TED LASSO Hired For This Team

Article first published as TV Review: TED LASSO on Seat42F.

This past Friday, Apple TV Plus launched TED LASSO, a half-hour dramedy about a perpetually cheery amateur football coach from the United States hired to head a pro-level football team in the UK. And as you probably know, football in the UK is not the same as football in the US; they’re two different sports. No, this is not a mistake, the decision to hire Ted was purposeful, and now we’ll see how this guy does in an extreme fish-out-of-water scenario.

I’ll be honest, I did not expect to like TED LASSO just from the logline. I’m not a big fan of sports (or a fan at all), and I hate dumb-guy comedies, especially where the jokes are played on the man’s ignorance. But because it was created by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) and Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live), the latter of whom also stars, and both of whom have delivered funny very well in the past, I tried to keep an open mind going in.

Boy, am I glad that I did. TED LASSO is wonderful. It’s not dumb-guy comedy, and while there are humorous jokes, it’s not a straight-out comedy at all. It’s a moving piece with layered characters and emotional situations that will tug your heart strings just as often as it tickles your funny bone. And in the first two episodes, it’s not about sports at all. (Though, if it later becomes so, Friday Night Lights has already proven that good television trumps a distaste for athletics.)

Much of the success of Lasso can be credited to the writing. But much can also be credited to Sudeikis’ performance as the titular character. It would be so easy to dismiss Ted on his face. Yet, Sudeikis plays him with genuine earnestness and depth that keeps him from being a cartoon. Small scenes, when Ted is alone in his apartment or on the phone, prove just how much his caring is genuine, not an act at all. His coaching style, one in which he focuses way more on team cohesion than logistics of play, is also inspiring and one can see how it would work – when the team already has plenty of talent to make up the other side.

Though, it’s quite possible that Ted’s assistant, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt, Bless This Mess), is the one who actually knows how the game is played and helps on that front. I think there is more to Coach Beard’s words about “fast” in episode two than plays for the joke. So together, they make a decent manager.

TED LASSO avoids dropping into the typical out-of-one’s-element tropes by making Ted curious and accepting of his surroundings, as he is about the team. There are exceptions, of course; Ted hates tea. But by minimizing that element, it keeps the show from being too silly.

Perhaps the main draw is a message that optimism can win. In these dark times, it’s easy to give in to the hate and vitriolic and tension between sides in this country, and around the world. So often, we dismiss our fellow humans because of their beliefs, and while we may often feel justified (maybe actually be justified) in doing so, it’s heart-warming and hopeful to see someone approaching things differently and succeeding.

Of course, Ted will still have his fair share of obstacles to overcome. The main antagonist is revealed at the end of the pilot, and I was pretty surprised. Though I also see how Ted may defuse the situation without making any real enemies.

TED LASSO is buoyed by a wonderful supporting cast, including Juno Temple (Maleficent) as a player’s girlfriend, Hannah Waddingham (Krypton) as the club owner, Jeremy Swift (Downton Abbey) as the communications manager, and Nick Mohammed (Intelligence) a the equipment boy.

I’ve been lassoed by Ted, and I’m anxious to see what else is in store. The first three episodes are available now on Apple TV Plus, with new installments dropping every Friday

BEING HUMAN Gathers "The Trinity"

Article first published as BEING HUMAN Gather "The Trinity" on TheTVKing.

BBC America presents the final series of Being Human, starting this week with "The Trinity." The events of last season are calming down, but all three house guests, the new vampire-werewolf-ghost trio, have their own matters to attend to, while getting used to each other and finding their equilibrium.

The central premise of Being Human, one that sort of takes a back seat last year, is a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf sharing a home. With the original three gone, a new group takes their place, which makes it feel like a different show. But it's still about them all finding ways to get along, and help each other control their more undesirable urges.

I really like the parts of "The Trinity" that have the roommates together. This is a dynamic that is still being worked out, and they aren't completely comfortable around one another. Tom (Michael Socha) really wants to trust Hal (Damien Molony), but is finding it difficult to do so. Hal is used to worrying mainly about himself, and has to figure out how to rely on others. Alex (Kate Bracken) has a sense of humor the others consider inappropriate. Give how natural the previous series stars had grown with one another, this is an interesting reset, to explore new personalities clashing all over again.

Interestingly, "The Trinity" shows us that this sort of alliance is nothing new. Ninety years ago, Hal teams up with werewolf Catherine (Victoria Ross) and a man named Emil (Jeremy Swift, Oliver Twist) to trap the Devil in a human body. This goes horribly wrong, and the Devil escapes.

So this season of Being Human will have to not only focus on the chemistry of the threesome, but also a battle with the Devil, currently in the form of Captain Hatch (Philip Davis, Whitechapel), who happens to be in town. This is a heck of a villain to face, certainly with bigger stakes than past bad guys.

Which is not to say that the Devil is all this year will be about. There are several other stories going on, too. Hal is fighting his urge to drink blood, and turns a dying guy named Crumb (Colin Hoult) into a vampire to save his life. Mr. Rook (Steven Robertson) is still trying to recruit Hal, and also faces seeing his department downsized. Alex wants to complete whatever unfinished business she might have, which "The Trinity" rules out as being finding her body. And Tom is working on trusting Hal.

I really like Rook's story. It's funny that government cutbacks could threaten the safety of the country or the world. Every slash in the budget risks unintended consequences, but this is taking that to a whole new level, providing social commentary, and giving a previously detestable character something interesting to do.

Flash backs have grown into a tiresome trope on television, but "The Trinity" seems like a fresh take, really setting up the first chapter of a larger arc, and deepening the mythology of the show in an unexpected way. This may be a biased view, but I do think this is one of the best examples of such an element that's been shown lately on the small screen.

I admit to being skeptical going into "The Trinity," missing the original cast, and having to ease into the tale. But by midway through the hour, I was completely engrossed, and am already sad these characters only have this year to complete their journies. Rebooting a show is risky, but it's done very well here. It should be a great season.

Being Human airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.