What's the deal with Ted Lasso - and why has it won so many Emmy Awards? Photo / File
What's the deal with Ted Lasso - and why has it won so many Emmy Awards? Photo / File
It's the show that cleaned up at the Emmys for the second year running. So exactly what (and who) is Ted Lasso? Should you watch it? If so, where? And what's with that moustache? We have all the answers in our beginner's guide ...
What is it?
A culture-clash comedy about the titular Ted, a luxuriantly whiskered American football coach who is hired to manage a struggling English Premier League team, despite being a soccer novice. He's been set up to fail by AFC Richmond's new owner in a scheme to spite her ex-husband but guess what? The fiendish plan backfires and Ted ends up succeeding against the odds.
When the show arrived on Apple TV+ two years ago, it became the hit-shy streaming service's most-watched show and was immediately commissioned for two more series.
Saturday Night Live alumnus Jason Sudeikis plays fish-out-of-water Coach Lasso, a character he first portrayed in commercials for NBC's coverage of English Premier League football. The idea to expand him into a sitcom hero came from Sudeikis' then-partner, actress and director Olivia Wilde.
Ted Lasso won big again at this year's Emmy Awards. Photo / AP
The supporting cast is dominated by scene-stealing Britons. Hannah Waddingham plays Richmond FC owner Rebecca Welton, who's soon won over by Ted's goofy charm and becomes his staunchest ally. Brett Goldstein adds grit as potty-mouthed midfield hardcase Roy Kent (any resemblance to Roy Keane is totally deliberate).
There's also Juno Temple as WAG-with-a-heart-of-gold Keeley Jones, Nick Mohammed as kitman Nate Shelley and Sarah Niles as sports psychologist Dr Sharon Fieldstone. Real-life football pundits – Thierry Henry, Gary Lineker, Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara – pop up for knowing cameos. Unbelievable, Jeff.
Who writes it?
Sudeikis himself and Brendan Hunt, who plays Lasso's long-time assistant, developed the show in collaboration with Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence and SNL writer Joe Kelly.
It's a family affair, which only enhances the show's warm, feel-good credentials. Cast member Goldstein has written several episodes, while Bill Lawrence's old buddy Zach Braff – star of his medical sitcom Scrubs – has been a guest director. Marcus Mumford of folk-rockers Mumford & Sons composes the folksy soundtrack.
Astonishingly well. Last year, it received a record 20 nods, making it the most nominated new comedy in Emmys history, winning seven of them. At this week's ceremony, it scooped Outstanding Comedy Series for the second year running. Sudeikis and Goldstein also notched back-to-back wins, while MJ Delaney won Best Comedy Director.
In fact, it's become quite the awards darling. Sudeikis has also added two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild gong to his increasingly crowded trophy cabinet. The touchy-feely show even won a Peabody Award for "offering the perfect counter to toxic masculinity at a time when the nation truly needs inspiring models of kindness". Try engraving that on a trophy.
Why the facial hair?
Ted's 'tache has become his trademark, a hirsute representation of his homespun approach and old-fashioned decency. It has spawned three of its own Twitter accounts. Besides, face fuzz is central to the show. Roy Kent is all about designer stubble. Hunt's character is so defined by his whiskers that he's called Coach Beard. Nobody's sure if it's an affectionate moniker or his actual name.
Ted Lasso is played by Jason Sudeikis. Photo / File
Why do people love it?
Because it's infectiously optimistic and extremely funny. A crowd-pleasing sitcom with just the right amount of schmaltz. The killer cast helps, with the likes of Kent (who keeps the show's edge by swearing at children) and Dr Sharon (whose therapy sessions add depth) becoming cult heroes. But mainly it's down to lovable Ted himself – a joyous, gentle soul whose motto is the Walt Whitman quote: "Be curious, not judgmental".
Why do people hate it?
For being a bit too feelgood. One critic sneered this week that we're "deep in the tedious Ted Lasso era of the Emmys", dismissing it as "the comedy equivalent of rice pudding". Nitpicking football fans tend to resent its Transatlantic approach and lack of authenticity. One Telegraph writer previously wrote that he "hates Ted Lasso's #BeKind rebranding of British football".
Where can I watch it?
The first two series are on Apple TV+ now. A third is in the can and is expected to stream soon. It's widely reported as being the final series but with the show riding high, don't be remotely surprised if those goalposts move.
