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NBC's Willie Geist Says 'The Morning Show' Is Not a True Depiction of Morning Television

By Zoe Phillips‍ 4:07 PM PDT, May 3, 2023

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for National Board of Review

Willie Geist is doing some fact-checking. The Morning Joe co-anchor spoke up about his love for The Morning Show but paused to ensure fans know the series is fictional.

"I resisted it for a while, and then I watched it," Geist said of the Apple TV+ series while answering fan questions on the After Show of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "It's just a great show," he said.

First released in 2019, The Morning Show follows the ups and downs of fictional hosts of a morning news show, much like Geist's work at NBC. The series stars Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Steve Carrell and more.

"It's not an accurate depiction of morning television," Geist continued. "But that's beside the point. It's just fun."

Geist also took a moment to convince Cohen to watch. "Season one was laughable," Cohen said of the series, but Geist encouraged him to try it again.

"You gotta stay with it," Geist said. "I was told to stay with it and that was good advice."

Geist told Cohen he usually wakes up around 4:30 am for his real-life hosting duties. Morning Joe begins airing at 6 am.

"Out the door at 5:18," Geist continued. "At 30 Rock at 5:30."

In addition to Morning Joe and the weekend's Sunday Today with Willie Geist, the talk show host often appears as a guest anchor of Today.

In January, following fellow Today host Al Roker's health scare, Geist spoke to ET about his NBC family.

"Al means so much to all of us," Geist told ET. "I could get emotional but I won't, maybe I will. He's so much more than our role model as a professional. He's been my role model as a dad, as a husband, how to handle this thing as I step into the Today show, this role, what does it mean? He grounds us all."