When Apple TV made its debut in November 2019, the tech titan wasn’t just stepping into the streaming landscape; it was trying to build a prestige television network overnight from scratch. At the center of that ambitious launch stood The Morning Show, a star-heavy drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon that pulled back the slick curtain on broadcast television newsrooms. Now, according to an official announcement from Apple TV Press, the flagship drama that helped launch an entire platform is preparing to sign off for good, wrapping its run with a fifth and final season scheduled for 2027.

For nearly a decade of development and production, the series has operated less like a traditional network workplace drama and more like a real-time cultural barometer. Inspired by Brian Stelter’s non-fiction book Top of the Morning, the show kicked off in the immediate aftermath of the #MeToo movement, tearing apart the cozy, artificial smiles of morning television with a story about systemic workplace toxicity and executive cover-ups. As seasons progressed, showrunner Charlotte Stoudt and director Mimi Leder proved remarkably hungry—and occasionally chaotic—in their effort to tackle whatever headlines were dominating the real news cycle, from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial inequality to deepfakes, corporate takeovers, and political polarization.

The decision to end after five seasons gives the creative team a rare luxury in modern television: a pre-planned curtain call. Both Aniston and Witherspoon, who serve as executive producers alongside their starring roles as anchors Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson, emphasized that going into the final stretch knowing it is the end allows them to craft a intentional, satisfying conclusion. That kind of planned landing is something few sprawling dramas manage to get, especially given how expensive and talent-stacked the production has become.

Beyond Aniston and Witherspoon, the show’s calling card has always been its absurdly stacked ensemble cast. Billy Crudup’s chaotic, endlessly charismatic performance as network executive Cory Ellison earned him two Emmy Awards and established him as the series’ secret weapon. He’ll be returning alongside mainstays Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Nicole Beharie, and Jon Hamm for the final lap. True to form, the fifth season is also packing in heavyweight guest talent, adding Jeff Daniels—revisiting newsroom drama territory years after HBO’s The Newsroom—alongside Reneé Rapp, Jesse Williams, Sean Hayes, and Lizzy Caplan.

From an industry perspective, The Morning Show closing its doors marks the end of an era for Apple’s streaming playbook. Back in 2017, two full years before Apple TV even had a name or an app, the streamer made a massive statement by ordering two seasons of the drama sight unseen. It was a statement of intent: Apple was willing to pay top dollar for Hollywood A-listers to build immediate credibility. Today, as streaming services across Hollywood recalibrate budgets, streamline slates, and shift away from ultra-expensive multi-year contracts, The Morning Show stands as one of the last remaining giant tentpoles from streaming’s initial gold rush era.

Where the final season leaves Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson remains to be seen, especially after season four threw their characters into corporate mergers and international fallout. But as the show gears up for its 2027 broadcast finale, its legacy is already set: it proved that Apple could compete at the highest tier of prestige television, gave us some of the most delightfully unhinged monologues on TV, and reminded viewers why newsrooms—and the people inside them—make for such intoxicating drama.