By LILY TINOCO | Reporter
Recently departed Palisadian Reese Witherspoon is reprising her role of Bradley Jackson for a second season of “The Morning Show” on Apple TV+.
The Emmy Award-winning show stars Witherspoon, alongside Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy, as the two co-host a popular morning program by the same name.
“‘The Morning Show’ explores the cutthroat world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning,” according to Apple’s website. “Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the minefield of high-octane jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, ‘The Morning Show’ is an unapologetically candid drama that looks at the power dynamics between women and men, and women and women, in the workplace.”
The drama has been celebrated for shedding light on timely issues, including the #MeToo movement, and systemic gender and power issues in the news industry in its first season.
Production of the second season reportedly began in February 2020, but was halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second season, which is set nine months after the end of season one, resumed filming in October and was rewritten to incorporate the pandemic in some fashion. Season two also delves into systemic racism within the culture at the morning news program’s home network, UBA, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I feel like season one was all about the storm being the revolution and season two is now, OK, the revolution happened; who is in charge and what are the rules?’” Witherspoon said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “And we’re all kind of navigating that as a group of co-workers, and just then all the other stuff that is happening in our personal lives is also all over the place.”
According to Insider, a second season of the show was locked in from the start. Apple reportedly dropped $300 million for two seasons of the show—guaranteeing a 20-episode series. At $150 million a season, it’s one of the most expensive TV shows ever, according to Bloomberg.
Money seemingly well spent—“The Morning Show’s” Billy Crudup, as Cory, brought Apple TV+ its first Emmy last year, taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Apple TV+ had a total of eight nominations for “The Morning Show.”
“The Morning Show’s” second season premiered Friday, September 17, with new episodes slated to roll out weekly.
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