The English Premier League. A top draw football club. A new coach. The threat of relegation. An icy strict owner. And fans who are baying for blood. A show about football? And less than 10% time on the football field. Impossible did you say? Eat your words; it's true and how. Here is a super-duper show that is not just the perfect antidote for our melancholy times but has gone on to secure a whopping 20 Emmys - this is the most ever for season 1 of a television show!
Throw away that remote guys! Go watch #TedLasso on #AppleTV+ and feel good. I have always believed that sometimes the success of a show is about getting the timing right. All the moroseness in the last eighteen months post pandemic has got us completely down on the mat. How about a show that uplifts our mood? Just what the doctor ordered is showrunner #BillLawrence’s (#Scrubs, #Cougartown) new show. It has been created along with lead star #JasonSudeikis during the pandemic of 2020. This comedy centres around a culture -clash and is amazing testimony to how an absurd premise can be turned into a heartfelt comedy.
Ted Lasso (#JasonSudeikis) is an American summoned to coach Richmond AFC in the English Premier League; he is set to fail with every possible factor against him including the club owner Rebecca’s (#HannahWaddington) plot to run the club into the ground to spite her erstwhile husband. Season 1 of the show is all about how Ted with his unflinching optimism and in-your-face aggressive enthusiasm wins over not just the team, but also the fans and the viewers.
I am sure all of us have come across such characters. Whether it is the smile-in-a-trice face or the biscuits-for-the-boss every morning, I am sure you have wished for your moments of sorrowful solitude. #JasonSudeikis takes over from the sketch that he played in the NBC 2013 where he was head coach for Tottenham Hotspur FC and builds on it to perfect the character who hits the bullseye with this role. His relentless positivity converts a stadium full of fans yelling ‘wanker’ to cheer for him at the end.
#TedLasso is equally about building great characters. The success of a show is about finding the sweet spot with regard to its characters. Here the concept is that of the Found Family, where each of the characters is trying to fit in and be included. Whether is it Roy Kent (#BrettGoldstein) the ageing star who is battling a slowing body on the field or Nathan ‘Nate the Great’, the shy assistant or even the reticent Coach Beardo (#BrendanHunt).. The show is about building a set of unique characters whom you identify with. #BrettGoldstein, incidentally worked as one of the script writers on the show. One must make a menton of the vain Jamie Tartt (#PhilDunster) who moves to Manchester City.
The show has come in for rave reviews and also a fair bit of criticism for its over-the-top silly antics. When you look at it closely, it is an amalgamation of three concepts - the fish-out-of-water concept with workplace humour and the fandom of a sports movie all rolled into one. It works because under the surface of banal humour is deep consideration for the storyline and the characters - the feel good nature masks two protagonists battling painful divorces, a club battling reverses on the field and an ageing star who is battling his own demons.
The women in the show are a class act. Rebecca is the stern tall boss of the club who strikes up the most unlikely friendship with the influencer Keely Jones (#JunoTemple). Their relationship is something to watch out for. #Temple has gone on record to say how thrilled she is with the role “Women are such extraordinary characters, and we don't have to be competitive”.
#TedLasso is a must watch in as much as how it converts the absurd but simple premise into a powerful comedy backed up by witty humour, relatable characters and an exploration of human relationships. Some lessons I took away from Season1 : Smile matters a lot - it doesn't cost you anything but it can light up your day. Build relationships with all just like how Coach Ted does. Stay positive against all odds; do not get distracted by the naysayers and do not be afraid to take advice from your juniors. Here is a master class in how to keep a feel good show ahead of the game and never let it drift into the abyss of mushy syrup!
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