Why we need more TV shows like Ted Lasso...

Be Curious, Not Judgemental.

After finishing the two seasons of Ted Lasso, currently streaming on Apple TV, I felt a huge sense of responsibility to share this series with every single person I spoke to, but more importantly to the men in my life. I think Ted Lasso is incredibly important to us as a society, and this tv series only elevates why it is so necessary to have more shows like this in the future.

Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), a small time American football coach is hired to coach a professional football club in England, Richmond FC, despite having no experience coaching football at all. Along with the help from Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) and a plethora of mentors and friends including the likes of Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), we watch an incredible story of belief, humanity, love and loss all at the backdrop of the game of football.

Let’s talk about football. Now, that isn’t a sentence I thought I would ever be saying. It is a sport that for so long I have actively detested, which for a long time put me off wanting to watch this series. I have always liked Jason Sudeikis’ work, so that was a bonus, but the idea of having to watch 20 episodes about football was something that I truly felt like I would hate. But the truth is, I don’t think this series would be half as impactful if the backdrop was not football. No other sport would do this story justice, it had to be football. And why? Well, this series battles with mental health, sexual harassment, women’s rights, toxic masculinity and the politics behind the football world, name me another sport or topic that is truly going to entice the masses, and in particular the male population of the UK. Just in my household alone, the 3 men that I live with are all avid football fans who typically watch anything that has football in. So, why not use a platform like this one to cleverly highlight the issues we face in our world and hopefully positively impact the people in our society.

Toxic Masculinity - something that everybody is probably sick of hearing. But the truth of it is, this is still such a prevalent issue in our society. Toxic masculinity refers to traditional cultural masculine norms that can be harmful to society. This does not condemn men or male attributes, but rather emphasises the effects of conformity to certain traditional masculine ideals. The individual should not be blamed. Society has told men, you must behave these ways in order to make it as a man. But what this show does so incredibly effectively, is tell you, those constructs are made up, they are wrong and they do not make you more or less of a man. Let’s take the idea of mental and physical toughness. Men are taught to not cry, to be strong and be stoic. This is not a healthy way of living, it is incredibly damaging and harming to both the men and everyone else. Ted Lasso, and the male characters all deal with the effects of toxic masculinity, whilst also showing that a society in which men are able to show and share emotion is a working one, and proves to create better relationships. Ted Lasso himself deals with incredible emotional turmoil in the second season, struggling with frequent panic attacks and anxiety. Whilst he may eventually get the help he needs from a psychiatrist, it takes him a while. Lasso battles with the ideas that he is strong enough already, he doesn’t need help and it is all in his head. But, as the series shows us, getting that help made Lasso a stronger and better person and coach. Owning your vulnerabilities, reaching out for help and being the best version of yourself is, as Ted shows, the best way to be.

One quote that has truly stuck with me from this series is this; “I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad. Ain’t no one in this room alone”. Speaking to people and sharing your story is such a necessary thing for development and positive mental health and I really hope that this series shows everyone watching, but in particular the male audience, that speaking to people about things that may be bothering you, will only ever be a positive thing.

The way women are presented within this series is an incredible thing. The women are vulnerable, yet incredibly strong. They deal with hardships, yet they overcome. They have phenomenal relationships with men, yet are never dependant on them. They are also placed in a position of power, that the real world just isn’t ready to see yet, and yet, they do an unbelievable job of it. Take the character of Rebecca, who is played so incredibly by Hannah Waddingham. Rebecca owns Richmond FC and took over the role of owner from her husband, Rupert Mannion, after leaving him due to him cheating on her and seeing other women. Rebecca is an incredibly complex character, starting out as being actually quite cunning and manipulative, hiring Lasso purely to watch the club fail and get revenge on her ex-husband. Yet, as we see relationships blossom and her story developing, we actually see that she is an incredibly strong woman, who has had to deal with dishonesty and deceit her entire life, not only by the relationships she has had, but with her family as well. Seeing a woman being the owner of a football club is something that is so rarely seen in both TV and British sport in general, yet it was so unbelievably refreshing and empowering, and hopefully a look into a more equal sporting environment for the future. Rebecca takes no crap from no-one, and whilst is an incredibly sweet and loving person, these attributes never stop her from being the strong and powerful woman she is.

The relationship she forms with Keeley Jones is also an incredible partnership that is not often seen on screen. Two women who absolutely love each other, no competition, no fighting for the attention of men, just pure adoration of one another. They respect each other and share the bond that so many women share. Mainstream media loves to portray female friendships to have a secondary agenda of jealousy and hatred, but this is just not the case in the real world. Keeley as a singular character also goes on an incredible journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Keeley starts season one being a model and social media influencer, not feeling as though she is fulfilling her true destiny and potential. The character development we see from Keeley is some of the most organic and necessary I have ever seen in a TV series. She goes from model to CEO of her own PR firm. She deserves everything that is thrown her way, and she works so incredibly hard it is only more fulfilling for an audience member to see her progress through her journey. We also watch Keeley take control of her love life and leave a relationship that was unfulfilling her for and finding love in someone who truly loves her back. This behaviour is so rarely seen on screen, usually the female character must stay in the unhappy relationship and ultimately must please the man. Ted Lasso doesn’t do this. This show allows the women to explore relationships, and job roles until they feel happy within themselves. And both Keeley and Rebecca do this so incredibly.

The sense of camaraderie and friendship is what holds this show to such a high standard. Roy Kent, played by Brett Goldstein is a great example of this ability to be an incredible comedy character who empathises and shows emotion, whilst also being brutal and (sometimes too) honest. One of the best scenes in the whole series is the one shared between Roy and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster). When Jamie’s dad is not being the most supportive, Kent steps in to be a shoulder for Tartt to cry on. These two have had a tumultuous relationship, yet the maturity they both show in this scene is something to be commended. And proves, that no matter what, if you need someone, someone will be there for you. These two are great scene partners and share some of the funniest scenes together. I am so happy that a show like this was made as it has allowed some of the funniest, yet deeply connected relationships I have ever seen on a TV show. This pairing is a great example of this. Whilst they both might hate each other on the surface, they have a deep love and respect for each other, which, once again, is not often seen in male partnerships on TV.

The creators of this show must absolutely be commended for the effort and dedication put into this series, with 56 award nominations and 7 Primetime Emmy wins, it feels as though this show has been given a sense of justice. Developed by Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis himself, directed by a multitude of directors including Zach Braff, Declan Lowney and M.J. Delaney, this show is a feat of storytelling.

If you are a fan of an uplifting quote like me, here are a few of my absolute favourites from the show.

“Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong”.

“You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory”.

“If you care about someone, and you got a little love in your heart, their ain’t nothing you can’t get through together”.

I hope you watch this show at some point. It has become one of my all time favourite tv series’ to date. It is incredibly poignant, self-aware and filled with heart, but more importantly, it is so needed for our society today. I hope the success of this show will lead more TV executives to understand that not every series we watch need to be an epic sci-fi moment, or something filled with death and tragedy. Sometimes, we just need the story of a fish out of water American coach trying to navigate love and life in London. With the added aspect of football of course.

I will leave you with this, Barbecue Sauce.