How England's Lionesses' Euros victory inspired Ted Lasso to return for season 4
It’s finally happening - after a three-year break, Ted Lasso is officially back with a fourth season - and this time, everyone’s favourite football coach is turning his attention to a women’s team.
The first episode of the award-winning Apple TV show dropped on Wednesday (5 August), with the instalments dropping on a weekly basis.
After quitting and moving back to Kansas City to spend more time with his young son Henry, the new season sees Jason Sudeikis' beloved character return to southwest London to take AFC Richmond's Lady Greyhounds under his wing.
The news of a fourth season initially came as a huge shock to fans, after Sudeikis lamented two years ago that the story was ‘done’ and they only ‘conceived these three series’.
Advert
However, one specific football event prompted the creator and star to do a huge U-turn and bring the character back, to the delight of fans.
Creators Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt revealed that the team were filming season three during the 2022 Women’s Euros.
They watched on as England’s Lionesses took home the trophy, sealing their place in history and marking the first time since 1966 that any senior England football team had won a major championship.
A lightbulb moment took place, and the gang were inspired to ‘respond to the world around them’ and bring back their hit soccer comedy,
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight last week, co-creator Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, explained: “Well, when we were shooting season three, the England women’s national football team won the European Championship, which is a massive deal.
“We were there for that whole thing; we were watching. The country had not completely warmed up to that team yet, or maybe women’s football in general.”
He recalled: “And so we were, you know, in real time watching this transformation of England catching up to women’s football and everyone, by the end of the tournament, going ape s***.”
Sudekis chimed in with: “You know, our women’s team had been kicking butt for years, so we’re like...” to which Hunt interrupted: “You’re just on board now?! You invented this game.
“And that just put women’s football really in the air for us. And then we met a couple of members of the team, separately and randomly, and yeah, already being fans of women’s sports…”
He teased: “If we were gonna maybe come back, why don’t we leave a little breadcrumb here in the Rebecca and Keeley part of the montage and we’ll see about it.
“But yeah, it’s another case where we’re just trying to respond to the world around us. It came to us more than we came to it, I think.”
As reported by Elle Magazine, the writers actually consulted with real-life players like Lionesses captain Leah William, as well as sports psychologists and coaches, to ensure the storylines were authentic.
What can we expect from Ted Lasso season 4?
The show will be made up of weekly episodes that will air every Wednesday on Apple TV until 7 October.
After season three, the story was left off with Ted moving back to the US after succeeding at getting FC Richmond’s men’s team back into the Premier League, where they finished second.
Season four kicks off with Ted returning to England three years after he left Richmond, to coach the newly established, second-division women’s football team.
The synopsis teases that ‘throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would’.
Starring in the show alongside Sudekis and Hunt are returning characters, AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and director of football operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift).
Meanwhile, the new additions to the cast include Sex Education actress Tanya Reynolds, who plays Ted's assistant coach, Alice; Adolescence star Faye Marsay, who portrays footballer Lizzie; and Grant Feely, who steps into the shoes of Ted’s son, Henry.
As for everything else, we’ll have to wait and see! I, for one, can’t wait to see what the series brings for its big return…
Topics: Entertainment, TV And Film, Sport, Football, Celebrity
Madison Burgess