Steve Carell Joins Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s Morning Show Series at Apple

Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston‘s Apple series just got a little more interesting: Golden Globe winner Steve Carell has joined the still-untitled drama, Decider has learned. Carell will play Mitch Kessler, a morning show anchor who is struggling to stay in the spotlight in a rapidly-shifting media landscape. The role marks Carell’s first regular TV gig since he broke out as Michael Scott in The Office.

Witherspoon and Aniston are on board to star and executive produce the series, which Apple promises will provide “an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning” and will explore “the unique challenges faced by the women (and men) who carry out this daily televised ritual.” Carell is no stranger to a morning news project: in 2004 and again in 2013, the actor played weatherman Brick Tamland in Will Ferrell’s Anchorman films. Hopefully, Carell’s character is a little more socially aware (and leaves the trident at home) this time around.

Joining Witherspoon and Aniston on the producing front are Kerry Ehren (Friday Night Lights, Bates Motel), who will serve as showrunner, and Kristin Hahn of Echo Films and Lauren Levy Neustadter of Hello Sunshine. Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg will also produce. The series will be directed by Mimi Leder (On the Basis of Sex, ER, Deep Impact), with some additional consulting from CNN correspondent Brian Stelter, who published a 2013 book on the industry titled “Top of the Morning.”

Deadline reports that production on the morning news series is slated to begin next week in Los Angeles, so it’s possible that the series’ premiere could coincide with the launch of Apple’s streaming service. The tech giant has yet to set an official date for the platform’s launch, but CNBC reported in October that Apple hopes to get the service up by early 2019.