Apple TV's prestige drama The Morning Show blurs the lines between reality and TV drama by incorporating the essence of the #MeToo movement in a way that explores the employees of a top news program dealing with similar situations, from all different perspectives. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, the Apple Tv + original follows the unraveling of events after news anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carrell) is reported for sexual misconduct. Even though it is obvious that he would be fired, what we quickly notice is that his co-host Alex Levy’s (Aniston) career is also shaky. WIth Season 2 now airing on the streaming platform, it continues to touch upon current events and dramatic power dynamics. Now, if you are a fan of the show, we have narrowed down a couple of recommendations that fit the profile you are looking for.
From television news’ heated behind-the-scenes to powerful women taking control of the narrative, here are some options to check out after The Morning Show.
The Newsroom
Starting with another hit series that is set in the newsroom, but during the night time instead. The premise follows Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), the anchor for Atlantis Cable News, after he faces a public meltdown that almost costs his career. When returning to his workplace, Will notices that most of the staff isn’t there anymore and he must deal with a new team and all the corporate and economic obstacles that come alongside covering headlines.
With series like The West Wing, films like The Social Network, or most recently in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin knows how to keep things interesting with his incredibly engaging scripts. The Newsroom isn’t any different. Similar to The Morning Show, the HBO series is set amongst discussions about viewership, anchor decision-making, and what happens after an unexpected incident changes everything, all through that signature Sorkin voice.
Little Fires Everywhere
Here is another Reese Witherspoon-fronted production! Little Fires Everywhere is centered on Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood) after they move to a small town called Shaker Heights. What was supposed to be an ideal place for a fresh start becomes a setting for constant disputes between the Warren family and the picture-perfect Richardson family. Their drastic differences bring up important issues regarding motherhood, systemic racism, and inequality.
Other than the obvious fact that both series share the same lead actress (Witherspoon also produces both series), Little Fires Everywhere has two main characters that but-heads over their points-of-view, but at the end of the day know that they are both flawed and broken on the inside. Despite the two not reaching common ground, at the end like Alex and Bradley in season 1, they encapsulate a lot of the drama prior to the finale in The Morning Show.
Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told is also a Hello Sunshine production. Centered on true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer), who is assigned to re-investigate the case of convicted murderer Warren Cave (Aaron Paul). Once new evidence is brought to the table, Poppy begins to question whether she contributed to the imprisonment of an innocent man. Although the stories are divergent, Poppy, like Alex and Bradley, are invested in finding and exposing the truth for good.
Scandal
In Scandal, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) steps down as the media relations agent for the White House and decides to dedicate her career to protecting clients’ image through her crisis management firm. Eager to start over both professionally and in her personal life, Olivia comes to understand that it will be hard to draw a line between her past in the Presidential sector and her new role. Not only her, but the rest of the staff in Olivia’s firm struggle to help the clients “clean up the mess” when their own matters are at stake. In the same way that Olivia and her team are committed to hide scandals, so are the television moguls in The Morning Show after Mitch Kessler’s departure and once Alex and Bradley begin to uncover the truths behind the toxic workplace.
The Good Wife
The next recommendation on the list is The Good Wife. When Alicia Florrick’s (Julianne Margulies) ex-husband goes under bars for a sex scandal, she must return to the law firm and take charge of the household. After playing the part of “the good wife” for years, Alicia finds herself at the bottom of her career ladder and must step her game to not be defined by her husband’s reputation.
Alicia reacts in a similar way to both Alex after Mitch is fired and her future is under the rails, and Bradley after she publicly humiliated herself when ranting on live television. These three women must deal with their unstable future and make sure that they are strong enough to carry on.
Mad Men
Jon Hamm delivers an Emmy-winning performance as the highly successful advertising creative director Donald Draper in Mad Men. As he tries to balance his well-established professional identity, he must also maintain the traditional 1960s role of the perfect father and husband (even though we know that he is far from flawless or politically correct).
The series was a success all-throughout its time on-air and it really captured the anti-hero concept in the best way. The men that drive Mad Men are repulsive, immoral, and the exact definition of sexist. However, the women in their lives gradually understand their worth and break the social conventions they were meant to follow. In the same way that the powerhouse television executives in The Morning Show try to undermine Alex and Bradley’s strength and get away with their actions, the same happens within this hit series.
Suits
Mike Ross (played by Patrick J. Adams) is a college dropout and expert at acing the bar exam for law students afraid of not earning their degree. Despite not having a Harvard diploma, Mike is hired to work in a prominent law firm as Harvey Specter’s (Gabriel Macht) associate. Even though his knowledge may bury the façade, his secret might be revealed at any given moment. Although this show is focused on lawyers, it really puts emphasis on creative differences within the workplace and what happens after a bombshell secret is unveiled for not only staff in the firm, but for the rest of the world.