Media Res’s Michael Ellenberg

The cast of The Morning Show, which recently launched its third season on Apple TV+, has been star-studded from the start. Toplined by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, season one also featured Steve Carell, Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass and has since welcomed big names such as Julianna Margulies and, new for season three, Jon Hamm. The Emmy-, SAG- and Critics Choice Award-winning drama, which has already been renewed for season four, touches on topical themes such as gender relations, sexism, ageism, racism and cancel culture. It is a testament to the type of premium, cutting-edge, cinematic television that Media Res, the show’s producer, wants to be known for. Michael Ellenberg, founder and CEO of Media Res and executive producer on The Morning Show, tells World Screen about the level of ambition playing out in front of and behind the camera.

WS: What was the vision you and the team laid out for season three of The Morning Show?
ELLENBERG: Coming into season three, we wanted to chart a new course. Both our lead characters, Alex and Bradley, had gotten a lot of what they wanted, in theory. We were drawn to how the media has been in a state of evolution for several years now, but it’s hitting a peak. So, let’s put the entire network in play. And what does it mean for an outsider, a tech and finance guy like Paul Marks, played by Jon Hamm, to come in? Is he the savior, or is he the destroyer? That’s a great question to anchor the season around, particularly with Jon Hamm playing that role, and be aligned with what everyone in the industry is wrestling with (and the public, too). We’re both in love with our tech overlords and concerned. It’s quite accurate to what’s going on in media right now. The larger questions are relevant for anyone alive today. So, we thought it was the right subject to tackle.

WS: What other topical themes are explored throughout the ten episodes?
ELLENBERG: From the beginning, the show, first and foremost, is about gender relations within the professional world and beyond. Those themes continue to be explored. This year, the overturning of Roe v. Wade is in the background; that informs a lot of story [points]. We explore the intensity of our political environment and how that’s spilling over into the news media and people’s professional lives. The possibility of love and reconnection at a certain point in life and whether one can find a connection with a true equal. What happens when your heart and your head are really in conflict? For both of our leads, there’s tension between their professional and personal needs. The show has no easy answers for any of the dilemmas this year. It’s one of the best things about it; there are no clear answers to most of the challenges our characters face. That’s what makes it pretty delicious to watch and live in. We also have the right cast to explore those questions.

WS: How has it been working with such a star-studded cast?
ELLENBERG: As a producer, what’s incredible is every day, you’re seeing the best of the best go at it. For the actors, they never know what they’re going to get; they can never let their guard down. It keeps everyone on their toes. Just when they all have gotten used to each other, we get Jon to mix it up. We wanted someone of Jon’s stature and capability, someone who could be an interesting emotional foil for Alex Levy, played by Jennifer Aniston, but also someone to go toe to toe with Cory Ellison [played by Billy Crudup]. One amazing thing about Billy’s character this year is that he’s always been six steps ahead, but this is the first season where sometimes he’s a few clicks behind. Paul is his equal and maybe his superior. It gets more complicated as it goes on. You get to see Corey in a real state of crisis in a way you haven’t before, which is really fresh. Then for Greta Lee, [who plays] Stella Bak, we’re so blessed to have her. She was already a “something” when we cast her, but we’re rooting for her to get all the awards attention she deserves for Past Lives. [Her character] is now emerging as someone who could rule the world (but does she really want to?) and represents an interesting generational place where she’s not quite one of the young people but not quite one of the grown-ups. If she achieves power, is she going to rule and wield it in the way the previous generation did, or is she going to do it differently? Each character faces pretty different choices this year. With this glittering cast, you want to mix and match them in ways that surprise them and the audience.

WS: What kind of input do you get from Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and how is it having both of your stars also as executive producers?
ELLENBERG: They’re involved in everything—from script notes to casting decisions to work on the cuts. They live a lot of the issues in the show, so their perspectives on the narrative and everything else are pretty inspired and special. The show is big and vast and takes a lot of brilliant minds. This is the third season, so we’ve learned how to do it well together. Their biggest contribution now, besides the things that are obvious, is their ambition. They’re fearless. We tackle some insane subjects—dangerous, provocative subject matter. Any time they get pitched the most ambitious idea, that’s what gets them excited. They give everyone the courage to go as far as they want. That’s how they’re leaders behind the scenes, cheering everyone on to take the big swings and not be conservative. They’re really special.

WS: How does The Morning Show fit in with the types of projects you want Media Res to develop?
ELLENBERG: Media Res was built to do premium, unique, cutting-edge, cinematic television. The Morning Show was, and remains, our anchor. It’s topical. You never know what you’re going to get. It’s at a scale of brilliant, glittering actors that only our show can provide. Every show should be a unique, distinct experience for the audience—one they can’t get anywhere else. There is no other show on television that comes close to having Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, Billy Crudup, Greta Lee, Mark Duplass (and the list goes on and on), but that’s also super smart and moving, and you can’t look away from. We want our shows to be entertaining and provocative. That’s what I’m drawn to and what everyone at the company is drawn to. We also want material that speaks to the issues of our time and has something to say. That’s what the public is yearning for. No one wants to be preached at; we get enough of that in the real world. We’re very proud of this show. If we could have three more, we would.