It’s Official: ‘Ted Lasso’ Will Return for a Fourth Season
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While there’s been ample evidence to believe that Apple’s most popular comedy series, Ted Lasso would be making a comeback for a new season, we’ve now heard the official word from the eponymous coach himself.
Following its summer 2020 premiere, Ted Lasso became a breakout hit, quickly rising to become the most-watched show on Apple TV+, dominating not only Apple’s streaming charts but also landing among the top shows across all streaming services.
When Season 2 debuted the following year, it brought in record viewers, and received 20 Emmy nominations — the most ever for a freshman comedy series — and racked up seven wins, including the overall category award for Outstanding Comedy Series, three for lead and support actors, and three for editing, sound mixing, and casting.
Needless to say, when Ted Lasso wrapped things up in season 3, it was hard to believe that was the last we’d see of the loveable American football coach and his homespun charm. Jason Sudeikis, who, in addition to starring as the title character, served as co-creator, executive producer, and head writer, said that season 3 was “the end of this story that we wanted to tell,” but never closed the door on the possibility of another story in the Lasso-verse.
The first oblique hint that the studio and producers behind Ted Lasso could be working on a fourth season came from Nick Mohammed, who plays Nate Shelley, who gave us a subtle wink that the “Complete Series” Blu-ray release might not be “complete.”
By August, industry insiders were reporting a potential comeback, citing the studios picking up contract options on key cast members to secure them for roles in a fourth season. Still, co-creator Bill Lawrence said the decision was ultimately up to Jason Sudeikis, who in a case of art imitating life, had also upended his world to move from the US to the UK to produce the first three seasons.
As evidence continued to amass of a fourth season starting production, we still heard no official word — plenty of hints and clues, but nothing from the man behind it all.
Until this week, that is. Sudeikis recently broke his silence on the New Heights podcast to confirm that yes, there is indeed a fourth installment in the works — although it may not be as far along as we thought.
While there were hints that filming would start soon, Sudeikis had nothing to say about when it will be ready, and he added that much of season 4 is still being written.
That makes it understandable that the star and executive producer didn’t want to discuss too many details, refusing or dodging questions about specifics for the new season. While he likely doesn’t want to spoil too many surprises, it’s possible he doesn’t even have some of the answers yet, as the team may not have made all the decisions about the direction they’re taking things in.
Nevertheless, Sudeikis did give us one juicy tidbit about the overall arc of the storyline. “Ted’s coaching a women’s team, so there, that’s it,” he said.
That aligns with a report we heard in early February that the new season would shift the focus to the formation of an AFC Richmond women’s team. However, it wasn’t clear at that point whether Ted Lasso would be back as a regular coach.
Not long after the podcast, Apple made it even more official, announcing that Ted Lasso has been renewed for a fourth season “with Jason Sudeikis reprising his award-winning role as the celebrated coach Ted Lasso.”
As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap, in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.
Jason Sudeikis
Neither Sudeikis nor Apple have given us any hints on who will return to the cast for Season 4. Apple’s press release confirms that Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) and Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) are returning to the writing team, so hopefully we’ll see their characters back in action again too.
Earlier reports suggested that an option on Goldstein had been picked up as an actor, along with Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins). There are also indications that Juno Temple (Keeley Jones) may return. However, Phil Dunster (Jamie Tart) has apparently moved on to other projects, and therefore will likely only be able to come back for a guest appearance or two.
Apple hasn’t said when Ted Lasso Season 4 is expected to debut, merely that it’s returning for a fourth season. The company will undoubtedly have more to say once it nails down a release date, but it appears to be in the very early stages of development, and there’s no indication filming has even begun yet.
