Emmy-winning director and producer Mimi Leder joins Ojai Talk of the Town to talk about the fourth season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, premiering September 17. Leder, the show’s creator and executive producer, takes us behind the scenes of one of television’s most talked-about dramas — where the personal battles of anchors, producers, and executives mirror the seismic shifts shaking our real-world culture.
We discuss how this season tackles some of today’s most urgent issues: the rise of artificial intelligence, the growing influence of the manosphere, the struggle of legacy media to stay relevant, and the high-stakes games of corporate ambition. Leder shares insights into the show’s complex characters — whether it’s Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy navigating power and vulnerability, Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson searching for truth in a world of spin, or Jon Hamm’s Paul Marks embodying the allure and danger of tech billionaires.
Leder also opens up about the intensity of bringing these themes to life on set, and how her time in Ojai has been a welcome sanctuary to recover and reflect after grueling shooting schedules. What emerges is a portrait of an artist at the top of her game — using story not just to entertain, but to hold a mirror up to America’s shifting cultural landscape.
If you’re a fan of The Morning Show or fascinated by how art and entertainment capture our collective anxieties and hopes, this conversation is not to be missed. (Note: We did not talk about Anacapa Island spearfishing, Hoyt Wilhelm's knuckleball or the throat singers of the Tuvan.
Keep up with The Morning Show at https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-morning-show/umc.cmc.25tn3v8ku4b39tr6ccgb8nl6m
