Inside Apple TV+'s costly and bumpy road: The Morning Show and See's first two seasons cost $540 million combined

The Hollywood Reporter

Apple CEO Tim Cook has experienced his own learning curve since entering the scripted TV content world. Apple has already exceeded its $1 billion annual content budget thanks to the high cost of talent. The Morning Show costs $15 million an episode, or $300 million for two seasons. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are making $2 million per episode, which rises when accounting for their producing fees and ownership points, according to The Hollywood Reporter. See, meanwhile, costs $240 million for the first two seasons. "As if to show off just how much cash the $1 trillion company has, execs are offering every AppleTV+ showrunner and series regular a free Apple product and have dispatched representatives to the sets of shows including Dickinson to take orders from talent on which style iPhone or iPad they'd prefer," according to the story by The Hollywood Reporter's Lesley Goldberg and Natalie Jarvey. "But the gifts haven't exactly made up for the regular Apple presence on some sets, where sources say development executives have been hands-on with ensuring that each show fits the Apple brand. While the company isn't imposing strict family-friendly guidelines — early episodes of Morning Show feature the heavy use of F-bombs — the understanding is that explicit content must be in service of the storyline and all projects should, ultimately, mesh with Apple's aspirational brand identity."

ALSO:

• Steve Carell is only staying at The Morning Show for one season, so Apple is searching for a new high-profile lead
• See, Little America, Dickinson and Hilde Lysiak drama Home Before Dark have all been renewed for Season 2 ahead of Apple TV+'s launch
• Apple has also renewed For All Mankind for Season 2