Ted Lasso Season 4 - Will It Ever Happen?
The world needs "Ted Lasso" Season 4. Developed by Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Bill Lawrence, the Apple TV+ series ran for three seasons, proving — more than anyone could ever anticipate, especially these days — that comedy can exist without being overly cynical or sarcastic. It's also a special show for another reason: It debuted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in August 2020 and brought a glimmer of joy when everyone's morale hit at an all-time low. The wholesome and earnest soccer coach didn't just make AFC Richmond believe in themselves and their potential to overcome obstacles, but he also did the same for viewers at home.
It's not often that a sports-oriented show connects with an audience on such a meaningful level, but "Ted Lasso" did just that. It became a worldwide phenomenon, even resulting in Ted and his players becoming a part of the video game "FIFA 23." In many ways, it also matured into a pivotal series for the Apple TV+ streaming service, as it brought more eyes and attention to the platform, which seemingly values quality over quantity in its offerings.
While the third season was billed as the proverbial end of the road for Ted, hope remains that "Ted Lasso" Season 4 could happen and that he could find his way back onto our screens. To quote the great coach himself: "If you care about someone, and you got a little love in your heart, there ain't nothing you can't get through together."
Why isn't Ted Lasso Season 4 happening yet?
Before "Ted Lasso" Season 3 debuted, news spread that the show could be reaching its finish line. Much like in real-life soccer, Ted's time as a manager of a Premier League club was coming to an end and it was time to part ways. However, he didn't head off to the lucrative Saudi Pro League or choose to manage Real Madrid in the next phase of his career. Instead, Ted left AFC Richmond on his own terms and returned to America to be with his son, Henry (Gus Turner).
Speaking to ET, actor Jason Sudeikis revealed the plan was always for the show to run as a three-season arc, and that never changed. "I mean, that's how we went about writing it, that we wanted to close up this chapter of it," he said, adding how certain plans did evolve in the writers' room and due to casting choices, but the initial story outline stayed consistent throughout.
However, this shouldn't have been much of a surprise to anyone paying attention to the press around the series. There had already been talk about the show concluding after three seasons, with even Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent and also writes "Ted Lasso," stating Season 3 was being written as the last in June 2022. Maybe fans noticed these comments but held out hope that something (see: bags of money) could change everyone's minds about it.
What Jason Sudeikis has said about Ted Lasso Season 4
As "Ted Lasso" Season 3 reached its conclusion, and the news spread that the curtain would drop on the wildly popular Apple TV+ show, fans began to take to social media and ask that more episodes be produced. After all, soccer has a nice mid-season winter break for the players and managers, so what's stopping Ted from taking some time off and coming back for the beginning of the next Premier League season?
Reiterating the same message as before, though, Jason Sudeikis told the "Fly on the Wall" podcast (via HuffPost) that the chances of "Ted Lasso" Season 4 happening are next to zilch. "This story is done," he said. "It sounds like such a political answer, but it's the truth. We only conceived these three [seasons], then this thing became this big old thing."
However, Sudeikis added there had been consideration about doing accompanying podcasts or a book about the show, as well as the possibility of a spin-off. That last bit caught everyone's attention, especially since there is an endless stream of entertaining and quirky characters in the "Ted Lasso" universe that could easily front their own show or miniseries. In fact, it's more than possible there could be several spin-offs rather than just one.
What Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein have said about continuing
As the co-creator of "Ted Lasso" and the actor who portrays Coach Beard, Brendan Hunt seems expertly positioned to know the inner workings of what is happening with the franchise and what may and may not occur going forward. Unlike Jason Sudeikis, who sounded quite adamant that the third season was it, Hunt provided a slightly different and more optimistic response about its future to Deadline.
"It's not necessarily the end of the series. It's just likely the end of this story because we always saw it as a three-part thing," Hunt said. "We never even knew for sure we'd be able to tell all three parts – and suddenly, here we are. So, there will be some type of closure to this beat but closure is not necessarily the end."
Hunt joked that "Ted Lasso" Season 4 could follow Coach Beard and his new band as they go on travel adventures, while co-star Brett Goldstein also weighed in with his hilarious pitch for a follow-up. Goldstein quipped that the main characters all die and the next season should follow a poltergeist version of Ted at AFC Richmond. Surely, a happy-go-lucky do-gooder who wants to be everyone's friend essentially echoes the plot of "Casper the Friendly Ghost," though?
What Nick Mohammed has said about another season
One character who receives quite the dynamic arc in "Ted Lasso" Season 3 is Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed). In previous seasons, he took the journey from kit man at AFC Richmond to assistant coach before betraying Ted and joining forces with Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head) at West Ham United. However, it's clear as day to viewers that Nate has a good heart and would come to regret his actions in Season 3, which he does. The prodigal son returns home and makes amends with Ted and the others in the end.
Mohammed confirmed to Entertainment Weekly his awareness that "Ted Lasso" would only run three seasons; however, he held hope it could continue. "I feel like the writers were really open at the start and said that in their heads they'd mapped out three-season arcs," he said. "But that doesn't mean that it definitely has to come to an end. There's no reason why it couldn't continue. So, we'll see. I hope there's more, but who knows."
As a character, Nate remains interesting enough to headline his own show. In Season 3, viewers receive titbits about his past, which help to paint a better picture of him as a person. Perhaps a prequel series about Nate before his time at AFC Richmond — think "Better Call Saul" — could be an angle to take as the audience explores one of the show's most endearing personalities.
What Hannah Waddingham has said about a potential spin-off
The consensus among the cast and crew of "Ted Lasso" is that a spin-off series of sorts seems likely. The groundwork has been laid by the show, and even the end of Season 3 suggests that AFC Richmond owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), and her best friend, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), could be on the verge of starting a women's league.
For Waddingham, she only ever gushes about her time on the show, confirming it was a fantastic experience to The Los Angeles Times. She explained that if Rebecca's story continued, which she thinks it should, she wants to be the person to do it. Waddingham also revealed how both she and Temple were taken aback when they realized the potential for the spin-off in the script. "When Juno and I read that, we didn't know how we wanted to convey our excitement about the potential of that," she said. "I was meant to look up from the folder and just be like, 'Oh, it's on.' But we couldn't contain our excitement. So if you look at it, we do have a moment of 'Aghhhh!'"
Women's soccer exploded in popularity in recent years — thanks to the wider global coverage of the FIFA Women's World Cup and serious investment in the sport — so it's only fitting that two of the most beloved characters from "Ted Lasso" would lead the next step in this revolution.
What could be explored in a new season
A common belief holds that if soccer courses through your veins, it's hard to ignore it. Once you acquire a taste for the thrills, spills, and overall excitement of "The Beautiful Game," you can't turn it off and move on to something else. Ted Lasso, when he joined AFC Richmond, knew little about the sport and its rules. By the time he leaves the club, it resides deep in his heart, so much so that he coaches his son's soccer team when he gets back to America.
Instead of returning to AFC Richmond, "Ted Lasso" Season 4 could explore the affable coach in his own home country as he takes control of an MLS team, or even a college team, and needs to inspire and encourage a new band of misfits to success. Heck, depending on the budget, maybe Ted might take the reins at Inter Miami and coach Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and the rest of the crew there.
Alternatively, "Ted Lasso" Season 4 may be about AFC Richmond without Ted. Now that Roy Kent runs the show — with Coach Beard and Nate Shelley by his side — it could follow the team's journey and what soccer (and life) lessons they learned from their former American coach. Maybe Ted could pop in for the odd episode or even chat with the Diamond Dogs via video chat every so often to keep traditions alive.
Who would star in Ted Lasso Season 4?
The cast for a potential "Ted Lasso" Season 4 depends on the direction the show takes. If it's a spin-off — as has been speculated and mentioned by several cast members and the producers — one of the biggest teases of the Season 3 finale surrounds the AFC Richmond women's league. Undoubtedly, this venture would be led by Rebecca Welton and Keeley Jones, which means actors Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple are sure bets to return to their old stomping grounds.
In the case that Ted himself returns for another season — whether to England or elsewhere — this means Jason Sudeikis would need to play the part. Unfortunately, in terms of this character, a recast would simply not work. It's the equivalent of trying to replace Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia in "The Witcher"... oh, wait!
Alternatively, if "Ted Lasso" Season 4 tracks Roy Kent and the team at AFC Richmond now, then Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Nick Mohammed would likely return as Roy Kent, Coach Beard, and Nate Shelley, respectively. For the squad players, it wouldn't be the same without Phil Dunster's Jamie Tartt, Toheeb Jimoh's Sam Obisanya, Cristo Fernández's Dani Rojas, and Kola Bokinni's Isaac McAdoo, who have become major pillars of the show. If they don't return, though, the Jamie Tartt chant (sung to the tune of "Baby Shark") must live on in some way or other.
What fans have said about a new season?
Without question, "Ted Lasso" Season 3 ranks as the show's most controversial. Unlike the previous two seasons, which had been runaway hits, criticism targeted the lengthy runtime of the episodes and the fact the show became too serious for its own good. Since this was billed as the final season, fans wanted more of the "Oh-Shucks" Ted rather than the person going through an existential crisis for the entire season. As a result, many fans feel the show deserves a proper sendoff and should be more like what brought it to the dance in the first place.
And fans haven't been shy on social media, either, when it comes to throwing around theories and speculation about "Ted Lasso's" future. Some have pointed out how Ted suggests to journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance) that he should change his book's title to "The Richmond Way," since it has never been about the coach in the first place. For some, this is a dead giveaway that the story shall continue — but without Ted — and follow the rest of the squad on their quest to soccer glory.
Most fans appear to be in agreement that a spin-off will likely happen at some point; however, they aren't too sure if it will be as good or riveting as the original series. Nonetheless, they are excited about the potential of seeing AFC Richmond's story develop in some shape or form.
Apple TV may have inadvertently confirmed what Season 4 would be about
"So Long, Farewell," the final episode of "Ted Lasso" Season 3, aired on May 31, 2023. It was an emotional time for fans, as they bade adios to Ted and the colorful group of characters that had wormed their way into everyone's hearts. However, a week later, Apple TV's official X account (formerly known as Twitter) posted something that can only be akin to Jim Carrey's Lloyd Christmas looking at Lauren Holly's Mary Swanson in 1994's "Dumb and Dumber," and saying, "So, you're telling me there's a chance?"
The post features a picture of Coach Beard, Roy Kent, and Nate Shelley in the AFC Richmond locker room with the caption: "Smells like potential." Naturally, this stoked the fires of fandom, as people believed it may have been confirmation of a continuation of the show. Fans begged for more information under the post, but Apple remained more silent than a student who had their debt cleared due to a clerical error.
No one besides the original poster knows the aim of that post; however, it served as a curious tease. Maybe it is a hint of things to come in the future. Or, it may have been a way of sniffing out how the fanbase would react to a potential "Ted Lasso" Season 4 without Ted.
What about a Ted Lasso movie?
One of the potentially biggest challenges to making "Ted Lasso" Season 4? The availability of star Jason Sudeikis. Even before the show hit it big, Sudeikis was an in-demand and established Hollywood actor, having starred in mainstream films such as "Horrible Bosses," "Masterminds," and "Hall Pass." While he might like the thought of playing Ted on an ongoing basis, it's challenging to shoot a show and commit to other film projects at the same time. He may have the itch to do something else rather than tweeze his mustache on a daily basis.
As such, it's easy to see his hesitancy to continue beyond three seasons, especially if he wants to maintain his big-screen career. However, consider this potential solution to the problem: a "Ted Lasso" movie. Many comedy series finish up their initial run, only to return later on for a film — or two. Nothing is stopping Ted and AFC Richmond from doing the same here in a feature film, which could even be distributed on Apple TV+.
If this doesn't happen, it seems unlikely that Sudeikis will return for "Ted Lasso" Season 4. Instead, there's a better chance of seeing the series carry on without the kind, gentle-hearted soccer coach who always has a word of wisdom or encouragement for others.