This year, Apple TV has brought back some of its biggest fan-favorite series with acclaimed new seasons. Shrinking Season 3 released in January, For All Mankind returned in March, followed by Season 2 of Jon Hamm‘s Your Friends & Neighbors in April, while Silo recently premiered its highly anticipated third season. The streamer still has several major returning titles to come, including Slow Horses, Dark Matter and perhaps the most anticipated of them all, Ted Lasso. With the multi-Emmy-winning comedy finally set to return after three years away, new details have emerged about what lies ahead.
When Ted Lasso concluded its third season in 2023, the finale felt like a fitting farewell, bringing the stories of its central characters to a satisfying close. But the comedy’s enduring popularity, coupled with Jason Sudeikis‘ admission that he realized he needed the show as much as its fans did, inspired the formation of another chapter. However, rather than loosening tight threads from the past to continue the story, Season 4 will focus on a new set of players who make up AFC Richmond’s newly formed women’s team. After stepping away to prioritize his family and mental well-being, Coach Ted will once again find himself in unfamiliar territory as he takes on the challenge of coaching the club’s women’s side.
Now, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sudeikis revealed that he has already mapped out a long-term plan for Ted Lasso‘s return. Much like the original run, the new era is envisioned as a three-season arc centered on the new players. While the premise could easily have served as the foundation for a spin-off, the choice to instead continue under the Ted Lasso banner was perhaps an intentional effort to preserve the spirit and identity that made it a sensation. Fellow star Brett Goldstein also expressed confidence in the new season, saying it recaptures much of the magic that made Season 1 so beloved. Sudeikis further revealed that the opening episodes will feature a shorter runtime than those in Season 3; however, how this could impact some of the issues viewers criticized in Season 3 remains to be seen.
Who Else Is Coming Back in ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4?
Ted Lasso Season 4 is keeping much of its championship-winning lineup intact, which bodes well for fan reception as they won’t have to spend too much time getting acquainted with an entirely new squad. Goldstein returns as Roy Kent, who begins the new season as AFC Richmond’s head coach, while Brendan Hunt is back on the touchline as the ever-reliable Coach Beard. Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham also reprises her role as club owner Rebecca Welton. New signings include Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education), Faye Marsay (Andor), and Abbie Hern (My Lady Jane), while Grant Feely takes over the role of Ted’s son, Henry.
Whether Apple TV extends the series beyond Season 4 will essentially depend on how audiences respond, but Sudeikis is confident and is already taking a leap of faith, revealing that the writers’ room for Season 5’s story is set to open this August. If Season 4 can rediscover the winning formula that made Ted Lasso a sensation, the series could be well on its way to a return leg victory when it kicks off on August 5. Fingers crossed.
via Collider