I usually review a book for the ‘Change for the Better’ newsletter but this month to mix things up, here’s something different – a review of the Apple TV+ show, Ted Lasso.
If you’re not familiar with it (what are you waiting for?), it’s a very warm-hearted comedy about football. Or at least that’s what you think when you first start watching it. An American football coach, (Ted Lasso), is bought over to England by an owner to transform her team, AFC Richmond. In the first series, we learnt that she in fact hoped that Ted was going to fail miserably as she wanted to get back at her ex-husband (who loved Richmond but lost the club in their divorce settlement). And things continued from there, along with a good helping of biscuits…
The wonder of Ted Lasso is that although football is the premise for the story, it’s not really about football at all. Ted is a wonderful character – he reminds me of Tigger - he’s full of energy. He’s hugely optimistic and has an unwavering belief in the goodness of humanity. This was completely unshakeable in the first series, even when Ted’s marriage was falling apart and he had “Wanker!” shouted at him from the stands at every game.
The show’s fan base has been gradually growing – even with the second series still showing, it has been nominated for an unbelievable 20 Emmy awards.
So, why do so many people love it? First off, we’re watching all the characters grow – in every episode (of between 30-45 minutes which are only released weekly – no binge watching folks) we learn something new. Aside from Ted, there is the icy-but-gradually-thawing Rebecca, the club’s owner, Roy Kent, a former champion league footballer learning to navigate retirement with his girlfriend Keeley, the club’s marketing manager and Nate, who’s been catapaulted into the limelight and as a result has spent much of series two learning how to be assertive and not aggressive in the shadow of a very overbearing dad. There’s Jamie Tartt, a striker and top scorer for the club who has the familiar personality traits (and hairbands) of many English champion league players.
Secondly, the cast is impressive but not packed with big TV names (although they’re becoming bigger by the day, thanks to the show). Jason Sudeikis who plays Ted is arguably the best known as a comedian and star of shows like Saturday Night Live in the US. Hannah Waddingham, who plays Rebecca has had an illustrious career in musicals in the West End; Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) is an award-winning actor, stand-up and writer and Juno Temple (Keeley) is best known for roles in films including ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Without these ‘big’ names, I’ve found it much easier to really concentrate on the characters and how they develop.
Thirdly, it’s full of fabulous one-liners that you end up invertedly repeating when you least expect it... Here are just a few…
“I believe in hope. I believe in Believe.”
Be curious. Not judgmental.”
You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? Got a ten-second memory. Be a goldfish, Sam.”
Jamie Tartt: “Coach, I’m me. Why would I want to be anything else?”
Ted: “I’m not sure you realise how psychologically healthy that actually is.”“I like the idea of someone becoming rich because of what they gave to the world, not just because of who their family is.”
“I listen more than I speak”
And finally… in the locker room and visible in every episode, is the homemade banner of ‘Believe’. And that’s what lies at the heart of this fabulously warm show. It makes me want to be kinder and more positive, it makes me laugh, cry (quite often), cringe out loud and smile, every week. Best of all, it reaffirms my belief that most people in this world are really, really good.
If you haven’t watched it yet, give it a try on an Apple TV+ trial. And let me know what you think.
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