The Morning Show, one the most anticipated series from the new Apple TV+ streaming service, peels back the curtain behind a popular fictional morning news program. But there’s an element of drama as they deal with the long-time co-host being fired due to allegations of sexual misconduct. As his co-host tries to pick herself back up and find relevancy again, she meets a young, hungry local news reporter who doesn’t like to follow the status quo.
It’s a great story with elements of drama, comedy, parody, and even a bit of art imitating life as you can’t help but notice the similarities between the series and some real-life stories. If you liked The Morning Show and have finished binging all 10 episodes of the first season, here are 10 other series you might like.
The Newsroom
This political drama that aired for three seasons on HBO from 2012 to 2014 provides an inside look into a fictional cable news channel. While the news it covered was far more hard-hitting than The Morning Show, it’s of a similar vein covering the drama, hardships, and controversies that can stem when the head honchos and on-air personalities butt heads about the direction they want to take, and the need to tell the true news versus the business needs of the network.
Starring Jeff Daniels as passionate and surly anchor Will McAvoy and Emily Mortimer as his producer, it was created and written by Aaron Sorkin who is the force behind another series on this list, The West Wing.
The Wire
This crime drama aired for five seasons on HBO in the early-to-mid ‘00s and followed the story of various institutions and their relationship to law enforcement. Every season followed a different institution but intertwined with the same characters and advancing storylines.
Considered to be one of the greatest television series of all time, it was primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon who used to work for The Baltimore Sun. Simon has expressed his own frustrations with the bureaucracy of the police department there during his time working in journalism.
House of Cards
While this Netflix political thriller focused more on politics and dirty dealings in the White House, journalism played a major role in many of its plot points as the powers that be had to deal with reporters looking to get the real story behind what was going on.
Focused on the ambitious and power-hungry Underwood couple Frank and Claire (Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright), it’s far more dramatic and ominous than The Morning Show, but will probably attract the same type of viewers, especially in the final season, with a similar female power and feminist slant.
The Hour
This BBC British drama aired for two seasons and focused on a new current affairs show that was being launched during the Hungarian Revolution and Suez Crisis. With similar storylines, including a reporter who was unhappy with the kind of work he was getting, and a heavy focus on the news, including the creation of a new newsmagazine called The Hour, it brings you deep into the heart of journalism.
Just like The Morning Show, the show covers real-life news situations in a fictional setting and will give you an idea of the inner workings of a news program.
Sharp Objects
In this psychological thriller miniseries based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, which aired on HBO in 2018 and starred Amy Adams, we go deep into the life of an emotionally troubled reporter who returns to her hometown after two young girls have been murdered.
It’s much darker than The Morning Show, covering crime versus everyday news topics. And the key character is far more troubled having suffered from alcoholism and being admitted to a psychiatric hospital after self-harming. But it’s an interesting story that covers personal demons and the world of news reporting.
The West Wing
Airing for a successful 7 seasons on NBC, this political drama by Aaron Sorkin was set primarily in the West Wing of the White House and followed the stories of the president (Martin Sheen) and his senior staff.
Like any political drama, journalists are a big part of the story as they clamor to report the truth, uncover secrets, and give the public the true story about what’s going on with their leadership in the Oval Office (or stories slanted by their own biases). Considered to be one of the best TV series ever, it’s a must-watch if you want to delve deeper into the news and political worlds.
30 Rock
With a more humorous look at the goings-on behind-the-scenes of the making of a TV series, this satirical sitcom created by Tina Fey for NBC aired for 7 seasons from 2006 through to 2013. Based on Fey’s own experiences as a head writer for the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, it looks at a fictional sketch comedy show that’s very similar to SNL and its inner workings.
Also starring in the series, Fey was joined by a star-studded cast that included Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, and Tracy Morgan.
State of Play
This British drama, which broadcast on BBC One in 2003, only aired for a single six-episode season. It focused on a newspaper that was investigating the death of a political researcher and the relationship between the leading journalist and his old friend, a Member of Parliament and the employer of the woman who was murdered.
Starring David Morrisey and James McAvoy, it has twists and turns as the journalist tries to uncover the truth about what really happened, including a conspiracy, corruption, and more death.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Going way back to the ‘70s, this long-running sitcom, which aired on CBS for 7 seasons and starred Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White, and Ed Asner, covers similar feminist topics as The Morning Show. It follows the story of an independent woman who is an associate producer at a fictional news program.
At the time, it was groundbreaking to see a character who was an unmarried career woman heading up a show. While The Morning Show has similar themes with a more 21st-century focus, watching this series will provide an interesting glimpse into how things were different back then.
Murphy Brown
Strong, independent, and career-focused, Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) was the title character of this ‘80s sitcom on CBS, which aired for an impressive 11 seasons. She played a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for a fictional newsmagazine and later a cable morning news show.
A recovering alcoholic with her own internal demons, Brown was over 40, single, sharp-tongued, and shattered many glass ceilings, which makes her comparable to the two main ladies in The Morning Show. The series was so popular that it was revived with a 13-episode season in 2018, though the revival was canceled after one season.
