Ted Lasso and TV’s strange quest to build a perfect man
TED LASSO WAS EITHER TV’S MOST OR least surprising breakout hit of 2020. On one hand, it was a sitcom adapted from a series of commercials and debuting on the relatively overlooked Apple TV+ platform. But it was also a sweet soccer comedy with a recognizable star, co-creator Jason Sudeikis, that arrived at a midlockdown moment when the demand for comfort viewing and sports content was surging.
The combination proved irresistible. Instead of disappearing on Apple TV+, it built word-of-mouth momentum to become the service’s first big hit. Sudeikis won a Golden Globe for his performance as an American-football coach imported to helm an English Premier League team, and the show recently scored 20 Emmy nominations. Fans, critics and awards voters all seemed to be responding to the show’s fundamental
