Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso
Genre	Comedy drama Sports
Based on	Format and characters from NBC Sports
Developed by	Jason Sudeikis Bill Lawrence Brendan Hunt Joe Kelly
Starring	Jason Sudeikis Hannah Waddingham Jeremy Swift Phil Dunster Brett Goldstein Brendan Hunt Nick Mohammed Juno Temple Sarah Niles
Music by	Marcus Mumford Tom Howe
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	22
Production
Executive producers	Bill Lawrence Jason Sudeikis Brendan Hunt Joe Kelly Jeff Ingold Bill Wrubel
Production location	London
Running time	29–49 minutes
Production companies	Ruby's Tuna Inc. Doozer Universal Television Warner Bros. Television Studios
Original release
Network	Apple TV+
Release	August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14) – present (present)

Ted Lasso is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is 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. The series follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English football team in an attempt by its owner to spite her ex-husband. Lasso tries to win over the skeptical English market with his folksy, optimistic demeanor while dealing with his inexperience in the sport.

The first season of 10 episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, with three episodes, followed by weekly installments. A second season of 12 episodes premiered on July 23, 2021. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season.

The series has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its performances (particularly Sudeikis, Waddingham, and Goldstein), writing, themes, and uplifting tone. Among other accolades, its first season was nominated for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history. Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Brett Goldstein won for their performances, and the series won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.

Premise

Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League football club, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, her unfaithful ex-husband. However, Ted's charm, personality, and humor begin to win over Rebecca, the team, and those who had been skeptical about his appointment.

Cast and characters

Main

• Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an infectiously optimistic American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team
• Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, the new owner of AFC Richmond
• Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins, the timid Director of Football Operations
• Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, an egotistical young up-and-coming striker
• Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, a veteran box-to-box midfielder, captain and later assistant coach of AFC Richmond
• Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Lasso's long-time assistant and friend
• Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley, the team's former kit manager turned assistant coach of AFC Richmond
• Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, an ambitious model who becomes the club's manager of marketing and public relations
• Sarah Niles as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (season 2), a sports psychologist

Recurring

AFC Richmond club members

• Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya, a young Nigerian right back, later converted to a right winger
• Kola Bokinni as Isaac McAdoo, a center-back who is the vice-captain, later promoted to captain
• Billy Harris as Colin Hughes, a young Welsh left winger
• Stephen Manas as Richard Montlaur, a young French midfielder.
• Moe Jeudy-Lamour as Thierry Zoreaux, a French Canadian goalkeeper and a close friend of Isaac's.
• Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas, a young forward from Mexico who joins midway through the first season, after recovering from an injury.
• Charlie Hiscock as Will Kitman (season 2; guest season 1), the new equipment manager after Nate's promotion.
• David Elsendoorn as Jan Maas (season 2), a Dutch left back known for his naturally blunt personality.
• Mohammed Hashim as Moe Bumbercatch (season 2), a center midfielder.

Other characters

• James Lance as Trent Crimm, a skeptical reporter for The Independent
• Annette Badland as Mae, the local pub’s landlady.
• Adam Colborne, Bronson Webb and Kevin Garry as Baz, Jeremy and Paul, a trio of die-hard AFC Richmond fans.
• Anthony Head as Rupert Mannion (season 1; guest season 2), Rebecca's ex-husband and the former owner of AFC Richmond
• Keeley Hazell as Bex (season 1; guest season 2), Rupert's new girlfriend and eventual second wife.
• Phoebe Walsh as Jane Payne (season 2; guest season 1), Coach Beard's on-again-off-again girlfriend.
• Elodie Blomfield as Phoebe (season 2; guest season 1), Roy's niece.
• Bill Fellows as George Cartrick (season 2; guest season 1), the former Richmond coach whom Ted replaced; later a panelist on Soccer Saturday.
• Ruth Bradley as Mrs Bowen (season 2), Phoebe's teacher
• Jodi Balfour as Jack (season 3), a venture capitalist.

Guests

• Andrea Anders as Michelle Lasso, Ted's ex-wife
• Ellie Taylor as Flo "Sassy" Collins, Rebecca's best friend who becomes attracted to Ted.
• Kieran O'Brien as James Tartt, Jamie's abusive father.
• Jimmy Akingbola as Ollie (season 1), Ted's driver when he arrives in England, who also works at a local Indian restaurant.
• Kiki May as Nora (season 2), Sassy's teenage daughter
• Harriet Walter as Deborah (season 2), Rebecca's mother
• Sam Richardson as Edwin Akufo (season 2), a Ghanaian billionaire who buys Raja Casablanca and tries to convince Sam to sign with the team
• Scott Van Pelt as himself, a SportsCenter anchor who breaks the news regarding Ted's hiring at AFC Richmond.
• Arlo White and Chris Powell as themselves, providing commentary for AFC Richmond's matches.
• Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara as themselves, as presenter and pundit on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, the show in which Roy briefly appears.
• Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker as themselves, as football pundits throughout the show.
• Seema Jaswal and Ian Wright as themselves, as a football TV show presenter and pundit.
• Lloyd Griffith as Lloyd, one of the regular reporters at the AFC Richmond press conferences.

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	10		August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)	October 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
2	12		July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23)	October 8, 2021 (2021-10-08)

Season 1 (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Pilot"	Tom Marshall	Story 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 becomes the new owner of the fictional AFC Richmond, a struggling club 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, a college football coach from Wichita, KS. Ted has recently coached an NCAA Division II football team to a title, but knows nothing about soccer. Arriving in Richmond with his assistant, Coach Beard, he tries to connect with his new compatriots with his positive, folksy charm, but the club hates him anyway. 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	2	"Biscuits"	Zach Braff	Story 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 of 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	3	"Trent Crimm: The Independent"	Tom Marshall	Jane Becker	August 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 plays 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 but assertively 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	4	"For the Children"	Tom Marshall	Jamie Lee	August 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 Robbie Williams canceled on her unexpectedly, so she relies on Higgins to find another musical act. Roy and Jamie constantly feud, setting Keeley on edge. Rupert, Rebecca's ex-husband, arrives and takes over the auction. Ted, who's trying to control Roy and Jamie's arguments, deduces that Rupert was the one responsible for Robbie Williams canceling in order to embarrass Rebecca. Rebecca later bonds with Keeley, and she convinces Keeley 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 show her up) gets drunk with Keeley, and the two ride off in a rickshaw. Ted provides Higgins with a street performer Ted had encountered earlier to replace the previous musician, and he is met with great reception.
5	5	"Tan Lines"	Elliot Hegarty	Brett Goldstein	August 28, 2020 (2020-08-28)
Ted's wife, Michelle, and son, Henry, finally arrive, and they have fun together as a family until Ted finds his wife in tears. She confides in him that, although she desperately wishes this was not true, she doesn't love him anymore and has no idea why. 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 is 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 team 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, bidding her and their son farewell.
6	6	"Two Aces"	Elliot Hegarty	Bill Wrubel	September 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
Ted struggles emotionally with the end of his marriage, 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 Dani Rojas, a new, enthusiastic player who is just as good as Jamie, joins the team. The two form a rivalry, but Dani gets mysteriously injured, and 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	7	"Make Rebecca Great Again"	Declan Lowney	Story 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 they have 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 cheer Rebecca up. They meet Rebecca's old friend Flo "Sassy" 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 of his ideas. Nate gives the team an inspiring, if insulting, pre-game speech, and they win the game. That evening, the team goes out to celebrate at a karaoke bar, where Rebecca reveals her beautiful voice. Ted tries to enjoy the evening, but suffers a panic attack and stumbles out of the building, where Rebecca finds and comforts him. Ted retreats to his hotel room, where he is visited by Sassy. Roy kisses Keeley, then leaves abruptly.
8	8	"The Diamond Dogs"	Declan Lowney	Leann Bowen	September 18, 2020 (2020-09-18)
Ted talks about his troubles concerning Sassy 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 meets other team owners later that afternoon at a pub. There, Rebecca is blindsided 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, but Roy forcefully takes the paparazzi's memory card. The next morning in Rebecca's office, Higgins implores her to stop ruining the team and quits. Keeley then storms into the office, having realized Rebecca's plan after finding the picture of her and Ted that was meant to appear in The Sun on the camera card. She threatens to tell Ted if Rebecca does not do it first.
9	9	"All Apologies"	MJ Delaney	Phoebe Walsh	September 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 afterward, Rupert comes and tells her he's having a baby with Bex. Rebecca marches down to Ted's office and confesses, and to her surprise, he easily forgives her. 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 to embarrass him with a benching. At 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	10	"The Hope That Kills You"	MJ Delaney	Story by : Joe Kelly & Jason Sudeikis Teleplay by : Brendan Hunt	October 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
Nate is promoted to 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. Manchester City takes the lead of 1–0 in the second half, but Richmond pulls a trick play set-piece and scores to tie up the match; however, it is hopeless as Jamie makes an extra pass to a teammate who scores 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 attempts to resign, but she rebuffs him; instead, together they decide to win promotion next season, and then to win the Premier League once they are back.

Season 2 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	"Goodbye Earl"	Declan Lowney	Brendan Hunt	July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23)
The episode starts mid season, as Richmond has drawn their last seven games. Dani prepares to kick a game winning penalty, but he accidentally kills Richmond's greyhound mascot Earl as he jumps in front of the goal to attack a bird. Dani is guilt-ridden and loses his football skills. Meanwhile, a newly retired Roy is coaching an Under 9 Girls Football team and dating Keeley. They go on a double date with Rebecca's new boyfriend John, but Roy convinces Rebecca after the date that she deserves someone better. To help Dani recover from his "yips", Richmond hires sports psychologist Sharon Fieldstone, whose stern and disciplined attitude clashes with Ted. Rebecca breaks things off with John. After meeting with Sharon, Dani regains his enthusiasm for football and converts a corner kick goal in practice. As a result, more players begin to request sessions with Sharon. With his yoga group, Roy watches Lust Conquers All (a Love Island-style reality show) that Jamie is revealed to be a contestant on. Roy is livid with his group for liking Jamie.
12	2	"Lavender"	Declan Lowney	Leann Bowen	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
Jamie is voted out of Lust Conquers All, leading him to unsuccessfully attempt a return to Manchester City. Higgins hires Sharon for the rest of the season. Jamie approaches Ted to rejoin Richmond and reveals that he left Manchester City to anger his overbearing father. Ted politely declines his request to rejoin. When a picture of their conversation goes viral, Sam believes Jamie, who repeatedly bullied him, is returning and angrily storms off during practice. Ted assures Sam that he said no. After the girls' team Roy coaches lose their championship, Keeley convinces Roy to try out a pundit job at Sky Sports. Despite his heavy cursing drawing the disapproval of his other pundits, Roy's commentary is positively received by the public and the network asks him to return. Wanting to give Jamie a second chance, Ted reconsiders adding him to the team and polls the Diamond Dogs on their opinions. Higgins votes for the addition, while Beard and Nate vote against it. Roy admits to Keeley that he enjoyed being on the show. Jamie rejoins Richmond, to the players' confusion.
13	3	"Do the Right-est Thing"	Ezra Edelman	Ashley Nicole Black	August 6, 2021 (2021-08-06)
Jamie attempts to apologize to the Richmond players for his past actions and bullying, but the team is unmoved. Rebecca's teenage goddaughter Nora comes to visit while her mother, Sassy, attends a conference. After watching Rebecca's futile efforts to entertain Nora with childish activities, Roy advises Rebecca to invite Nora to spend a day with her at work. Keeley organizes a photoshoot with Sam for Dubai Air, the team's sponsor, but Sam's father informs him that Dubai Air's corporate owner is an oil company polluting his home country, Nigeria. Keeley directs Jamie to talk to Sharon for help in getting back in the team's good graces. Sam withdraws from Dubai Air's ad campaign, leading the company to demand that Rebecca fire Sam. Nora convinces Rebecca to hold firm, ultimately calling the company's bluff. During Richmond's next game, Sam, Isaac, and Winchester cover their uniforms' Dubai Air logos with black tape in protest. Jamie leads the rest of the players to follow suit. In the postgame press conference, Ted allows Sam to speak on Dubai Air's malfeasance and the Nigerian government's corruption. Despite losing the game, the team celebrates breaking their draw streak. Jamie toasts Sam for his courage, and the two reconcile.
14	4	"Carol of the Bells"	Declan Lowney	Joe Kelly	August 13, 2021 (2021-08-13)
It is Christmas time in Richmond. Roy and Keeley's attempt at a romantic 'Sexy Christmas' is derailed by Roy's niece Phoebe visiting, feeling insecure after a boy at school teased her for bad breath. Higgins and his family host a Christmas party for the players from overseas. Dani, Sam, and many of the other players come to the party, bringing their own Christmas traditions with them, pleasantly surprising Higgins and his wife. Meanwhile, Ted plans to spend Christmas video calling Henry and Michelle, but the expensive drone Ted buys his son causes Henry to run off to play with it. A dejected Ted starts drinking, but Rebecca, who suspected Ted would feel alone in his first post-divorce Christmas, recruits him to do some last-minute gift-giving to underprivileged children in Richmond. Roy and Keeley attempt to find a dentist on Christmas to determine the source of Phoebe's halitosis, discovering that the new antihistamine Phoebe takes for her cat allergy is the cause. The episode ends with Ted and Rebecca joining the party at the Higgins', performing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the road outside their house.
15	5	"Rainbow"	Erica Dunton	Bill Wrubel	August 20, 2021 (2021-08-20)
Nate, in order to impress his parents on their anniversary, timidly tries to reserve a window seat at their favorite restaurant, but the hostess instead offers a seat near the back. Richmond continues to struggle, in part because team captain Isaac is overthinking and struggles to lead. Nate offers to speak to Isaac, but Ted instead reaches out to Roy. Roy takes Ted and Isaac to a soccer field near his childhood home to play a pickup match with some neighborhood footballers, reminding Isaac to have fun while playing. Isaac regains his joy for the game and dominates, to Roy's delight. Afterward, Ted offers Roy a coaching job on Richmond, which Roy declines. Keeley and Rebecca teach Nate how to be more assertive and confident, allowing him to successfully seat his family at the window table. Rebecca becomes interested in her new match on Bantr, a dating app co-owned by Keeley and sponsoring Richmond. While commentating on his Soccer Saturday show, Roy watches a newly enthusiastic Isaac on the pitch and realizes he misses being involved with the game. He makes his way to Richmond's stadium, where he joins Ted's coaching staff, to the applause of the Richmond supporters and Nate's chagrin.
16	6	"The Signal"	Erica Dunton	Brett Goldstein	August 27, 2021 (2021-08-27)
With Roy Kent on the coaching staff, AFC Richmond is on a hot streak. Coach Beard is back with Jane, which worries Higgins, who is advised by Ted and Nate against telling him. Jamie is upset that Roy refuses to give him coaching advice; Roy eventually relents and tells Jamie he needs to occasionally bring forth his brash and aggressive personality on the pitch. Rebecca, seeing men from another dating site while continuing to flirt with her mysterious Bantr match, gets a visit from her mother, who has just left her father. At lunch with her mother, Rebecca tells Ted and Keeley that her parents separate every few years, only to quickly reconcile. While in a close game against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, all four coaches give Jamie the signal to play selfishly, raising their middle finger at him, leading to a goal from Jamie. Ted suddenly has a panic attack and leaves the pitch. With Richmond in disarray, Spurs score. Without Ted, Nate steps in and calls a triple substitution that leads to a game-winning score for Richmond. Rebecca looks for Ted in the locker room but cannot find him. Rebecca's Bantr match is revealed to be Sam. Higgins tells Beard his concerns; Beard is appreciative and embraces him, but still leaves with Jane. As Dr. Sharon goes to her office, she finds Ted waiting and he asks for help.
17	7	"Headspace"	Matt Lipsey	Phoebe Walsh	September 3, 2021 (2021-09-03)
Ted's first two sessions with Sharon prove fruitless: he leaves the first almost immediately, and storms out of the second after expressing his skepticism and contempt towards psychotherapy after couples therapy failed to save his marriage. During the third visit, however, Ted apologizes for his outburst and decides to commit to the therapy process. Roy unwittingly begins spending every moment he can with Keeley, to the point where she feels smothered; the two fight after Roy learns that Keeley has been complaining about his overbearing behavior to Rebecca and others. Thanks to Jamie, Roy later comes to understand that Keeley needs space, and makes amends by running her a candlelit rose bath to enjoy alone in their home. Nate sees himself going viral on Twitter for the triple-substitution that resulted in Richmond's recent win, but his insecurity worsens when his stern father advises humility instead of praising his achievement. As a result, Nate begins behaving cruelly to others in the locker room – first to Colin, a young Welsh player who used to bully him, and later to Will, the new kit man.
18	8	"Man City"	Matt Lipsey	Jamie Lee	September 10, 2021 (2021-09-10)
Sharon suffers a concussion after being hit by a car while biking. Ted brings her home from the hospital and sees a number of empty wine and spirit bottles. Rebecca and Sam anonymously arrange a dinner date, and find out upon arriving at the restaurant that they are each other's Bantr matches. Rebecca is initially apprehensive, but Sam convinces her to have dinner with him platonically, which they both enjoy. The two kiss when they return to Rebecca's house, but agree not to escalate the relationship further. Roy is called in to Phoebe's school and realizes that his swearing is having an effect on her. Richmond plays at Wembley Stadium for the first time against Manchester City, but suffers a harsh loss. After the game, Jamie is bullied over the loss by his abusive father James in the locker room in front of his teammates and coaches. Jamie finally retaliates and strikes his father, whom Beard escorts out; Roy embraces Jamie, who breaks down crying in his arms. The scene shakes Ted into calling Sharon and confessing that his father died by suicide when Ted was 16. Rebecca and Sam ultimately spend the night together.
19	9	"Beard After Hours"	Sam Jones	Brett Goldstein & Joe Kelly	September 17, 2021 (2021-09-17)
The night of Richmond's loss against Manchester City, a dispirited Coach Beard returns to his apartment before deciding to go out on the town. He visits a pub and is joined by avid Richmond supporters Baz, Jeremy and Paul. After the pub closes, the four sneak into an exclusive basement club, but Beard rips his pants and is thrown out. He accompanies Mary, a woman from the club, back to her apartment to fix his pants, but is forced to flee from Mary's hulking boyfriend Darren. Beard is soon cornered in the street and beaten by James Tartt, Jamie's father, and his friends. Darren saves him, having followed him to return Beard's wallet and phone. Beard is horrified to find a string of angry texts from Jane, with whom he is still in love. Beard is brought home by Baz, Jeremy and Paul who had hired a limo with the money they won at the private club. He thanks them for the ride by giving them the address of a secret entrance to Richmond's home stadium where they gleefully play soccer for a while. After his apartment key breaks in the lock, Beard stumbles across a secret nightclub in the basement of a church Jane previously claimed to be. He meets Jane and enjoys a night of music and dance. The following morning, a sleep-deprived Beard returns to work as usual with his fellow coaches and subtly takes a nap as the others review the game footage.
20	10	"No Weddings and a Funeral"	MJ Delaney	Jane Becker	September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Rebecca and Sam continue their relationship in secret for several weeks. One morning, Rebecca's mother informs her that her father has died. The entire Richmond team attends the funeral, but Ted has a panic attack and calls Sharon for a therapy session. Rupert and Bex come to the funeral uninvited with their newborn daughter, infuriating Rebecca. Keeley and Sassy deduce that Rebecca is secretly in a relationship, and Keeley correctly guesses it is with Sam. Rebecca tells her mother she does not want eulogize her father, as she watched him cheat on her as a child, but her mother reveals that she knew and loved him despite his imperfections. At the same time, Ted describes his father's death to Sharon for the first time, and arrives late for the funeral. Instead of giving a traditional eulogy, Rebecca leads the mourners in singing "Never Gonna Give You Up," a song that her parents continued to like and find meaningful. After the service, Jamie admits to Keeley that he loves her. Rupert tells Rebecca he will give her the remaining shares of Richmond, and briefly converses with Nate. Rebecca ends her relationship with Sam, fearing heartbreak, but grows closer to her mother.
21	11	"Midnight Train to Royston"	MJ Delaney	Sasha Garron	October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
Sam scores the first hat-trick of his career. Ghanaian billionaire Edwin Akufo visits Richmond and informs Rebecca that he wants to buy Sam as a player. Akufo elaborates to Sam that he wants to buy Raja Casablanca and sign an ensemble of Africa's most talented players, predicting that an African team will win the FIFA World Cup within 20 years. Sam is given three days to consider the offer, though Rebecca pleads with him not to go. Nate continues to feel the frustration of receiving little credit for developing the team's tactics. While trying on new suits, he impulsively kisses Keeley. During Roy and Keeley's photoshoot for the latter's magazine profile, Keeley admits Nate's kiss and Jamie's confession of love at the funeral, and Roy tells her he spent 3 hours with Phoebe’s teacher, leaving both shaken. Ted learns that Sharon left before her last day, and he tracks her down to give her the team's parting gift. Later, Ted receives a text message from Trent Crimm tipping him off about a forthcoming article on Ted's matchday panic attack, and that Nate was his anonymous source.
22	12	"Inverting the Pyramid of Success"	Declan Lowney	Jason Sudeikis & Joe Kelly	October 8, 2021 (2021-10-08)
Ted receives the club's full support after the news of his panic attack. He focuses on the season's final match, which would determine Richmond's promotion into the Premier League. Keeley learns Bantr's VC wants to finance her own PR firm. While Keeley celebrates with an overjoyed Rebecca, they discover Rupert has bought West Ham United. Roy forgives Jamie and Nate for sharing their affections with Keeley, but worries she will leave him. At half-time during the match, Nate tries to abandon his false 9 tactic, but the players elect to stick with it. Ted asks Nate why he is upset with him. Nate angrily responds that Ted continuously neglected him since joining the coaching staff. Dani scores an equalizing penalty to secure Richmond's promotion. The team and supporters celebrate, but Nate walks off dejected. Sam decides to stay at Richmond, to Akufo's chagrin, telling Rebecca it would be best for his own personal journey. Ted runs into Trent Crimm, who was fired as a reporter after revealing his anonymous source. Roy tries to book a surprise holiday with Keeley, but an already overworked Keeley encourages him to go alone. Sam leases a storefront to start a local Nigerian restaurant. Two months later, Rupert greets the newest member of his West Ham coaching staff: Nate.

Production

Development

Crystal Palace's stadium Selhurst Park was used as AFC Richmond's Nelson Road.

The series was commissioned in October 2019 by Apple TV+, with Jason Sudeikis reprising his role as Lasso. Sudeikis originally portrayed the titular character in 2013 as part of a series of television 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. Television producer and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was brought in to work on a television series based around the character in 2017. The series is co-owned by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence's production company Doozer is based, and which controls linear distribution rights to the series, and NBC subsidiary Universal Television, which is a "passive partner".

On August 19, 2020, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. It was later confirmed that the second season had been expanded to 12 episodes. On October 28, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season. On an episode of the Scrubs rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach + Donald, Lawrence indicated that Ted Lasso will likely be 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. In June 2022, Brett Goldstein also commented that the series is planned to end after three seasons and said, "We are writing it like that.”

In October 2021, Apple TV+ reached a licensing deal with the Premier League worth as much as £500,000 (around $682,000) for the series to feature the league's logos, kits, and the trophy starting from the third season. On March 6, 2022, a day before filming for season 3 began, Nike, Inc. posted on their official Twitter account a photo of its trademark Swoosh logo incorporated onto an AFC Richmond kit, implying that the show's production had reached a deal with the company to act as the fictional club's "official" kit manufacturer on future episodes.

Writing

Actors in the series Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt also joined the writing team along with Sudeikis as the second and third members of the main cast to do so. While Hunt and Sudeikis were part of both the cast and writing team from the start, Goldstein was initially a writer and story editor. It was only after sending a video audition of some already written Roy Kent scenes to the showrunner, Bill Lawrence, that led to Goldstein's casting.

The episodes "Carol of the Bells" and "Beard After Hours" were the two episodes developed when the second season was expanded by two episodes, fitting in to the continuity of the second season without impacting storylines of the already written episodes.

Casting

Theo Park serves as the casting director for the series. Nick Mohammed, who portrays Nate Shelley, originally auditioned for the role of Leslie Higgins, which in the end went to Jeremy Swift. Park pushed for Phil Dunster to play the role of Jamie Tartt, even though the character was originally supposed to be from Latin America and portrayed by Cristo Fernández. The character of Sam Obisanya was originally going to have been of Ghanaian heritage, but the character was changed after Toheeb Jimoh's casting. In March 2021, Sarah Niles was cast as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone, a sports psychologist for AFC Richmond in a main capacity for the second season. About Niles' casting, Park said that "It was really important with that role that [Niles] had a real sense of security and almost completely unflappable." Kiki May portrays Nora, Sassy's teenaged daughter, in a recurring capacity in the second season. Casting for season three was set to begin near the end of 2021. Jodi Balfour was cast as Jack, a venture capitalist in a recurring capacity for the third season in April 2022.

Filming

Production began on the second season in January 2021. In March 2021, Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham were spotted filming outside a pub in London. Filming wrapped for the second season on June 4, 2021. Filming for the third season is set to take place between January and June 2022. Most of the pub and street scenes have been shot in the actual London Borough of Richmond. AFC Richmond's training field and complex in which Rebecca's office is based is filmed at the SkyEX Community Stadium which is the home ground of Hayes & Yeading United F.C. who are a semi-professional club playing in England's seventh level of competitive soccer, whereas Nelson Road, the home stadium of Richmond, is actually Selhurst Park, a real-life Premier League stadium used by London club Crystal Palace F.C. Exterior shots of Craven Cottage, the home stadium of Fulham F.C. were used in season 1 to pass off as fellow Premier League ground Goodison Park when AFC Richmond played away at Everton. Wembley Stadium was used in season 2 to portray the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City F.C.

The show incorporates many real-life members of the British soccer and television entertainment community. This also includes using a number of genuine television shows which feature the actual presenters, sets and theme songs, including the Sky Sports programme Soccer Saturday. The day-time ITV show This Morning also features in season 2.

Filming for season 3 began on March 7, 2022.

Merchandising

In March 2021, Bill Lawrence revealed that official Ted Lasso merchandise would be for sale ahead of the season two premiere. The merchandise, including football jerseys, became available in June 2021.

Reception

Critical response

Critical response of Ted Lasso

Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
1	92% (73 reviews)	71 (21 reviews)
2	97% (119 reviews)	85 (35 reviews)

Jason Sudeikis' performance as Ted Lasso has been widely praised by critics.

Season 1

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. 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." Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

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." 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. 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".

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." 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." And after the finale aired, Lea Palmieri from Decider said: "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."

Season 2

The second season was met with critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 97% based on 119 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "As comforting as a buttery biscuit from a friend, Ted Lasso's sophomore season is a feel-good triumph that plays into the show's strengths while giving its supporting team more time on the pitch." Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Ted Lasso

The first season received 20 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history. It won 7 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting awards for Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham; while Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple received nominations. Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for 2020 and 2021.

The series won in the categories for Outstanding New Program, Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Program of the Year at the 37th TCA Awards and also won for best Comedy Series and New Series at the 73rd Writers Guild of America Awards.

The second season received 20 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. It won four awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, acting awards for Sudeikis and Goldstein, and a directing award for MJ Delaney. Several actors received nominations, including Toheeb Jimoh, Mohammed, Temple, Waddingham, Sarah Niles, James Lance, Sam Richardson and Harriet Walter.

Audience viewership

Ted Lasso became the most watched television series on Apple TV+. The first season premiere episode became Apple TV+'s most watched premiere and it ranked 89th overall among other television series or shows measured across streaming platforms from November 1, 2019, to July 18, 2021. According to TV analytics provider TVision, Ted Lasso has been viewed by panel members 8.4 times as much as the average Apple TV+ original series or shows TVision has measured since Apple TV+ launched in November 2019. Over the second season premiere weekend, Apple TV+ expanded its number of new viewers by 50% week over week. Apple also announced the second season of Ted Lasso "increased its viewership by six times over season one". In 2021, the final episode of the second season ranked ninth place among all SVOD programs and fifth place in the SVOD originals category with 507 million minutes (MM) viewed.

See also

• The First Team, British sitcom featuring an American player who joins a Premier League club
• Hot Stove League, Korean drama series about a general manager with no experience in baseball hired to lead a struggling baseball team
• Major League, 1989 film featuring misfit baseball players and a meddling new team owner
• Mike Bassett: England Manager, 2001 British mockumentary comedy film about a coach who is hired from the lower leagues to manage the England team at the World Cup.
• Mike Bassett: Manager, 2005 British comedy series, a follow-up to the film which sees an unsuccessful coach on a bad run of form taking over as the new manager of his late father's former team.
• Dream Team, British TV series featuring the on and off the field affairs of fictional Premier League club Harchester United.
• Welcome to Wrexham, 2022 American documentary series chronicling the purchase and stewardship of Wrexham AFC, one of professional football's oldest clubs, by two Hollywood actors, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

External links

• Ted Lasso – official site
• Ted Lasso at IMDb
• Official screenplay of "Rainbow"