The Morning Show writer, showrunner and executive producer Charlotte Stoudt joined Deadline’s Contenders TV event Sunday to discuss the intricacies of running a faux newsroom, ripping stories straight from the headlines and the upcoming Season 4.
In Season 3, the news show’s future is questioned when a tech mogul takes an interest in the parent network, UBA. Unexpected alliances form, secrets are weaponized, and everyone is forced to confront their moral judgments in and out of the newsroom.
“It’s a gift to create characters that people love and will watch do very flawed, messy and sometimes awful things,” Stoudt said about the joys of the series getting renewed at Apple TV+. “I got to come in and think about how to torture them a little more. And I think the other thing that I love about the show is that it has the opportunity to speak to the moment. We’re sort of in this crazy time where truth is so contested and elusive and pulled in every direction. So, I think the tension between the sort of gloss, glamour, and sexiness of the show and the anxiety underneath is [what makes] the show.”
The series has been lauded for its relevance on a myriad of real-life news topics, from Roe v. Wade, the Me-Too movement to Elon Musk and the January 6th siege on the Capitol. Considering that television production and filming is a year in the making, does Stoudt ever worry about the show being perceived as stale by the time it’s released? “[As a writer] you’re worried that you’re going to miss the Zeitgeist bus,” Stoudt explained. “The funny thing is, this is back in fall 2021 when I first came on. I was really worried if people were going to think about January 6th the following year. I thought everyone’s going to move past it. I was a little worried about that storyline, and then the show came out and I was very wrong.”
Stoudt also quipped that these hot-button debates that find second life or longevity on social media is what makes the show even fresher. “I think as long as the world is a shit show, there will be a place for The Morning Show, and there’s no sign that we’ve learned anything.”
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In the aftermath of Season 3, the newsroom finds itself up against the threat of potentially misleading technologies such as AI. Stoudt mentions that Season 4 will incorporate some of these newer threats that can aid in news misinformation.
“We blew everything up last year with the biggest bomb we could possibly build,” she said. “So, we have to ask ourselves how is the band going to get back together, and what will that look like? We get into the world of DeepFakes and AI and the misinformation in the fog of war that we’re seeing now in the Middle East and stuff. We’re looking at who can trust. And can you trust what you’re seeing? Can you trust yourself? Can you trust your news outlet?”
Check back Monday for the panel video.
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