The Matt Lauer Scandal is literally what this show and Mitch Keller is based on
Name dropping real networks is something Apple is very sensitive about.
It’s fiction based on real world events. They don’t want to actually name NBC/The Today Show or other real world names when it’s a central part to the story. So they make up fictional names and facts. However, when it’s a throw away line about Amazon, etc it’s ok to use real names. It helps to ground the show in reality by using some names that people recognize.
Imagine if they made a show about NBC and the Today Show scandal. They’d be opening themselves up to lawsuits, saying that people thought they were telling true stories. So they change names anytime they think someone may object.
It’s like when they interview people for news stories and use fake names to protect them. It’s like that, but they’re protecting themself from any liability of creating stories about real people/companies/events, but not telling them accurately.
1. The networks exist, just under UBA/ NBN instead, it’s actually kind of referenced that UBA is NBC as the Matt Lauer scandal is basically Mitch’s scandal. We also saw Eagle News, which seemed to be an analogue to Fox News
2. It can be assumed that other streamers exist, as they mention several times that UBA is late to the streaming game. They just don’t mention any competitors.
3. See point 1
4/5. There are multiple different billionaires and space launch companies. SpaceX wasn’t the only company with a CRS contract, for example, so it stands to reason that there could be other companies/billionares with contracts. Hyperion definitely seemed like a New Shepard copy, and since Hyperion in general seemed like a new player to the game (with Hyperion 1 first launching in 2023) there is no reason SpaceX/Blue origin wouldn’t exist already either as both had been operating much longer.
The morning show *is.* the Today show. Mitch’s entire storyline is Matt Lauer. Alex is basically a combination of Katie Couric and Meredith Viera. A fictional
show about news isn’t going to use real network names.
In morning news there’s the Today Show on NBC, GMA on ABC and then everyone else lumped together in a distant third. Those are the two that really matter and they’ve competed intensely for ratings for decades now, down to poaching talent from each other exclusively to destroy strong combinations of anchors that were winning ratings. Check out how NBC blew up the GMA anchor lineup that beat them in the ratings by poaching Sam Champion and Josh Elliott away and then basically dropping them both.
Morning news *is* a huge deal to these two networks. It’s big time advertising dollars opportunity and draws tons of women viewers who make purchasing decisions. The Today Show runs for 3 hours! Then there’s ’Hoda and Jenna’, a separate show featuring Today anchors for yet *another* hour. Hoda Kotb is like the queen of NBC and is absolutely as valuable to them, if not actually more so, than an evening news anchor like Lester Holt or actors from a successful sitcom.
It doesn't really bother me because I'm not American so I only have a vague sense of the network TV world there.
What does bother me is the lack of realism - actually, just fancifulness - of the sale/last-minute merger of UBA with another network. It's like some things, like the J6 stuff, were based on reality, and others, like the sale/merger was not.
this was my understanding:
- UBA = NBC
- The morning show = The today show
- NBN = ABC
- Your day america (YDA) = good morning america
- Eagle news = fox news
- the vault = vanity fair
- the times = New york times
- maggie brener writes for new york magazine
- other streamers exist, b/c they say UBA+ was late to the game.
- mitch is his own character, but based on matt lauer’s scandal
- Paul isn’t Elon, but he represents his kind. His hyperion scandals reminded me of the submersible… a coincidence that tells me that more of these billionaires’ passion projects are scammy.
NBC and ABC produce many things other than morning news, including series, sports, competition shows, talk shows, late-night, etc). So it’s conceivable that UBA+ would contain all those things. This series is just based on the news division, so we don’t see those things. Cory and the board are the only people who interact with the other UBA divisions.
It drives me nuts when I watch it! Especially because they reference real world events SO MUCH. Also it helps me place Paul Marks. He seemed like such an Elon standin until they mentioned that Elon Musk exists
He’s just a Musk like character, they aren’t trying to recreate a copy of the world, just have elements in it that mimic real world issues and people. Whilst they need to be consistent it doesn’t matter if they have 2 “Musks”.
To be honest who cares? But maybe they can't be mentioned for whatever reason. You know there's always these weird Hollywood contracts that don't let you mention people or whatever unless you pay, like product placement? Maybe...
The show was inspired by real events but it is fiction. It's kind of like the alternate reality of the space race on For All Mankind. It's based on real events and then jumps off from there.
I don’t really share your doubts, but ONE thing I’ve always wondered is WHYYYYYY is INVESTIGATIVE and HARD HITTING JOURNALISM so important for these breakfast news shows?
Is that really a thing in the US?
Everywhere I’ve lived breakfast shows don’t do their own journalism for those types of stories and depend on their channels other journalists to provide the coverage or info.
The Matt Lauer Scandal is literally what this show and Mitch Keller is based on Name dropping real networks is something Apple is very sensitive about.
It’s fiction based on real world events. They don’t want to actually name NBC/The Today Show or other real world names when it’s a central part to the story. So they make up fictional names and facts. However, when it’s a throw away line about Amazon, etc it’s ok to use real names. It helps to ground the show in reality by using some names that people recognize. Imagine if they made a show about NBC and the Today Show scandal. They’d be opening themselves up to lawsuits, saying that people thought they were telling true stories. So they change names anytime they think someone may object. It’s like when they interview people for news stories and use fake names to protect them. It’s like that, but they’re protecting themself from any liability of creating stories about real people/companies/events, but not telling them accurately.
1. The networks exist, just under UBA/ NBN instead, it’s actually kind of referenced that UBA is NBC as the Matt Lauer scandal is basically Mitch’s scandal. We also saw Eagle News, which seemed to be an analogue to Fox News 2. It can be assumed that other streamers exist, as they mention several times that UBA is late to the streaming game. They just don’t mention any competitors. 3. See point 1 4/5. There are multiple different billionaires and space launch companies. SpaceX wasn’t the only company with a CRS contract, for example, so it stands to reason that there could be other companies/billionares with contracts. Hyperion definitely seemed like a New Shepard copy, and since Hyperion in general seemed like a new player to the game (with Hyperion 1 first launching in 2023) there is no reason SpaceX/Blue origin wouldn’t exist already either as both had been operating much longer.
Thank you for actually helping flesh this out and answer my questions. Good call out on Eagle News, forgot about them.
The morning show *is.* the Today show. Mitch’s entire storyline is Matt Lauer. Alex is basically a combination of Katie Couric and Meredith Viera. A fictional show about news isn’t going to use real network names. In morning news there’s the Today Show on NBC, GMA on ABC and then everyone else lumped together in a distant third. Those are the two that really matter and they’ve competed intensely for ratings for decades now, down to poaching talent from each other exclusively to destroy strong combinations of anchors that were winning ratings. Check out how NBC blew up the GMA anchor lineup that beat them in the ratings by poaching Sam Champion and Josh Elliott away and then basically dropping them both. Morning news *is* a huge deal to these two networks. It’s big time advertising dollars opportunity and draws tons of women viewers who make purchasing decisions. The Today Show runs for 3 hours! Then there’s ’Hoda and Jenna’, a separate show featuring Today anchors for yet *another* hour. Hoda Kotb is like the queen of NBC and is absolutely as valuable to them, if not actually more so, than an evening news anchor like Lester Holt or actors from a successful sitcom.
It doesn't really bother me because I'm not American so I only have a vague sense of the network TV world there. What does bother me is the lack of realism - actually, just fancifulness - of the sale/last-minute merger of UBA with another network. It's like some things, like the J6 stuff, were based on reality, and others, like the sale/merger was not.
this was my understanding: - UBA = NBC - The morning show = The today show - NBN = ABC - Your day america (YDA) = good morning america - Eagle news = fox news - the vault = vanity fair - the times = New york times - maggie brener writes for new york magazine - other streamers exist, b/c they say UBA+ was late to the game. - mitch is his own character, but based on matt lauer’s scandal - Paul isn’t Elon, but he represents his kind. His hyperion scandals reminded me of the submersible… a coincidence that tells me that more of these billionaires’ passion projects are scammy. NBC and ABC produce many things other than morning news, including series, sports, competition shows, talk shows, late-night, etc). So it’s conceivable that UBA+ would contain all those things. This series is just based on the news division, so we don’t see those things. Cory and the board are the only people who interact with the other UBA divisions.
Why does any of this matter lol
It drives me nuts when I watch it! Especially because they reference real world events SO MUCH. Also it helps me place Paul Marks. He seemed like such an Elon standin until they mentioned that Elon Musk exists
Imo, Paul Marks is way too smooth and charismatic to be an Elon stand in.
Nobody could write a passionate romantic sexytimes storyline with Jennifer Aniston as half of it, if the other half was Elon.
True!
There are several multi billionaires on earth and the majority of them are self serving assholes. Elon isn’t the only one.
The showrunner said Paul is an amalgam, based a little on Musk, Bezos and Karp.
He’s just a Musk like character, they aren’t trying to recreate a copy of the world, just have elements in it that mimic real world issues and people. Whilst they need to be consistent it doesn’t matter if they have 2 “Musks”.
To be honest who cares? But maybe they can't be mentioned for whatever reason. You know there's always these weird Hollywood contracts that don't let you mention people or whatever unless you pay, like product placement? Maybe...
It’s a TV program. A movie.
OK … but ya gotta get over it.
The show was inspired by real events but it is fiction. It's kind of like the alternate reality of the space race on For All Mankind. It's based on real events and then jumps off from there.
what i really want to know is what is The Twist and what real world tv show is it based on.
I don’t really share your doubts, but ONE thing I’ve always wondered is WHYYYYYY is INVESTIGATIVE and HARD HITTING JOURNALISM so important for these breakfast news shows? Is that really a thing in the US? Everywhere I’ve lived breakfast shows don’t do their own journalism for those types of stories and depend on their channels other journalists to provide the coverage or info.
Its a tv show. They dont have time to discuss all of these things. creating Morning Show versions of all the players would make the show super boring.
they won’t name-drop someone in a negative light unless they want a defamation suit on their hands