Ted Lasso is the show that all of us didn’t know we needed. It came into our lives at the right time, just when we needed these characters and their journeys. Ted Lasso, the character, came into our lives right when we needed something caring and hopeful to lean on during times of despair and uncertainty. That’s a lot to put on one TV show, but Ted Lasso deserves all that love.
For me, I know that it’s been a safe place to turn to during the last year. From the outpouring of love on social media, I know that I am not alone in that. That’s why we are thrilled to tell you about a few of our favorite moments from the Ted Lasso panel at PaleyFest 2021.
1. Story Matters to this Comedy
Jason Sudeikis, co-creator, executive producer, and Ted Lasso himself, shared that the creative team ended up cutting more jokes than stories while making Season 1. This may seem like a weird point to commend the show’s team for, but it’s a testament to this show’s heart.
It’s a hilarious show with a lot of heart, and that’s represented through the great jokes it tells. Most importantly, Ted Lasso put its giant heart on display through the complex characters’ stories. Those characters are what make the jokes even funnier and even more meaningful.
2. Just the Beginning
Thankfully, Ted Lasso has been renewed for not only a second season but a third season, as well. The cast and crew couldn’t offer any specific details about the upcoming seasons, but they did tease that Season 1 is only the beginning. Bill Lawrence, co-creator and executive producer, spoke about how exciting that is for him as a writer since there is so much richness to explore with these characters.
Spoiler alert! He cites Nate the Great’s promotion in the season finale as something that could have been the end of Nate’s story, but on Ted Lasso, it’s the beginning of a whole new journey for him. That is true; there are so many places these characters can go next with the way Season 1 ended.
3. Appreciation for Keeley
Juno Temple, who plays the ever bubbly Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso, spoke about her deep love for her character. It’s heartwarming to hear that Keeley’s perspective on life has even rubbed off on the woman who brings her to life on screen just as much as it has on us. Temple describes Keeley as “an injection of light,” and I couldn’t agree more. We could all use a little more of that in our lives.
4. More Than a Cast
Hannah Waddingham, who plays the iconic Rebecca Welton, talked about her gratitude that the show brought this group of people together. She sees Ted Lasso “as one of the most significant things” in her life and “certainly the most significant thing” in her career.
Furthermore, she said that she didn’t know that she needed this group of people in her life in different ways until Ted Lasso brought them all together. Waddingham speaks to how the show has been able to be that for people, something they didn’t know they needed, and the cast and crew are not excluded from that phenomenon. Ted Lasso is magical, you all.
5. Roy’s Perspective
With Sudeikis’ approval, Brett Goldstein, a writer on the show and the actor who portrays Roy Kent, shared a bit more about what’s going on with Roy during Season 1. According to Goldstein, it’s “quite dark,” but it’s Roy’s truth. Goldstein shared that Roy “never had a plan after football.” Roy is battling depression and grappling with the hard truth that he only has one good season of football left in him. In that sense, Roy’s dealing with a life where he has to exist outside of what he’s always been known for doing. That’s a lot for anyone to take on.
Thankfully, Roy has a good support system. Keeley and his niece Phoebe are major bright spots in Roy’s life. To that end, Temple chimed in about Keeley’s role in Roy’s life and shared some great advice for not only their characters but anyone who needs to hear it. She said:
“But I think that’s such a truth: That you can’t save anyone. You can only love them. Do you know what I mean? And then they have to save themselves. As a human, you need to be loved. If you hate yourself and you need saving, being loved is going to be what makes you feel like saving yourselves.”
6. It’s All about Mentorship
Finally, Lawrence spoke about what Ted Lasso is all about: mentorship. He said that Sudeikis had to remind him of this throughline for the series. This framework for the show adds a whole new layer to your next rewatch because you can see all the various mentorships throughout the first season. Some are more conventional than others, but all of them are impactful.
The characters on Ted Lasso try (some more reluctantly than others) to help each other and offer a new path to go down. There’s something noble in that, but there’s also a deep level of compassion and empathy.
No wonder we all keep turning to Ted Lasso, especially now.
You can watch the entire Ted Lasso discussion and more at the Paley Center’s dedicated channel on Verizon Media’s Yahoo Entertainment.
Season 1 of Ted Lasso is streaming now on Apple TV+.
