There was a sense of finality to the way Ted Lasso put its third season to bed last summer. With the Richmond locker room at peace and the various storylines coming to a quiet close, it seemed only natural for the optimist with the mustache to make his way back to Kansas. But in the world of prestige television, hope is wont to come around again.
Apple TV has now put an end to speculation with a full trailer for Season 4, making it plain that Jason Sudeikis’s affable American coach has set up shop once more on British soil. The footage, which gives viewers their first proper look at what is shaping up to be a seismic change for the show, comes out in advance of the ten-episode run premiering next Wednesday, August 5. And while Ted is back, he will not be rejoining the men’s side that made the first three seasons what they were; he has a new challenge in store, one that involves a second-division women’s football team.
A New Pitch, Familiar Heart
One need not watch long to see that the old folksy wisdom and emotional openness are as much in evidence as ever, even if the surroundings are different. Sudeikis is welcomed by some old friends in Richmond: you will find Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, and Brett Goldstein in his Roy Kent skin, with Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift also returning to type.
The drama of the season, however, is squarely aimed at the Lady Greyhounds. The preview puts forward a lively cast of newcomers to the roster. There is Tanya Reynolds of Sex Education, for instance, playing Alice Chilton, a co-coach whose no-nonsense manner makes for a fine counterpoint to Ted’s good nature. Abbie Hern and Jude Mack are also on hand as the driven Gemma and the keen-eyed keeper Boots, respectively.
In moving on from the men’s Premier League, the showrunners have sidestepped the kind of repetition that can befall a series. This is a structural reset of sorts, allowing them to get at new mentoring relationships and the underfunding endemic to women’s sport, while the coaching staff learns to “leap before they look” in matters of personal stakes.
Ahead of the Premiere: A Look Behind the Scenes
The schedule for the rollout is set to a precise weekly rhythm. An inaugural episode will be on offer from August 5, with new ones coming every Wednesday until October 7. The creative side of things has been bolstered as well; Emmy winner Jack Burditt of 30 Rock and Modern Family is on board as an executive producer. His particular brand of sitcom acumen is a natural fit for veteran showrunners Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence.
Then there is the matter of the trailer, which leaves no doubt that the alchemy responsible for making a simple commercial tie-in into something of a cultural phenomenon is still in effect. Apple is putting its money down that the viewing public is prepared to be won over once more. If they are open to a Richmond AFC sans the old locker room regulars is another question entirely.
Reinvention Has Its Rewards
For a feel-good comedy, returning after one has put a neat bow on things is perhaps the greatest risk. Ted Lasso sidesteps any chance of going stale by turning its back on the men’s roster in favour of a women’s team. In doing so it demonstrates that what makes the show tick is not some league table but the rather messy and beautiful business of human change.