echoed these sentiments, stating the upcoming episodes will focus on the “social meaning” rather than overt political commentary. “Sure, politics exist within the station, but they’re not about election races,” he remarked.
Some in the entertainment industry have expressed concerns about a climate of self-censorship since Trump’s presidency. There’s a sense that criticism of the current political landscape has become less common.
Overall, the creative team acknowledges a shift, with some suggesting audiences are fatigued by political narratives in film and television. It’s a complex balance, trying to address themes that resonate without getting bogged down in direct commentary on the political scene.
