Click here to read the full article.
The sun is setting on “The Morning Show.” Variety has learned that Apple TV has renewed the drama series for a fifth season, which will also be the show’s last. It is slated to debut in 2027.
This will mark the end of
an era at Apple TV, as “The Morning Show” was one of the very first Apple scripted original series. Apple initially gave it a two-season order in 2017, two years before the streamer officially launched, with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon attached in the lead roles.
“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 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.”
“The past nine years producing and acting in ‘The Morning Show’ have been the honor of a lifetime,” added 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.”
Aside from Aniston and Witherspoon, the cast for the series includes: Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Nicole Beharie and Jon Hamm, along with new additions for season five including Jeff Daniels, Reneé Rapp, Jesse Williams, Sean Hayes, Lizzy Caplan and more.
Charlotte Stoudt serves as showrunner and executive producer on “The Morning Show.” Mimi Leder serves as director and executive producer. Aniston executive produces via Echo Films along with Kristin Hahn, while Witherspoon executive produces under her Hello Sunshine banner along with Lauren Neustadter. Michael Ellenberg of Media Res also executive produces, as do Zander Lehmann and Micah Schraft. The series is produced by Media Res for Apple TV. Both Leder and Stoudt remain under overall deals with Apple.
“Our first order was an important one, and seeing this incredible Apple TV series through from start to finish has been the joy of a lifetime and career,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “Jennifer, Reese, Michael and Mimi not only created a series that continually challenged audiences, sparked conversation and stood at the forefront of television over five unforgettable seasons, they also helped launch an entirely new streaming platform with their signature series. ‘The Morning Show’ team consists of the best cast and crew in television, led by Charlotte Stoudt’s exceptional writing and showrunning. As we celebrate this final chapter, while also beginning new ones with these brilliant artists and storytellers, we’re endlessly grateful to everyone who made ‘The Morning Show’ such an enduring part of Apple TV.”
“Working alongside storytellers like Jennifer, Reese, Michael, Mimi and Charlotte has been one of the great privileges of building Apple TV,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s Head of Worldwide Video. “Their extraordinary creative partnership has made ‘The Morning Show’ one of the defining series of our time. We’re profoundly grateful to the artists who poured their talent and passion into this remarkable series, and incredibly proud that the impact of ‘The Morning Show’ will continue to resonate long after its final season.”
Season 4 of “The Morning Show” launched in September 2025. It was set in the spring of 2024, almost two years after the events of Season 3. The official description for the season states, “With the UBA-NBN merger complete, the newsroom must grapple with newfound responsibility, hidden motives and the elusive nature of truth in a polarized America. In a world rife with deepfakes, conspiracy theories and corporate cover-ups — who can you trust? And how can you know what’s actually real?”
“‘The Morning Show’ is the ultimate labor of love for everyone involved, from the writers, to the crew, to the directors, to the cast, led by our incredible partners, Jen and Reese, who from the very beginning set the course for the fearless, timely, provocative, ambitious and rousing show we’ve poured our hearts and souls into these last years,” said Ellenberg, CEO and founder of Media Res. “The show has always embraced big swings, and our incredible showrunner Charlotte Stoudt, and our legendary producing director Mimi Leder, have kept pushing boundaries season to season. We’ve been blessed to connect with a large global audience, and we can’t wait for fans to see the fifth and final season of this beautiful journey. On behalf of everyone at Media Res, thank you to our extraordinary crew, our staggering, glittering cast, our remarkable writers, and to our partners at Apple, Hello Sunshine and Echo Films. This remarkable producing team has become a tight family – and we look forward to sharing this final season with our extended TMS family worldwide.”
“The Morning Show” has been a mainstay on the awards circuit since it launched. The show has received 28 Emmy nominations to date with four wins, including two for Crudup as outstanding supporting actor in a drama. The show has also been nominated for best drama series, while both Aniston and Witherspoon have been nominated for their performances.
Witherspoon is also an executive producer on the Apple TV series “Lucky” with Anya Taylor-Joy, while Aniston and Echo Films are continuing to develop projects at the streamer. Hamm is also the star and executive producer of the Apple series “Your Friends and Neighbors.”
“For five seasons, these messy, resilient journalists have chased their dreams. Now we’ll see where their endeavors lead them — what story will they ultimately choose for themselves,” said Stoudt. “It’s been a thrill and a privilege to write for this generous, extraordinary cast.”
“It has been the honor and the privilege of my career to birth this series from conception to its final conclusion with this brilliant cast, stellar crew, and the extraordinary writers who, through our indelible characters, put a microscope on our world, and implored our duty to speak truth to power to protect the freedom of the press at all costs,” said Leder. “It’s been a beautiful and meaningful journey.”
