Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is an American comedy streaming television series developed by Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt, based on a character of the same name that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League.[1] The series premiered with the first three episodes on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020,[2] and was renewed for a second season consisting of ten episodes five days after its premiere.[3] In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season.[4]

Ted Lasso
Season 1 title card
Genre
Based onFormat and characters from NBC Sports
Developed by
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Running time29–33 minutes
Production companies
Distributor
Release
Original networkApple TV+
Original releaseAugust 14, 2020 (2020-08-14) –
present (present)
External links
Website

Premise

American college football coach Ted Lasso is recruited to coach an English Premier League team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience in association football.

Cast

Main
  • Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an American football coach who led the Wichita State Shockers to a Division II National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship. He is hired to coach AFC Richmond, an association football team. A folksy American, he is seen as unsophisticated but is smarter than he looks. He loves to coach and cares more about people than wins.
  • Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, the new owner of AFC Richmond following her divorce settlement. She wants to ruin the team as it was the only thing her ex-husband loved.
  • Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins, the sycophantic Director of Football Operations who is helping Welton ruin the team, but who slowly becomes sympathetic to Ted's ways.
  • Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, a young up-and-coming striker on loan from Manchester City. Egotistical, he is a foil for the team spirit Ted is trying to instill at Richmond.
  • Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, an aging, often angry box-to-box midfielder who won the Champions League with Chelsea eight years ago.
  • Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Lasso's taciturn long-time assistant and friend.
  • Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley, the team's kit man who lacks confidence but knows a lot about football. Ted calls him "Nate the Great" and he becomes more involved with the coaches.
  • Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, a model who works for AFC Richmond and is Jamie's girlfriend.

Recurring
  • Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya, a young right back from Nigeria who is struggling to find his footing and overcome homesickness.
  • Stephen Manas as Richard Montlaur, a young French player.
  • Billy Harris as Colin, a young player.
  • Kola Bokinni as Isaac, the vice-captain of AFC Richmond.
  • Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas, a young player from Mexico who joins AFC Richmond. Aside from being cheerful and enthusiastic, he is a talented footballer, making Jamie feel threatened he will replace him as the team's star.
  • James Lance as Trent Crimm, a skeptical reporter for The Independent who is very critical of Ted's coaching but touched by his compassion.
  • Anthony Head as Rupert Mannion, Rebecca's cheating ex-husband and the former owner of AFC Richmond.
  • Keeley Hazell as Bex, Rupert's new girlfriend.
  • Andrea Anders as Michelle Lasso, Ted's wife who requested distance in their relationship.
  • Ellie Taylor as Flo "Sassy" Collins, Rebecca's best friend who becomes attracted to Ted.
  • Arlo White as himself, providing commentary before the matches.

Episodes
No.Title [5][6]Directed byWritten by [5]Original release date [6]
1"Pilot"Tom MarshallStory by : Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence & Brendan Hunt & Joe Kelly
Teleplay by : Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence		August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
Recently divorced Rebecca Welton is the new owner of AFC Richmond, a struggling team in the Premier League. To seek revenge on her ex-husband who cheated on her multiple times and was never blamed for it, Rebecca resolves to hire the most incompetent coach she can find to ruin the club, as it was the only thing her ex ever loved. To this end she hires Ted Lasso, an American Football coach from Kansas City. Ted had recently led a Division 2 American football team to a title, but knows nothing about football. Arriving in Richmond with his assistant, Coach Beard, he tries to connect to his new compatriots with his positive, folksy charm, but the team hate him anyways. He is thought of as a rube but it soon becomes clear he is smarter than he looks. In his apartment at night, he speaks to his son and wife on the phone and hints that he took the job because his wife had wanted "space".
2"Biscuits"Zach BraffStory by : Brendan Hunt & Jason Sudeikis
Teleplay by : Joe Kelly		August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
On his first day at AFC Richmond, Ted attempts to win over the players and management. He brings Rebecca shortbread as a present; she rebuffs his attempt at friendliness but becomes obsessed with the biscuits. He quickly sees the team has a division in the locker room: Roy Kent, an aging star, is constantly angry and at odds with Jamie Tartt, a young egotistical talent. Seeing that another player, Sam Obisanya, is homesick for Nigeria, Ted throws him a birthday party even though the team had lost a game earlier in the day. Trying to win over Jamie, Ted seeks advice from Keeley, Jamie's model girlfriend. She advises praise, which Ted does. In an attempt to cause more problems for the team, Rebecca has a tabloid photograph Lasso and Keeley seemingly being intimate with each other, with the intent of enraging Jamie. It is revealed that Ted bakes the biscuits he gives Rebecca himself.
3"Trent Crimm: The Independent"Tom MarshallJane BeckerAugust 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
Knowing that tabloid newspaper The Sun has photographs of them, Ted and Keeley go to Rebecca. She has their publication stopped, fearful they will be traced back to her, but in exchange Ted has to spend the day with Trent Crimm, a tough reporter for The Independent. Crimm arrives skeptical. He finds out Ted's new play were conceived by Nate, the kit man. When Crimm asks him about the appropriateness of throwing Sam's birthday party after the previous week's loss, Ted tells him he's not concerned with wins and losses. Ted, Crimm and Roy go to a local school event and win over the children. Roy reluctantly confronts Jamie and a few other players who have been bullying Nate. Ted invites Crimm to dinner, at a restaurant owned by the driver who picked him up at the airport. Ted, never having had Indian food before, gets very spicy food but eats it all to be polite. Crimm's write-up about the "Lasso Way" is positive, enraging Rebecca.
4"For the Children"Tom MarshallJamie LeeAugust 21, 2020 (2020-08-21)
The team loses again, prompting Roy and Jamie to fight even more. Rebecca, whilst preparing for the annual charity ball, learns that the musician she hired cancelled on her unexpectedly, so she relies on Higgins to find another musical act for the gala. Roy and Jamie constantly feud, provoking Keeley to become mad. Rupert, Rebecca's ex-husband, arrives, and runs the auction. Ted, who's trying to control Roy and Jamie's arguments, deduces that he cancelled the musician's act to embarrass Rebecca, who later bonds with Keeley, and convinces her to break up with Jamie. Roy and Jamie make up and resolve not to fight anymore. Rebecca, enraged at Rupert's sudden appearance (and the fact that he donated one million pounds to the charity event to seem better than her) gets drunk with Keeley and the two ride in a rickshaw. Ted helps Higgins find an unknown street performer to replace the previous musician, and he is met with great reception.
5"Tan Lines"Elliot HegartyBrett GoldsteinAugust 28, 2020 (2020-08-28)
Ted's wife and son finally arrive, and they have fun together as a family, until Ted finds his wife in tears. She confides in him that, though she desperately wishes otherwise, her feelings for him and their relationship have changed. She promises to keep trying regardless. Keeley attends a promotion shoot she had organized for Jamie. Rebecca and Roy both seem concerned that Keeley is wasting her time with Jamie, but Keeley reassures them that her relationship with Jamie is over. On the field, Jamie continues to refuse to pass to his teammates and scores goals alone, leading fans and commentators to believe that AFC Richmond are solely reliant on Jamie. Ted sees how bad this is for the team's morale and benches Jamie right before half-time. This is met with harsh criticism from fans. Unfazed, Ted encourages his team to embrace change and believe in themselves. The teams works together and manages to break the 2–2 tie to win the match. Ted, Beard, and Nate rejoice with the team. Later that evening, Ted tells Michelle that she does not need to try for his sake to make their marriage work. He wishes her and their son farewell.
6"Two Aces"Elliot HegartyBill WrubelSeptember 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
Ted struggles emotionally with his marriage's end but is buoyed by Richmond's first win. The press continues to treat Rebecca badly, calling her "Old Rebecca" after Bex, whose full name is also Rebecca, begins dating Rupert, and Jamie and Ted continue to clash over his role with the team. Jamie sees his power weaken when a new, excited player who is just as good as Jamie joins the team. The two form a rivalry, but Dani gets mysteriously hurt, Ted learns of ghosts haunting the team's treatment room. Ted makes the team sacrifice something special to them to lift the curse, and even Jamie joins in, after inspirational words from Keeley The next morning, Ted discovers that Jamie has been returned to Manchester City, who had loaned Jamie to AFC Richmond for the season. Dani tries to cheer him up, but nothing happens. Rebecca works to derail the team.
7"Make Rebecca Great Again"Declan LowneyStory by : Joe Kelly & Brendan Hunt
Teleplay by : Jason Sudeikis		September 11, 2020 (2020-09-11)
AFC Richmond travels to Liverpool for its game against rivals Everton, which it has been unable to beat for the last sixty years. The game is being held on the weekend of Rebecca and Rupert's wedding anniversary, so Keeley tags along to make her feel better. They meet Rebecca's old friend, Flo Collins, who immediately takes a liking to Ted. That night, Ted, reluctant to sign the divorce papers, gets drunk and snaps at Nate. The next morning, Ted apologizes and asks Nate to share some ideas. Nate gives the team an inspiring, if insulting, pre-game speech, and the team wins the game handily. The team goes out to play karaoke, where Rebecca reveals her beautiful voice. Ted tries to enjoy the evening, but suffers a panic attack and stumbles out of the building. Ted retreats to his hotel room, where he is visited by Flo, and Roy kisses Keeley, then leaves abruptly.
8"The Diamond Dogs"Declan LowneyLeann BowenSeptember 18, 2020 (2020-09-18)
Ted talks about his troubles concerning Flo with Beard, Nate, and Higgins, and he nicknames the group the "Diamond Dogs". Keeley talks with Roy and asks him to go out for coffee, which he declines due to being busy. Later that night, Jamie visits Keeley and she asks him to stay. Keeley later admits to Roy that she slept with Jamie, and Roy talks to Ted, who enlists the help of the Diamond Dogs. They help Roy see another perspective, and he goes off with Keeley. Ted thanks Rebecca for her help during his first panic attack and offers to help her when she meet other team owners later that afternoon at a pub. There, Rebecca is blind-sided by Rupert, who threatens to come to each game and criticize her handling of the team. In response, Ted makes a wager with Rupert over a game of darts. Ted wins, much to Rebecca's delight. On their way to dinner, Keeley and Roy's kiss is caught on camera by a paparazzi. Roy steals the paparazzi's memory card, but the next morning in Rebecca's office, Higgins upsets at her, quitting, and Keeley storms into her office, having realized her plan to ruin the team, and threatens to tell Ted.
9"All Apologies"MJ DelaneyPhoebe WalshSeptember 25, 2020 (2020-09-25)
Rebecca still has not told Ted about her attempts to sabotage the team, and on the pitch, Roy is showing his age and there are calls to bench him. Ted refuses to do it, alienating him from the others. After Keeley's prompting, Rebecca tries to tell Ted, but finds she cannot and immediately afterwards, Rupert comes and tells her he's having a baby with Bex. Rebecca marches down to Ted's office and confesses, but he easily forgives. Ted tells Roy he is benching him. Roy feels betrayed and goes to Keeley, who tells him he is more than just a footballer. Having been forgiven, Rebecca then seeks out Higgins and apologizes to him. Higgins returns to the club. In the bar, after Ted again states he is not concerned about wins, Beard angrily tells Ted that winning is important to him and the players. Ted finds Roy outside the pub and the two talk. Roy admits his age and they agree that they will claim Roy is injured so as not embarrass him with a benching. The next practice, Roy surprises Ted by showing up and donning a second team pinny, accepting his new role while still leading the team as they approach their last match.
10"The Hope that Kills You"MJ DelaneyStory by : Joe Kelly & Jason Sudeikis
Teleplay by : Brendan Hunt		October 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
Nate becomes a coach, and he shows an inspirational video interview of Jamie, but after Jamie insults the team, they don't watch it. Rebecca inspires Ted to cause chaos on the pitch and confuse the other team. Throughout the game, both teams are ties at zero points, but Richmond pulls a surprise move and scores a point, however it is hopeless as Jamie makes an extra pass and wins the game for Manchester City. Heartbroken by the result and relegation, Ted attempts to cheer everyone up with some advice he offered Sam earlier in the season, and that together they will get through it. Coach Beard brings Jamie an envelope from Ted with a letter congratulating him for the extra pass and a toy soldier to look after him, having seen his father berate him for not scoring. Meeting with Rebecca the next morning, Ted decides to resign. Instead, together they decide to win promotion next season, and then to win the Premier League once they are back.

Production

Development

The series was commissioned in October 2019 by Apple TV+, with Jason Sudeikis reprising his role as Lasso. Sudeikis originally debuted the titular character in 2013 as part of a series of commercials for NBC Sports promoting their coverage of the Premier League, in which Lasso is depicted as the new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.[7] Television producer and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was brought in to work on a television series based around the character in 2017.[8]

On August 19, 2020, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a 10-episode second season.[3] On October 28, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season.[4] On an episode of the Scrubs rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach + Donald, Lawrence indicated that Ted Lasso will be likely a "three-season show" due to the limited availability of Sudeikis beyond the third season. Lawrence went on to say that the story has a planned resolution within those three seasons.[9]

Filming

Production began on the second season in January 2021.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 90% based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 7.88/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Warm and winsome, if not particularly hilarious, Ted Lasso fleshes out its promo premise with unrelenting optimism and a charming turn from Jason Sudeikis."[11] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A- and wrote, "There's nothing groundbreaking about the way Ted Lasso's story beats play out, but the show—a mix of workplace antics, sentimental sports inspo, and soapy romance—is undeniably winning."[13] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall described the series as "extremely likable throughout, but it's more a hypothetical comedy than an actual one. There are long stretches where Juno Temple is the only actor even trying to sell what few jokes are in the scripts." and gave a rating of 3/5.[14] Writing for The Guardian, Benjamin Lee gave it 2/5, describing it as "a show that isn’t unwatchably bad but isn’t really much of anything", and suggesting that some of its humor was "rooted in some questionable and uneasy stereotypes".[15]

As the season went on, critical appreciation for the show increased. After the eighth episode aired, Caroline Framke of Variety published a review with the headline "For Your Reconsideration: Ted Lasso". She went on to say, "Above all odds, “Ted Lasso” chipped away at my skepticism until there was none left — just like the character himself does to everyone he meets", adding "At a time when just about everything feels catastrophic, there’s something undeniably satisfying about spending some time with good people who are just trying to be the best they can, on and off the field."[16] Keri Lumm of Paste Magazine said after the airing of the penultimate episode, "Ted Lasso is the wholesome American hero we need", going on to say "... the landscape of television has felt kind of gloomy, so imagine my surprise when I turned on the TV to Ted Lasso and felt a swelling of a now unfamiliar emotion—hope."[17] And after the finale aired, Lea Palmieri from Decider said "I was a few weeks late to the game after the half-hour comedy premiered... but I saw the buzz building, specifically from people whose recommendations I trust, and so I gave it a go. Now? Well, I simply can’t shut up about it and here we are." She goes on to say "Every step of the way, Ted Lasso proves to be comforting and entertaining and somehow both a distraction and a reminder that kindness is out there, not just on this fictional show, not just across the pond, but deep in the heart of America too."[18]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2021 American Film Institute Awards Top 10 Television Programs Ted Lasso Won [19]
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series Ted Lasso Pending [20]
Best Actor in a Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis Pending
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Hannah Waddingham Pending
Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Ted Lasso Pending [21]
Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Jason Sudeikis Pending
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series Tome Howe & Marcus Mumford Nominated [22]
Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis Pending [23]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Annette Badland, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, James Lance, Nick Mohammed, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple & Hannah Waddingham Pending [24]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis Pending
Writers Guild of America Awards Comedy Series Jane Becker, Leann Bowen, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Jamie Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Phoebe Walsh and Bill Wrubel Pending [25]
New Series Pending
Episodic Comedy Jason Sudeikis & Bill Lawrence & Brendan Hunt & Joe Kelly (for "Pilot") Pending

See also
  • The First Team, British sitcom featuring an American player who joins a Premier League club
  • Major League, 1989 film featuring misfit baseball players and a meddling new team owner.

References
  1. "An American Coach in London: NBC Sports Premier League Film featuring Jason Sudeikis". NBC Sports Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  2. Haring, Bruce (May 30, 2020). "Apple's 'Ted Lasso' Comedy Series Offers First Look At Jason Sudekis In Title Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (August 19, 2020). "Jason Sudeikis' 'Ted Lasso' Renewed For Season 2 By Apple After Strong Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  4. Schwartz, Ryan (October 28, 2020). "Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso Already Renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV+". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  5. "Ted Lasso". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  6. "Ted Lasso – Listings". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  7. Echegaray, Luis Miguel (August 11, 2020). "'Ted Lasso' and the Journey From Viral Promo to TV Series". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  8. Goldberg, Lesley (October 14, 2019). "Jason Sudeikis Revives Ted Lasso for Apple TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  9. Zach Braff & Donald Faison (December 1, 2020). "Fake Doctors, Real Friends" (Podcast). iHeart Media. Event occurs at 50:46. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  10. Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 15, 2021). "Ted Lasso Season 2 Is Underway — Does That Make You 'Believe' in 2021?". TVLine. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  11. "Ted Lasso: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  12. "Ted Lasso: Season 1 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  13. Baldwin, Kristen (August 3, 2020). "Review: Jason Sudeikis is pitch perfect in Ted Lasso on Apple TV+". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  14. Sepinwall, Alan (August 11, 2020). "Get Ready to Root for Jason Sudeikis' Nice-Guy Routine in 'Ted Lasso'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  15. Lee, Benjamin (August 13, 2020). "Ted Lasso review – Apple's soccer sitcom plays an unfunny old game". theguardian.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  16. Framke, Caroline (September 19, 2020). "For Your Reconsideration: Ted Lasso". Variety. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  17. Lumm, Keri (September 28, 2020). "Ted Lasso Is the Wholesome American Hero We Need". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  18. Palmieri, Lea (October 8, 2020). "'Ted Lasso' Is The Rare Show Every Human Can Enjoy". Decider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  19. Davis, Clayton (January 25, 2021). "AFI Awards: Top Films and TV Shows Include 'Minari,' 'Nomadland,' 'Bridgerton' and 'Ted Lasso'". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  20. Schneider, Michael (January 18, 2021). "'Ozark,' 'The Crown' and Netflix Lead 26th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  21. Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (February 3, 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  22. Willman, Chris (January 15, 2021). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards Announces 2021 Nominees; Kenny Loggins Set for Lifetime Honor (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  23. Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  24. France, Lisa Respers (February 4, 2021). "SAG Award 2021: See the full list of nominees". CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  25. Schneider, Michael (February 3, 2021). "Writers Guild Unveils 2021 TV Award Nominees". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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