The comedy-drama was set to put new streaming service Apple TV+ on the map. And that it certainly did. Playing co-anchors to the biggest breakfast television show in America, the seasoned Alex Levy (Aniston) and newcomer Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) didn’t initially see eye-to-eye. When both their careers were upended after former co-host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) was fired for sexual misconduct, it was nine drama-filled episodes of network execs attempting to bamboozle the women in order to push their personal objectives.
It was the show that brought us this finale scene and saw Aniston go on to earn a SAG Award. (While accepting the award for Best Actress, she reunited with ex-husband Brad Pitt backstage in a moment that stopped the internet).
“Most of the first take of Jen and Reese is what made it in the final cut. It’s raw. It has real, authentic emotion and a real spontaneity to it,” director Mimi Leder said of the above scene. “Jen just became fierce. They both were feeling these emotions and coming from different places of how to tell the truth. They knew they were going to be cut off, and they had to be fast.”
Today, The Morning Show led the 2020 Emmy Award nomination list with eight noms.
Aniston and Carell are up for Best Lead Actress and Best Lead Actor, respectively, in a Drama Series. Co-stars Billy Crudup (who plays network head Cory Ellison) and Mark Duplass (who plays producer Charlie Black) are both up for Best Supporting Actor. Leder is also up for outstanding director for a Drama Series.
“What a morning waking up to this news!” Aniston wrote on her Instagram. “Now I’m just going to have to figure out what mask I’m gonna wear,” she added referring to the awards being a virtual ceremony this year.
Aniston, 51, was last nominated in 2009 for best guest actress in a comedy series for a spot she did on 30 Rock.
The 72nd Emmy Awards will be televised on September 20. Here is a list of the major nominations, including a record number of black actors being nominated this year, an important step in television.
Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie
Jeremy Irons (“Watchmen”)
Hugh Jackman (“Bad Education”)
Paul Mescal (“Normal People”)
Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”)
Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much Is True”)
Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie
Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Regina King (“Watchmen”)
Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”)
Kerry Washington (“Little Fires Everywhere”)
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”)
Ted Danson (“The Good Place”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Linda Cardellini (“Dead to Me”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Issa Rae (“Insecure”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Brian Cox (“Succession”)
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Jeremy Strong (“Succession”)
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”)
Outstanding reality/competition series
“The Masked Singer”
“Nailed It”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“Top Chef”
“The Voice”
Outstanding variety talk series
“Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Outstanding limited Series
“Little Fires Everywhere”
“Mrs. America”
“Unbelievable”
“Unorthodox”
“Watchmen”
Outstanding comedy series
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Dead to Me”
“The Good Place”
“Insecure”
“The Kominsky Method”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Schitt’s Creek”
“What We Do in the Shadows”
Outstanding drama series
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“Killing Eve”
“The Mandalorian”
“Ozark”
“Stranger Things”
“Succession”
