“I'm of the opinion that nobody knows anything about what ultimately makes a show have legs and stick," the actor says in responding to how the Apple TV breakout has performed since its fall debut.

When The Morning Show premiered in November, critics were not all kind to Apple TV+’s debut offering, but as the Jennifer Aniston/Reese Witherspoon starrer unfolded over the course of 10 episodes, audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes skyrocketed.

It currently sits at a 94 percent audience score versus a 63 percent critics rating, and that was not news to star Mark Duplass, who plays producer Chip Black. “Something strange happened with this show,” explained the 43-year-old writer, director, producer and actor on the red carpet ahead of the L.A. premiere of Bombshell, in which he also stars. “I think Apple knows this now, but they didn’t do a very good job of welcoming critics into the process because they’re used to keeping their product secret. When you’re dealing with critics, you don’t keep secrets. The critics did not like that, and I think they lashed out a little bit.”

Fortunately for Apple, the buzz didn't stick: The Morning Show has racked up three Globe nominations: best TV drama and acting noms for Witherspoon and Aniston.

“I'm of the opinion that nobody knows anything about what ultimately makes a show have legs and stick, and I'm glad that people are finally watching all the episodes," Duplass adds. "Some shows just really stick the landing. This show sticks the motherfucking landing.”

A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.