Various streaming services are currently duking it out for subscribers and acclaim, and Apple TV+ is certainly on that. Apple’s had a great success with The Morning Show, which recently wrapped its third season on the air. One of the biggest scene stealers continues to be Billy Crudups’ Cory Ellison. And TMS’ showrunner Charlotte Stoudt recently spoke to CinemaBlend about why Crudup got another musical number for Season 3.
In one of the first episodes of The Morning Show (which is available with an Apple+ subscription), Billy Crudup and Jennifer Aniston shocked audiences by duetting to “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd. It was one of the many surprising moments from Season 1, and I was shook when this season Crudup once again started crooning, playing piano in the process. I had the privilege of speaking with Stoudt about her work as Showrunner on Season 3, where I couldn’t resist asking about this trend of musical numbers for Cory. She told me,
I just love musicals as much as any theater nerd does. I think the moment in Season 1 where he and Alex sing the Sweeney Todd song was so extraordinary. Look, you can’t ever match that. You can’t ever do something that’s similar to that. But I was sort of interested in what is the minor key version of that? What is the more complex, quiet, awkward version of that? Where he doesn’t bring the house down, where it isn’t a wow, or it maybe doesn’t work. So the song in this season is speaking to that a little bit. It’s a very similar song, like I’ll look after you, but in a very different context.
Some points were made. The two songs definitely have super different ones, although they both allow Billy Crudup to belt it out with another character. And given the various twists from Season 3’s finale, I can only imagine what song is in Cory Ellison’s heart nowadays.
In Season 1 of The Morning Show, “Not While I’m Around” served as a public statement that Cory wasn’t intended on screwing over Jennifer Aniston’s Alex (who gave Friends vibes this season) after Mitch’s controversy. But when he sings “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with his mother in Season 3, it’s a tragic reflection on how lost their relationship truly is. Later in our same conversation, she revealed the surprisingly emotional response by the crew. As she put it,
It was very moving. When we recorded the original track it was in Los Angeles. And when the actors came in and everybody in the recording booth just started sobbing. It was a great moment. Everyone was thinking of their mother who had passed, and we all just sat there and wept.
How sweet is that? There’s something about music that has the power to pierce the soul, and that’s seemingly why there’s now a runner on The Morning Show that features Billy Crudup’s vocals. Let’s get Cory into a drunken karaoke scene next season. And yes, The Morning Show was renewed for Season 4.
Charlotte Stoudt joined The Morning Show for Season 3 as the showrunner, and had some challenges like the absence of Steve Carell’s Mitch Kessler. But the show ended up having a really satisfying story, with major payoffs in the final two episodes in particular. And with the SAG-AFTRA strike over, let’s get this insane cast back together for more episodes ASAP!
The Morning Show is streaming in its entirety now on Apple TV+. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
