If you didn’t care enough about network morning shows to read Brian Stelter‘s book Top Of The Morning, perhaps you will care enough to watch a Lifetime adaptation of the story.
The book, billed as the inside scoop on the “cutthroat world of morning TV,” follows the heated rivalry between the two biggest shows, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s The Today Show. Particularly it dishes on former host Ann Curry‘s sudden and dramatic ouster from Today.
Stelter, formerly a media reporter for the New York Times who now hosts CNN’s Reliable Sources, released the book in April to mostly mixed reviews.
“We’re friends and colleagues with a lot of people involved in this world and our intention to sensationalize or slam anyone or place blame anywhere. It’s more to tell a fair and illuminating story,” Tony DiSanto, one of the executive producers, told the Hollywood Reporter.
Though, according to THR, little thought has yet been given to casting. But based on the grand tradition of Lifetime movies, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. So who would we cast?
Ann Curry: Morena Baccarin
Baccarin has been downgraded from a series regular for next season of Homeland, so what better way to fill the hours than to take on another melodramatic tale of back-stabbing and power struggles? And by playing the wife of on-again, off-again terrorist Nicholas Brody, Baccarin has had to commit to a lot of crying scenes, which will be good practice for the big moment when Curry announces her last day at Today.
Matt Lauer: Rob Lowe
As Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation, Lowe is literally used to playing the most upbeat person on the planet, perfect for the role of one of Today‘s chirpy hosts. He also has experience in the over-the-top world of the Lifetime movie, with his role as Drew Peterson in Untouchable. That role also shows that Lowe can play a character with a dark side — and based on the rumors that Lauer relentlessly bullied Curry, this could be quite helpful.
Al Roker: Michael K. Williams
The guy who played Omar Little on The Wire is not an obvious choice to play the ebullient Roker, but Williams could give this role an edge and bring some of the melodrama that is the hallmark of the Lifetime movie. And with a turn on Community as teacher with a shady past, Williams has shown he can play for comedy — even if it’s on the darker side. Plus how much fun would it be to watch him do the weather?
Natalie Morales: Natalie Morales
It turns out there’s both an anchor and an actress with the name Natalie Morales, and they look alike too! Actress Morales has guest starred on The Newsroom, so she’s used to playing roles that involve the big and sometimes insane personalities of newscasters.
George Stephanopoulos: John Stamos
It’s not just because they’re both Greek: Both Stamos and Stephanopoulos have an unassuming charm, a devoted fan base, and the same hairstyle. Plus, like Rob Lowe, Stamos has a lot of experience going the Lifetime route, so he likely knows just the right amount to ham it up for the role.
Robin Roberts: Herself
Stelter’s book describes how GMA’s Robin Roberts, in contrast to Curry, avoided getting axed from her show amidst misgivings about her performance. With that kind of tenacity, who better to play the role than Roberts? Plus she does have experience appearing as herself on fictional shows, recently taking a guest spot on Nashville.
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