LOS ANGELES, Aug 3 — Apple TV’s popular football comedy series Ted Lasso is making its long-awaited return after a three-year hiatus, with the cast saying they quickly found their rhythm when production resumed.
Hannah Waddingham, who plays AFC Richmond president Rebecca Welton, said returning to the series felt natural despite the long break.
“It felt completely and utterly effortless,” Waddingham told AFP during a press event alongside co-stars Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple ahead of the Season 4 premiere.
Swift, who portrays club executive Leslie Higgins, said the cast immediately “hit the ground running” once filming restarted.
The new season, starring Jason Sudeikis as the optimistic American coach Ted Lasso, will take the story beyond England and into Kansas, where Ted is invited to manage a second-division women’s football team.
Juno Temple, who plays former model-turned-publicist Keeley Jones, said filming in Kansas helped the cast understand the personal inspirations behind the character and the series, which was co-created by Sudeikis.
“It felt like a really special way to come back again, to be slightly out of our comfort zone,” she said.
Highlighting Women’s Football
Since its debut on Apple TV in 2020, Ted Lasso has become one of the platform’s most successful original series, earning widespread praise for its humour, emotional storytelling and positive message.
The show recently promoted its return with a special appearance featuring Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, during the halftime show of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
The upcoming season will bring back familiar characters including Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton, Keeley Jones, Leslie Higgins, Coach Beard and AFC Richmond captain Roy Kent, played by Brett Goldstein.
However, the series will also introduce new characters as it explores a new team environment, focusing on the challenges faced by female football players and their fight for recognition.
Faye Marsay, who joins the cast as sharp-tongued defender Lizzie, said the show provides an opportunity to highlight important issues affecting women’s sport.
She said the series will explore topics such as motherhood, equality and opportunities for female athletes in a subtle and meaningful way rather than forcing messages onto viewers.
Apple TV will release new episodes of Ted Lasso weekly, with the season finale scheduled to premiere on October 7. — AFP
source: ted-lasso-returns-three-years-later-with-a-new-team-and-fresh-goals/
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