Ted Lasso: Season 1 (2020) Cre: Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt & Joe Kelly
- Ridley Coote
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
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This Apple TV original show, created by the likes of Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, is one I've wanted to watch for a long time. This was not only because of its positive reception amongst audiences and critics alike, but because it looked like something a little different from my usual watches.
I think my main concern about the show would be how it would manage the football side and the character side of it. I am a fan of football, but I've never thought it looks that good when done in films and TV. It almost always looks very fake. Thankfully, the show was far more centred around the people involved with the club; AFC Richmond, than the football itself, and the scenes where there were games, were usually quote brief.
I was taken by how surprisingly wholesome and heartfelt the series was - there were legitimately some very sweet moments. Some of it was genuinely quite heartwarming. There was plenty of humour too, so it all balanced out nicely. It was quite a comforting watch, in truth.
I thought the story's biggest positive was its consistent character development. It felt like the key characters all had nicely defined arcs, many of them based on some of the show's core themes; gaining self-confidence, moving on, having empathy, showing leadership, etc. It was very satisfying to watch.
I don't always love the acting of Jason Sudeikis, but this character was just perfect for his blend of lighthearted comedy. He was wonderful. Everything he did just felt so natural and believable, and it was such a pleasure seeing the way Sudeikis played him. What his performance is evidence of, is near-perfect casting.
Hannah Waddington was another who was just excellent in her role. I loved her acting, particularly the somewhat dry manner of her comedy, which worked a charm. She, much like Sudeikis, felt very natural in her role - she both looked and felt the part, and provided some excellently balanced moments. I was particularly keen on her portrayal of growth throughout the season, it was lovely to see.
Juno Temple very quickly became one of my favourite actors, and characters, in the series. She was lovely. Her character was written brilliantly, and Temple matched that with her highly endearing performing. She may even have been my favourite person to watch in the whole series - she really was very good and very likable.
Some of the other standouts of the season were Brett Goldstein and Nick Muhammad, who made for some wonderful supporting characters, as well as Anthony Head, who was a brilliantly hateable antagonist. Aside from those names, I thought that Phil Dunster, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift, also deserved mentions for their roles throughout the season.
Overall, this was a very pleasant and highly watchable series, one which I am very glad that I started. No doubt I'll binge the rest of this show fairly quickly - it's very easy television. If the subsequent seasons maintained this level of character development and good-natured comedy, I will most definitely enjoy them a great deal.
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