You just never know when an unassuming little TV show will turn into a bona fide cultural phenomenon. You certainly don’t expect it from a show based on a television commercial character.

But that is, indeed, the origin of Ted Lasso. Jason Sudeikis first embodied a version of Ted in a series of ads for NBC Sports. This Coach Lasso was more confrontational and more persistently obtuse, but Sudeikis only had a few minutes to bring the character to life.

When the monumental decision was made to turn this commercial character into a TV series, Sudeikis wanted to tone Ted down. He was dismayed at the animosity in the world and wanted to be part of the solution instead of contributing to the problem.

I firmly believe that it was Sudeikis, and this attitude, that changed the tide for Ted Lasso. Instead of bringing another know-it-all, tone deaf American into the world, he brought us a gentle fish out of water. Ted became the balm for a weary country, exhausted by years of political and cultural turbulence and cruelty and crushed by a relentless pandemic.

To call Ted Lasso Comfort Content is accurate, but fails to capture the nuance of this brilliant portrayal of humanity at its finest. In its 34 episodes we find unrelenting positivity, unconditional acceptance, continuous character growth, and a production determined to put something good into the world.

There has been a lot of talk since the final season of Ted Lasso ended in 2023 of seeing it return in some form in the future. I think we would all love to revisit Ted, Coach Beard, Roy, Rebecca, Keeley, Jamie, Nate, and Higgins. The world has gotten no kinder since the end of season three. We still need the promise of even a fictional world where good deeds do go unpunished.

Please enjoy my reviews of the three existing seasons of Ted Lasso, as well as the original incarnation of the character for NBC Sports. You’ll find Ted Lasso streaming on Apple TV+.