‘The Morning Show’ ending after upcoming fifth season

Apple TV’s “The Morning Show” will end after its fifth season, which is scheduled to premiere in 2027.

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Apple announced the decision Thursday, bringing an end to one of the streaming service’s original flagship series. The drama, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, debuted when Apple launched its streaming service in November 2019.

Aniston said the producers knew the fifth season would be the show’s last, allowing them to plan its conclusion and determine how to close the characters’ stories.

“We were so fortunate to craft the conclusion with intentionality and honor these characters the way they deserve,” Aniston said in a statement.

Witherspoon said the series sought to examine the role of journalism and the importance of a free press, rather than focusing solely on the workings of a television newsroom.

“This was always more than a show about a newsroom — it was a show about why the newsroom matters,” Witherspoon said.

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Charlotte Stoudt will return as showrunner and executive producer. Mimi Leder will direct and executive produce, with Michael Ellenberg serving as an executive producer for Media Res. The series is produced by Media Res, Hello Sunshine and Echo Films.

Aniston and Witherspoon will be joined by returning cast members Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Nicole Beharie and Jon Hamm. New additions for the final season include Jeff Daniels (who starred in his own newsroom-fueled drama), Reneé Rapp, Jesse Williams, Sean Hayes and Lizzy Caplan.

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The show has earned multiple Emmy nominations and awards during its run. Crudup won supporting actor Emmys for the first and third seasons for his performance as network executive Cory Ellison. Aniston received a Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of anchor Alex Levy.

The fourth season, now streaming on Apple TV, is set in spring 2024 following the merger of the fictional UBA and NBN networks. Its storylines address deepfakes, conspiracy theories, corporate influence and questions about trust in a polarized media environment.

From television studio Media Res and produced by Echo Films and Hello Sunshine, “The Morning Show” is showrun and executive produced by Charlotte Stoudt; executive produced by Mimi Leder, who also directs; and executive produced by Michael Ellenberg for Media Res, Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine and Kristin Hahn for Echo Films.