Published Feb 14, 2026, 6:00 PM EST
Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.
TV comedies are very hit-and-miss in the streaming era, but Apple’s uplifting soccer sitcom Ted Lasso is a modern masterpiece. It’s rare that advertising is the basis of a truly great television series, but that’s exactly what happened with Ted Lasso. Jason Sudeikis originally created the character as a marketing mascot for NBC Sports’ coverage of Premier League football matches.
But when he fleshed out the character to lead his own series, it ended up being the show we all needed in a post-COVID world. Ted Lasso begins with an American football coach being hired by an English football team and finding himself way out of his depth. This quirky fish-out-of-water story paves the way for an insightful exploration of hope.
Ted Lasso Is A Modern Comedy Masterpiece
Ted Lasso is a modern masterpiece of TV comedy. It’s both a zany, lighthearted sitcom and a poignant exploration of issues affecting professional athletes: mental health, homophobia, racial prejudice. Roy Kent is one of the greatest TV characters of the decade so far, and the tone is beautifully uplifting.
Why Ted Lasso Feels So Different From Other Contemporary Comedies
When Ted Lasso arrived, it had become fashionable for TV comedies to take an ironic, detached approach. Dark, cynical comedies like BoJack Horseman and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia were being showered with praise, so that was the trend that most networks and streamers were chasing. We saw it in the grossout gags of Big Mouth and the bitter political satire of Veep.
But Ted Lasso completely flipped the script. It replaces the pessimism of Curb Your Enthusiasm with a refreshing sense of optimism. It’s part of a wave of feel-good comedies that came out around the same time: Bob’s Burgers, Schitt’s Creek, Mythic Quest. Ted Lasso is the poster child of this hopeful approach to the TV comedy.
Will Ted Lasso Season 4 Be As Good?
Ted Lasso is coming back for a fourth season, but the third season was advertised as the last. Ted Lasso’s season 3 finale felt like a truly conclusive ending to the story, so it’s risky to reopen that story and keep it going. Usually, when TV shows do this, it’s a fool’s errand that ruins the ending and undoes existing character development.
Having said that, I have faith in Ted Lasso’s creative team. This character and his story mean a lot to Sudeikis, so he wouldn’t have agreed to reprise the role and continue that story if he didn’t have an idea worthy of another season. So, I’m cautiously optimistic about Ted Lasso season 4. Remember: be curious, not judgmental.
English (US) ·