LOS ANGELES — The hit comedy "Ted Lasso" is back for Season 2, and the cast and crew are thrilled to remind fans that "futbol is indeed life."
After winning over fans with heartwarming comedy in 2020, the series from Apple TV+ returns on July 23 for a second season.
The show revolves around an endlessly likable American football coach uprooted to coach soccer in England's Premier League. "Ted Lasso," played by "SNL" alum Jason Sudeikis, earned 20 Emmy nominations, a record for a comedy series in its debut season. Since the critical acclaim, the series has climbed to the top of Apple TV+ viewership.
“The cool thing about 'Ted Lasso' is that it brings two things that bring the world together, which is sports and comedy,” said Moe Jeudy-Lamour, who plays goalkeeper Thierry Zoreaux of AFC Richmond, the fictional team Lasso is put in charge of.
The show's hook is the infallibly affable Lasso. A middling American football coach put in charge of a struggling English soccer club, he appears goofy and destined for failure. But he manages to win over his skeptics with unrelenting optimism.
The series digs deeper than comedy and has been embraced by athletes and fans across the sports world.
“Surprised? No, because I was forged by so many wonderful coaches and mentors through my athletic endeavors as I played sports into high school and college a little bit,” Sudeikis said. “Because sports is so much bigger than the wins and losses and people who do that for a living know it better than anyone.”
Shortly after the Emmy nominations were announced on July 13, the cast and crew of the show came together to kick-off a Season 2 premiere on Melrose with a blue carpet and screening that they were not able to host in 2020.
It was also an opportunity to celebrate the show’s unexpected success.
“I mean obviously I love the show, but we love everything we work on,” said show writer Ashley Nicole Black. “But I do think the timing of it, it came at a moment where we all needed a little kindness and joy.”
As for what fans can expect in Ted’s highly anticipated return to the field, the cast will leave you on the edge of your bleacher seat.
“Well Ted’s in it, so the title’s still legit,” said Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard and is also a writer on the show.
The second season is expected to follow in the footsteps of the first. Early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have rated "Ted Lasso" Season 2 an exceptional 100%.