Ted Lasso (2020)

Ted Lasso ( LASS-oh) 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 Sudeikis portrayed in a series of promotional media for NBC Sports' coverage of England's football Premier League. The show follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English football team, A.F.C. Richmond, whose owner secretly hopes his inexperience will lead it to failure; instead, Lasso's folksy, optimistic leadership proves unexpectedly successful. The first season of ten episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, with the first three episodes releasing immediately. A second season of twelve episodes followed on July 23, 2021, with the third season released on March 15, 2023, which was intended to be the final season. It was announced in March 2025 that the series had been renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on August 5, 2026.

The series has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its performances (notably Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, and Juno Temple), humor, writing, themes, and uplifting tone. Among other accolades, its first season was nominated for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy history. Sudeikis, Waddingham, and 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. The series repeated all three of those award wins the next year.

Premise

Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, A.F.C. Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, gained ownership of the team in a divorce from her unfaithful ex-husband, Rupert. She has hired Lasso, secretly hoping he will cause the team's downfall and devastate Rupert, who cared more about AFC Richmond than anything else. 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 American college football coach from Wichita, Kansas who is hired to coach AFC Richmond, an English soccer team. He is frequently ridiculed for his folksy optimism and inexperience with the sport, but gradually wins people over through his kind and compassionate approach to coaching. Ted joins Richmond halfway through Richmond's season in the Premier League, and gets relegated to the Championship. He manages to lead them back to the Premier League, and then finishes as runner-up in his third year at the club. Ted leaves Richmond at the end of Season 3 to be closer to his son, and migrates back to the UK with his family in Season 4, returning to Richmond as head coach of the club's women's team.

Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, the new owner of AFC Richmond. Having gained ownership of the team through a divorce settlement with her philandering ex-husband Rupert Mannion, Rebecca hires Lasso as part of a ploy to ruin the club, the only thing her ex-husband truly loved. She eventually comes to appreciate Lasso as a coach and works with him to improve the club's standings within the English soccer league system. Rebecca is especially close with Keeley Jones, the club's PR specialist, and eventually becomes an angel investor for Keeley's PR firm.

Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins, the timid but quirky Director of Football Operations at AFC Richmond. Higgins was indirectly responsible for Rebecca's divorce due to covering for his ex-boss Rupert during his affairs. Higgins is opposed to Rebecca's plans to sabotage Ted's efforts and eventually quits his post after the two fall out. They eventually reconcile, and Higgins returns to Richmond for the long haul. A jazz enthusiast and musician (who plays the double bass), Higgins has a large family with five sons.

Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), a talented young forward, on loan to Richmond from Manchester City in Season 1. Despite his talent, Tartt is extremely arrogant and believes himself to be superior to the other Richmond players. After pursuing an opportunity to appear on a dating reality show, he struggles to get his life back on track when he is eliminated and Manchester City drops him from their team. Eventually rejoining Richmond, Jamie slowly learns the value of teamwork and transitions into a more versatile attacking midfielder, developing his playmaking skills in addition to scoring. Prior to the events of Season 4, Jamie had transferred to FC Barcelona.

Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, a veteran box-to-box midfielder. Kent is Richmond's captain at the start of the series, until a tackle on Tartt in a match against Manchester City ends his career in professional soccer. Kent does a brief stint as a commentator before realizing that he misses being on the pitch and returns to Richmond as an assistant coach. At the end of season 3, Kent is appointed as Richmond's new manager following Ted's departure. In Season 4, Roy is still the head coach of the Richmond men's team, and has led them to an FA Cup victory and several Champions League appearances. Kent is primarily based on hot-headed Irish former footballer Roy Keane.

Brendan Hunt as Coach Willis Beard, Lasso's grounded, laconic longtime assistant coach and friend from Peoria, Illinois. Beard originally met Ted through college football and eventually fell into trouble with the law, with Ted coming to his aid and helping him get back on his feet. Throughout the series, Beard is in an on-off relationship with a London woman named Jane, whom he met through playing chess. At the end of Season 3, Beard chooses to remain in the UK, staying on as an assistant coach for AFC Richmond and marrying Jane in a ceremony at Stonehenge. In Season 4, Kent releases Beard from the men's team, allowing him to rejoin Ted as assistant coach for the women's team.

Nick Mohammed as Nathan "Nate" Shelley (seasons 1–3), AFC Richmond's original equipment manager who is promoted to assistant coach in Season 2. Despite his tactical brilliance, being dubbed the "Wonder Kid" after an inspired substitution which results in a Richmond victory over Tottenham in the FA Cup, Nate is insecure about his abilities. This eventually results in him falling out with Ted after believing the latter has forsaken him and leads him to become the manager of West Ham United under Rupert Mannion's ownership. Nate eventually reconciles with Ted and the other members of Richmond, eventually quitting West Ham and returning to Richmond.

Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, a model who also works as Richmond's Chief Marketing Officer. At the start of the series, Keeley is dating Jamie Tartt but breaks up with him after realizing his immaturity and arrogance are not a good fit for her. She later enters into a relationship with Roy Kent throughout the second season, though they break up in Season 3 due to conflicting schedules and extra duties. Keeley eventually leaves the club to start her own PR firm and retains Richmond as one of her biggest clients. Keeley is bisexual, having had relationships with Tartt, Kent, and later Jack Danvers, the female venture capitalist who finances her company. At the end of the third season, Keeley has rebuilt her firm with Rebecca as her angel investor, following her falling out with Jack. Keeley returns in Season 4 as Richmond's official Chief Marketing Officer, promoting the club's women's team.

Sarah Niles as Dr. Sharon M. Fieldstone (season 2; recurring season 3; guest season 4), a no-nonsense sports psychologist. Sharon is hired by Richmond to help the players and staff with their mental health, when forward Dani Rojas gets the "yips" after accidentally killing the club's mascot when taking a penalty kick. Besides the players, Sharon also helps Ted with his own mental health throughout the season and continues as his therapist after her contract with Richmond expires. At the end of Season 3, Sharon is hired by Richmond full-time as their resident head of mental health and emotional well-being.

Anthony Head as Rupert Mannion (season 3; recurring season 1; guest season 2), Rebecca's vindictive, philandering ex-husband, the former owner of AFC Richmond and later the owner of West Ham United.

Toheeb Jimoh as Samuel "Sam" Obisanya (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Richmond's right-back, who later converts to playing as a right winger. Sam is from Nigeria and is passionate about environmental issues, driving a Tesla and boycotting AFC Richmond's sponsor when it is revealed they are destroying his homeland's natural environment. Outside of football, Sam is also a restaurateur and owns a Nigerian-themed restaurant named "Ola's" (after his father).

Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), an enthusiastic player from Mexico who joins Richmond as a forward half way through the first season, after recovering from an injury. Enthusiastic, upbeat, and passionate, Dani's philosophy is "football is life"; he eventually becomes a core part of Richmond's starting lineup, playing as a second striker.

Kola Bokinni as Isaac McAdoo (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), a center-back for team Richmond. After Roy Kent retires from the team, he chooses Isaac as his successor as captain. Isaac initially struggles with leadership, but he recovers and becomes an effective captain as the season progresses. He is close friends with Colin Hughes and was resentful that Colin did not feel comfortable sharing his sexual orientation with him. The two eventually make amends over a game of FIFA. Besides his defending, Isaac has an especially powerful kick and scored an equalizing penalty in Richmond's final match against West Ham.

Billy Harris as Colin Hughes (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Richmond's left winger who comes from Wales. Colin is initially closeted; his sexual orientation is revealed during a match when one of the fans yells a homophobic slur and captain Isaac McAdoo goes to confront him in the stands. Colin then comes out to the team and makes amends with McAdoo. Colin is a supercar enthusiast, owning several exotic vehicles including a Lamborghini Huracán Evo, and a Noble M500.

James Lance as Trent Crimm (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2; guest season 4), a cynical, pragmatic sports reporter for The Independent who is a regular member of the press at Richmond's media conferences. Trent is fired at the end of the second season for revealing his anonymous source regarding Ted's panic attacks, though he remains on good terms with Ted. In the third season, Trent is a freelance writer who spends the season with Richmond to author a book about the club, which is ultimately titled The Richmond Way. Like Colin Hughes, Trent is gay, and came out to his family prior to the series. Trent returns in Season 4 as the host of his own podcast, Through the Laces.

Tanya Reynolds as Alice Chilton (season 4), the hard-to-crack assistant coach of AFC Richmond's women's team. A former professional midfielder, Alice's career on the pitch came to an end after multiple ACL injuries in rapid succession. She was Rebecca's backup choice in the event that Ted declined her request to coach, and chose to tender her resignation after feeling her abilities had been overlooked and that Rebecca favored Ted simply because he was a man. However, Ted convinces her to stay on after reminding her of her love of the sport and the people under her charge.

Abbie Hern as Gemma Jay (season 4), a striker for the women's team. Gemma used to play under Alice's coaching, until she quit due to Alice's harsh (but well-meaning) criticism. Gemma is studying law when Alice and Ted visit her school to request her to join their team. Though she initially refuses, Gemma remembers her love for the game, and joins Richmond as a striker, choosing to juggle both soccer and law school.

Faye Marsay as Lizzie Davis (season 4), a center-back for the women's team who is also a single mother and de facto captain of the team. Lizzie joins the team through an open tryout to bolster the team's ranks.

Jude Mack as Katie "Boots" Quinn (season 4), the goalkeeper for the Richmond Women's team, who is known for choosing to not wear gloves while she plays.

Aisling Sharkey as Niamh Harrigan (season 4), a defender on the women's team and Siobhan's twin sister. She and Siobhan are nearly always verbally and/or physically sparring with each other.

Rex Hayes as Siobhan Harrigan (season 4), also a defender, and twin sister of Niamh.

Recurring

AFC Richmond personnel

Stephen Manas as Richard Montlaur (seasons 1–3), a young, womanizing French midfielder.

Moe Jeudy-Lamour as Thierry Zoreaux (seasons 1–3), a French Canadian goalkeeper and a close friend of Isaac's. In the third season, Zoreaux changes his name to "Van Damme" (after Jean-Claude Van Damme) before settling for "Zorro".

Charlie Hiscock as Will Kitman (seasons 2–3; guest season 1), the new equipment manager after Nate's promotion.

David Elsendoorn as Jan Maas (seasons 2–3), a Dutch center back known for his blunt personality, who transferred to Richmond from Ajax.

Moe Hashim as Moe Bumbercatch (seasons 1–3), a Swiss midfielder who is close friends with Richard.

Ash Bayliss as Arlo Dixon, Richmond's English right back. He is named after Arlo White and Lee Dixon.

Flaurese as Gareth Canterbury (seasons 1–2), Richmond's reserve left back, who is from Slough. His name and hometown are a reference to the British version of The Office, namely its characters Gareth Keenan and Tim Canterbury.

Maximilian Osinski as Zava (season 3), a talented but eccentric striker. Zava has a tendency to only stay with clubs for a single season, single-handedly carrying their teams to victory. In Season 3, Zava initially intends to sign for Chelsea, but is swayed to join West Ham after a conversation with Rupert, and then eventually chooses to sign with Richmond after being convinced by Rebecca. Zava leads Richmond on a significant win-streak, before suddenly retiring from professional football to work on his family's avocado farm. At the end of Season 3, Zava sends his former Richmond teammates a care package consisting of T-shirts and a large avocado. Zava is based on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, with Osinski also basing his performance on French forward Eric Cantona."

Shannon Hayes as Shannon Stone, the recurring "Soccer Girl" who occasionally bumps into Ted around Richmond. In Season 4, Shannon applies to join Richmond via open tryout. Although she is not as skilled as the other players, Ted decides to accept her onto the women's team.

Other characters

Annette Badland as Mae Green, the landlady of the Crown and Anchor pub in Richmond. Frequented by Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, and AFC Richmond fans, the pub is a staunch part of the local community. At the end of the season 3, Mae has purchased a significant number of shares of AFC Richmond.

Gus Turner (seasons 1–3) and Grant Feely (season 4) as Henry Lasso, Ted's son.

Adam Colborne, Bronson Webb and Kevin Garry as Basil "Baz" Primrose, Jeremy Blumenthal, and Paul La Fleur, a trio of die-hard AFC Richmond fans and regulars at Mae's pub. The three regularly associate with coaches Ted Lasso and Coach Beard at the pub, and even spend an evening with the latter out on the town. At the end of season 3, the three have pooled their money to purchase a share of AFC Richmond.

Mary Roscoe as Julie Higgins (seasons 1–3), Leslie's wife. Mary Roscoe is married to actor Jeremy Swift, who plays her husband on the show.

Keeley Hazell as Bex (season 1; guest seasons 2–3), Rupert's new girlfriend and eventual third wife.

Ellie Taylor as Flo "Sassy" Collins, Rebecca's best friend who becomes attracted to Ted.

Tom Cotcher as Mr. Mann, an elderly AFC Richmond supporter who frequently subjects Ted to well-meaning abuse.

Phoebe Walsh as Jane Payne (season 2; guest seasons 1, 3–4), Coach Beard's on-and-off girlfriend, and eventual wife.

Elodie Blomfield as Phoebe (seasons 2–4; guest season 1), Roy's niece.

Bill Fellows as George Cartrick (season 2; guest seasons 1, 3), the former Richmond coach whom Ted replaced; later a panelist on Soccer Saturday, and Nate's replacement after he quits West Ham United.

Ruth Bradley as Ms. Bowen (season 2; guest season 3), Phoebe's teacher.

Andrea Anders as Michelle (Keller) Lasso (season 3; guest seasons 1, 2 & 4), Ted's ex-wife.

Edyta Budnik as Jade (season 3; guest season 2), the hostess of A Taste of Athens in Tooting, the Shelley family's favorite restaurant. Nate develops a crush on her, and successfully asks her out in Season 3.

Katy Wix as Barbara (seasons 3–4), CFO of KJPR and later joint head of KBPR, whose practical, no-nonsense personality often clashes with Keeley's sunny personality.

Ambreen Razia as Shandy Fine (season 3), a modelling friend of Keeley who joins KJPR

Jodi Balfour as Jack Danvers (season 3), a venture capitalist and the angel investor of Keeley Jones' PR firm. Jack and Keeley date briefly in Season 3, and eventually break up after falling out.

Rosie Lou as Ms. Kakes (season 3), Rupert's assistant at West Ham

Spencer Jones as Deryck (season 3), the owner of Nate's favorite restaurant

Precious Mustapha as Simi (season 3), chef at Sam's restaurant

Matteo van der Grijn as Matthijs (guest season 3; recurring season 4), a Dutch Airlines pilot who lives on a houseboat in Amsterdam. Matthijs meets Rebecca after a friendly match against Ajax, and helps her recover after she is knocked into the canal by an errant cyclist. The two eventually begin a romantic relationship, and he regularly visits Rebecca in Season 4.

Guests

Kieran O'Brien as James Tartt (seasons 1–3), Jamie's abusive father

Jimmy Akingbola as Ollie (season 1), Ted's driver when he arrives in England, who also works at his family's Indian restaurant

Kiki May as Nora (season 2), Sassy's teenage daughter and Rebecca's goddaughter

Harriet Walter as Deborah (seasons 2–4), Rebecca's mother

Sofia Barclay as Dr. Jenni O'Sullivan (seasons 2–4), an ER doctor and surgeon who treated Sharon after her bike accident, later confirmed to be Roy's sister and Phoebe's mother

Sam Richardson as Edwin Akufo (seasons 2–3), a petty Ghanaian billionaire who buys Raja Casablanca and tries to convince Sam to sign with the team

Edwin De La Renta as Francis (seasons 2–3), Edwin Akufo's assistant and handshake surrogate

Scott Van Pelt as himself (season 1), a SportsCenter anchor who breaks the news regarding Ted's hiring at AFC Richmond

Karen Johal as Nicole Shelley (season 3), Nate's sister

Sam Liu as Michael (season 3), Colin's boyfriend

Nonso Anozie as Ola Obisanya (seasons 2–3), Sam's father

Becky Ann Baker as Dottie Lasso (seasons 3–4), Ted's mother

Leanne Best as Georgie (season 3), Jamie's mother

Steve Edge as Simon (season 3), Jamie's stepfather

Laura Haddock as Dr. Erin Beaumont (season 4), a doctor at the local hospital, and Jenni's colleague. Roy meets her after a date (which ends poorly, when she realizes he is dating multiple women), as she treats him for his ensuing knee injury.

Tracey Ullman as Zelda Southport (season 4), a wildly eccentric entrepreneur who bankrolls various women's sports teams across Europe and the US, while also challenging the patriarchy.

Notable cameos

Many sports and television entertainment personalities appeared on the show, often appearing as themselves in cameo roles throughout the series:

Lloyd Griffith as Lloyd (seasons 1–3), one of the regular reporters at the AFC Richmond press conferences

Arlo White and Chris Powell as themselves (seasons 1–3), providing commentary for AFC Richmond's matches

Jeff Stelling (seasons 1–3), Chris Kamara (seasons 1–2), Paul Merson and Clinton Morrison (season 3) as themselves, as presenter and pundits on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, the show in which Roy briefly appears

Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker as themselves (seasons 2–3), playing soccer pundits.

Seema Jaswal and Ian Wright (season 2) as themselves, as a soccer TV show presenter and pundit

Fleur East as herself (season 2), the host of Lust Conquers All, the reality dating show that Jamie appears on

Mike Dean as himself (seasons 2–3), the referee who officiates several of AFC Richmond's games

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as themselves (season 2), presenters of ITV's This Morning who interview Jamie about his appearance on Lust Conquers All. Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond appear on the show in Season 4.

Eni Aluko as Georgia (season 2), a member of the street soccer team in the second season.

Peter Crouch, Tom Fordyce, and Chris Stark (seasons 2–3), who are members of That Peter Crouch Podcast are heard in radio show clips describing current events at Richmond.

Rebecca Lowe and Jermaine Jenas as themselves (season 3), presenter and pundit on the Premier League Round-up show. Lowe also appears in season 4 as a stadium commentator alongside Jill Scott.

Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles (season 3), who are heard (but not seen) as Canadian TV soccer commentators Lanny and Bruce in season 3's "International Break".

Pep Guardiola as himself (season 3), manager of Manchester City.

Kasali Casal, Lee Hendrie, Jermaine Pennant, George Elokobi and Jay Bothroyd as opposition players (seasons 1–3).

Episodes

Season 1 (2020)

Season 2 (2021)

Season 3 (2023)

Season 4 (2026)

Production

Development

Jason Sudeikis originally portrayed the title 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.

In about 2015, Sudeikis's then-girlfriend Olivia Wilde suggested that he revisit the character, perhaps in a story in which Lasso found his career direction change. Whereas the original Lasso was more broadly comic and, as Sudeikis described him, "belligerent", he decided to make Lasso more sympathetic for the television series, explaining his reason for doing so in a May 2023 interview with The Guardian:It was the culture we were living in. I'm not terribly active online and it even affected me. Then you have Donald Trump coming down the escalator. I was like, "OK, this is silly," and then what he unlocked in people ... I hated how people weren't listening to one another. Things became very binary and I don't think that's the way the world works. And, as a new parent – we had our son Otis in 2014 – it was like, "Boy, I don't want to add to this." Yeah, I just didn't want to portray it.

The series was commissioned in October 2019 by Apple TV+, with Sudeikis reprising the role. 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 would likely be a "three-season show" due to Sudeikis's limited availability beyond the third season, and that the story had a planned resolution within those three seasons. In June 2022, Brett Goldstein also commented that the series would end after three seasons—"We are writing it like that." In March 2023, Sudeikis said that the third season "is the end of this story that we wanted to tell", and that there are possibilities for spin-offs. In an interview published in August 2023, Declan Lowney, who directed multiple episodes of the series, reiterated that the third season was "the end for now" and that it would be "two or three years [from filming the season] before anything happens — if anything happens".

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 trophy starting from the third season. On March 6, 2022, a day before filming for season 3 began, Nike, Inc. posted on its 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.

Some sources have noted the many similarities between the character of Ted Lasso and Terry Smith, an American football head coach who became the first American to be the manager/head coach of a professional English soccer club. AppleMagazine.com (which is not affiliated with Apple Inc.) writes that the series "was actually inspired by the story of Terry Smith, an American gridiron football coach who took over the English association football team Chester City and subsequently installed himself as the first-team coach".

In June 2024, Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey talked about the possibility of Ted Lasso returning for a fourth season. In August 2024, cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift signed contracts for a possible fourth season. In March 2025, the series was officially greenlit for a fourth season and that it was in the early stages of production. Juno Temple and Brendan Hunt were later confirmed to be returning as well.

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 a video audition of some Roy Kent scenes was sent to the showrunner, Bill Lawrence, that Goldstein was added to the cast.

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

In March 2025, Sudeikis said that scripts for a fourth season were being written and that "Ted's coaching a women's team."

Casting

Theo Park is the series casting director. 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 to be from Latin America and portrayed by Cristo Fernández. The character 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 portrayed Nora, Sassy's teenaged daughter, in a recurring capacity during 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.

New cast members for the fourth season include Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely, who plays Ted's son, Henry, taking over the role from Gus Turner.

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 was 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 football, 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.

The show incorporates many real-life members of the British football 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 daytime ITV show This Morning also features in season 2.

For the second season, assistant director Sophie Worger hired former professional player Kasali Casal to manage the football choreography. Casal enlisted a team of former professional players to play for the opposition teams facing AFC Richmond during game scenes, these included former Premier League and England internationals Lee Hendrie and Jay Bothroyd, as well as former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant and Wolverhampton Wanderers defender George Elokobi.

Filming for the third season began on March 7, 2022. The series filmed on location in Amsterdam for the third season. With the emergence of Nate becoming West Ham United's head coach during season 3, the club's London Stadium was used for filming. Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea, was used for filming in the third season episode "4–5–1". The appearance sparked controversy amongst Chelsea supporters after the show's editing team modified a memorial banner for the late Chelsea player Ray Wilkins that was paid for by the club's supporters. The banner which reads "They don't make them like Ray anymore" was changed to read "Roy" to tie in with the storyline of Richmond coach Roy Kent returning to his old club. Owner Todd Boehly released a statement apologizing to fans and to Wilkins' family, claiming the deal with Apple was agreed before he had purchased the club.

During the third season, further Premier League stadiums including Manchester United's Old Trafford and Burnley's Turf Moor were briefly filmed for on-field action, while Dutch Eredivisie side AFC Ajax's Johan Cruyff Arena was used for on and off the field scenes at the beginning of the episode "Sunflowers". Later episodes in Season 3 also filmed at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and Manchester City's City of Manchester Stadium.

Production on season four began in July 2025, with some filming locations being scouted in Blue Springs, Missouri and other locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Filming began on July 21, with a photo of the main cast seated at Gates, a Kansas City barbecue restaurant. Other locations included scenes filmed at CPKC Stadium during a Kansas City Current match, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and Country Club Plaza. Filming shifted back to London later in summer 2025.

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.

In 2023, to coincide with the release of season 3, Nike released a full range of AFC Richmond merchandise including jerseys, hoodies, tracksuits, and practice shirts.

Release

The first season of 10 episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020. The first three episodes were released at once, followed by weekly installments of the remaining seven. A second season of 12 episodes premiered July 23, 2021.

In October 2020, it was renewed for a third season of 12 episodes, which premiered March 15, 2023.

In March 2025, it was announced that the series was renewed for a fourth season, which was set to premiere in summer 2026. In April 2026, it was announced the fourth season would premiere on August 5, 2026.

Reception

Critical response

Season 1

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. 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.

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 three out of five. Writing for The Guardian, Benjamin Lee gave it two out of five, 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 increased. After the eighth episode, 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 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 98% based on 125 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. 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.

Season 3

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 81% based on 207 reviews, with an average rating of 7.45/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Ted Lasso's third and possibly final season takes time to find its footing, but patient viewers who believe will find that they appreciate Coach as much as ever." Metacritic gave the third season a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 31 reviews.

Reception for the third season became progressively more mixed as it went on, with reviewers criticizing the extended episode runtimes, pacing, and characterization. A joint review published in Vulture described the third season as "bumbling", "tedious" and "discombobulated" compared to the first two, noting "a last-gap [sic] quality to these episodes and a hastiness to the storytelling that makes the show's internal world feel inexplicably small." The reviewers noted a decline across the season's various character arcs, which were said to "range from merely muddled to downright inexplicable", with particular criticism directed at Keeley and Nate's subplots. David Sims of The Atlantic felt the series had "devolv[ed] into ham-fisted, novelistic nonsense" in its pivot from its sitcom roots to a "prestige drama" in the third season. Sims lamented the hourlong episode runtimes, which he described as "a pure example of the excesses that can flourish on streaming television", and characterized the season overall as unfocused and lacking in conflict. Like Sims, Linda Holmes of NPR identified the season's separation of the cast as its primary weakness, suggesting that the series should "refocus on relationships" rather than give each character their own storyline. Jack King of GQ conversely felt the series had "markedly improved" in the third season, but found Sudeikis's "saccharine" lead character to be the "least interesting" part of the series.

Season 4

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 88% based on 125 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Ted Lasso marks its anticipated return with a fourth season that is equal parts recycled and refreshing, proving that the tried and true formula can still withstand new challenges thrown its way." Metacritic gave the season a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 30 reviews.

Awards and nominations

The first season received 20 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history at that time. 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.

The third season received 21 nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. It was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, Sudeikis for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Phil Dunster and Goldstein for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Temple and Waddingham for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Becky Ann Baker, Sarah Niles and Harriet Walter for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and the finale episode was nominated for both outstanding writing and directing. At the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Sam Richardson won for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Following the debut of the third season, the cast of Ted Lasso were invited by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to the White House to promote mental health and well-being, a theme that was featured in storylines during the second and third seasons of the show.

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.

The fourth season premiere received 296.6 million minutes viewed on its release date which was the biggest launch for an Apple TV series.

Other media

In December 2021, Apple TV+ released Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache, a four-minute claymation special.

In September 2022, it was announced that AFC Richmond and Nelson Road would appear in the video game FIFA 23. The team would be available in multiple online and offline modes, with players also able to select Ted Lasso to manage any team in the game, as well as have someone else manage the team.

Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way, a box-set containing seasons 1–3, was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 30, 2024. The same set was also released on 4K Blu-ray on December 2, 2025.

References

External links

Official website

Ted Lasso at IMDb