As we’re watching The Morning Show on Apple TV+ (for the millionth time), we can’t help but wonder if the creators did their homework. Especially since the series is returning for season 3. For example, is The Morning Show accurate? Is it a true recreation of the fast-paced broadcast industry? And finally, is it actually that stressful to be a news anchor?
That’s why we sat down with Stacie Krajchir, who worked as a morning show producer for nine years. Here’s what she had to say.
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. “There are many things about the show that are realistic,” Krajchir told PureWow. “The early morning routines, the race to get the best story, the reporters willing to wake up, travel and do whatever it takes to get on air and the dream of becoming an anchor for many reporters. Small town reporters working in small markets to get to the big show—all that is true.”
Krajchir explained that her experience might be different than others, since she worked for a female boss. “My executive producer was fairly young and a woman, which was pretty rare at the time,” she said. “She was definitely not the norm. I had other friends who worked for men and I heard a very different story.”
Despite her positive experience, Krajchir revealed that The Morning Show gave her flashbacks of working in the male-dominated industry. “There was definitely a boy’s club. The male anchors and the sports anchors, they seemed to always get the seat they wanted, where the women were in constant rotation—as if they were being casted—to see who the best fit for the male anchors was,” she added.
Well, way more than we expected. Not only did The Morning Show perfectly recreate the on-set vibe of a fast-paced production, but it also nailed the employee-boss dynamic. “The hierarchy of anchor/talent versus producer/show booker is on point,” Krajchir said. “Producers who were just starting their careers didn’t generally ‘hang out’ with the anchors. Later in my career, it was different.”
She continued, “There was generally very little gratitude from anchors about how hard producers below them worked to make them look good. They were just handed a script and read from the teleprompter into your home.”
Of course, Krajchir noted that every situation is different and confirmed The Morning Show highlights every worst-case scenario. “And then there were those exceptional anchors, who treated producers equally and went out of their way to help elevate you or recognized your efforts,” she added.
It’s important to mention that some of the characters—like Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon)—are “a bit far-fetched.” However, Krajchir said that Bradley’s background story of “finding a star in a small market is realistic.”
For starters, Krajchir explained that there are a few minor technicalities, since morning shows aren’t very glamorous behind-the-scenes—that is, until the production hits a national level. “The dressing room thing—our anchor talent didn’t have that. That is a national show ritual and perk,” she said. And then added, “The yelling and dramatics in the control room, we didn’t have that.”
Krajchir also admitted that while there were plenty of tense moments on the sets she’s worked on, they weren’t nearly as serious as what’s shown on The Morning Show. “Our crew of producers were way stressed out for sure, but we had a lot of fun!” she added. “We laughed so much, and we would remind ourselves, ‘We’re producing TV. It’s not heart surgery.’ We reminded ourselves, ‘We’re not that important.’”
BRB, re-watching The Morning Show from episode one.