Roped In

Ted Lasso had been on the edge of my radar for quite some time. The television series was being promoted pretty heavily (on web sites I visit and, for a time, on the Apple TV menu screen). It was up for several awards. But it took personal recommendations from a few friends before I finally decided to give it a try.

To be fair, the premise doesn't sound particularly appealing to  me, someone with minimal interest in sports. American football coach Ted Lasso up and relocates to England to become the coach of a struggling football (soccer) team. Culture clash (and hilarity) ensues.

Four people share credit for creating the show, but it's an interesting pedigree that actually would have increased my interest in watching had I fully been aware of it before hand. Besides series stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly was a staff writer on How I Met Your Mother for multiple seasons, and Bill Lawrence was the creator of Scrubs and co-creator of Cougar Town. All three of those shows I mentioned included wilder elements than the comparatively more realistic Ted Lasso, but they also all have a strong element of heart and "found family" that is a hallmark of this show.

To be honest, I do prefer those earlier shows. But Ted Lasso has plenty of charms to recommend it. It is consistently funny, and manages to be so without resorting to belittling its characters for laughs as often as most sitcoms do. It also isn't content to just be funny, telling a serialized story over its 10-episode season. Sure, that story is often predictable... but it's satisfying and uplifting nevertheless, and picks up steam in the final few episodes.

The cast feels quite settled in their roles right out of the gate. Jason Sudeikis has been getting most of the attention as the unflappably wholesome title character, but I enjoy the big laughs from Brendan Hunt as man-of-few-words Coach Beard, and the deadpan dialogue for Brett Goldstein as doesn't-know-this-is-a-comedy Roy Kent. And I love the great character arcs for conniving club owner Rebecca Welton and whip-smart Keeley Jones, played by Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple (who have great rapport on screen together).

So while I might feel like the praise for Ted Lasso is a little overblown, there's no question I enjoyed it, or that I'll be back for the two additional seasons the show has already been renewed for. I've give the first season a B+. It's certainly one more thing for the list of "reasons you might actually subscribe to Apple TV+."