Apple TV has announced that its award-winning drama ‘The Morning Show’ will return for a fifth and final season in 2027, bringing the newsroom series starring Jennifer Aniston (Friends) and Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies) to a planned conclusion.
The drama was one of the flagship originals which launched Apple TV’s streaming service back in 2019. Across its run, it has followed the professional and personal turmoil surrounding the anchors, producers and executives of a major US morning news programme, usually while throwing them into whatever cultural, political or technological crisis happens to be dominating the headlines.
The good news for fans is that the creative team went into Season 5 knowing it would be the last, meaning the drama should have the chance to wrap things up properly rather than leaving everyone stranded halfway through another corporate takeover, newsroom revolt or deeply questionable relationship.
“From the beginning, Apple has supported our vision for ‘The Morning Show,’ and we feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to tell stories that reflect what’s happening in the world around us with a twist of dark humor,” said star and executive producer Jennifer Aniston. “It’s been such a privilege to work with this insanely talented cast and our extraordinary writers, producers and crew. We’ve become such a family, and we’re all so excited to share this final season. And going in knowing it would be our last, we were so fortunate to craft the conclusion with intentionality and honor these characters the way they deserve.”
Alongside Aniston and Witherspoon, the returning ensemble includes Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Mark Duplass (The League), Nestor Carbonell (Lost), Karen Pittman (And Just Like That…), Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).
Season 5 will also welcome another sizeable collection of famous faces, with Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Reneé Rapp (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) joining the cast.
Quite how all of those people will fit into the increasingly crowded corridors of UBA-NBN remains to be seen. However, ‘The Morning Show’ has never been particularly shy about adding major actors and immediately dropping them into a spectacular mess of ambition, betrayal and corporate manoeuvring.
“The past nine years producing and acting in ‘The Morning Show’ have been the honor of a lifetime,” said star and executive producer Reese Witherspoon. “This was always more than a show about a newsroom — it was a show about why the newsroom matters. About freedom of the press and the journalists who protect the fourth estate, often at great cost. Telling that story has been the creative privilege of my career. Thank you to Apple for their unwavering support, to our visionary writers, our incredible crew, and our extraordinarily talented cast, who brought five seasons to life with a truth audiences believed every step of the way. It has been a stellar creative experience — one I will always treasure.”
The currently streaming fourth season takes place in spring 2024, nearly two years after the events of Season 3. With the UBA-NBN merger complete, the newsroom is forced to deal with its new responsibilities while navigating hidden motives, deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate cover-ups in an increasingly polarised America.
The final season is showrun and executive produced by Charlotte Stoudt, while Mimi Leder returns as director and executive producer. The series is produced by Media Res, with Michael Ellenberg executive producing alongside Stoudt and Leder.
Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter executive produce for Hello Sunshine, while Aniston and Kristin Hahn executive produce through Echo Films. Zander Lehmann and Micah Schraft also serve as executive producers.
“For five seasons, these messy, resilient journalists have chased their dreams,” said showrunner and executive producer Charlotte Stoudt. “Now we’ll see where their endeavors lead them — what story they will ultimately choose for themselves. It’s been a thrill and a privilege to write for this generous, extraordinary cast.”
During its run, ‘The Morning Show’ has earned a sizeable collection of awards and nominations. Season 3 received 16 Emmy nominations, with Crudup winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Cory Ellison. He had previously won the same award for Season 1, while Aniston received a SAG Award for her performance as Alex Levy.
Apple has not yet revealed the story for the final season, although the presence of Daniels, Rapp, Williams, Hayes and Caplan suggests the series is planning to go out with its usual collection of high-profile guest stars, complicated alliances and newsroom drama.
‘The Morning Show’ Season 5 premieres in 2027 on Apple TV.
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