Since its debut only six months ago, the hit original Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso’’ has become a standout among fans and awards voters around the world.
The AFI Award-honored Television Program of the Year and freshman comedy series has landed awards nominations from SAG, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Writers Guild of America, in addition to the previously announced honors from the Critics Choice Association. Series creator and star Jason Sudeikis also received his first-ever Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his role, and the cast has been nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
The nominations in the comedy series categories follow Apple’s Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award wins last year in the drama series categories for “The Morning Show,” which also received Golden Globe Award nominations last year for Outstanding Television Series, Drama, as well as Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series for stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Including today’s recognitions, Apple has been honored with a total of 224 awards nominations and accolades, and 61 awards wins since its global launch just over a year ago. Apple also recently received Golden Globe Award nominations for Apple Original films “Wolfwalkers” and “On The Rocks,” and has received awards honors including a Peabody Award for “Dickinson,” an NAACP Image Award for “Truth Be Told,” and three Film Independent Spirit Award nominations for “Little America.”
Breakout hit comedy series “Ted Lasso” has struck a chord with audiences, and has been lauded across a number of voting groups and been named one of the “Best Shows of 2020” by countless publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, NPR, The Atlantic, Variety, Indiewire, Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine.
Following its premiere in August 2020, the accolades with which “Ted Lasso” has been honored:
CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
• Best Comedy Series
• Best Actor in a Comedy Series – Jason Sudeikis
• Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Hannah Waddingham
AFI
• Television Programs of the Year – WINNER
GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINATIONS
• Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy – Jason Sudeikis
WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA NOMINATIONS
• Best Comedy Series
• Best New Series
• Best Episodic Comedy – “Pilot”
SAG AWARD NOMINATIONS
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series – Jason Sudeikis
• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The critically acclaimed Apple Original comedy series “Ted Lasso’’ stars Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England despite having no experience coaching soccer. In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Bill Lawrence via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold also serves as an executive producer with Liza Katzer as co-executive producer. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt, and is based on the pre-existing format and characters from NBC Sports.
Apple TV+ is home to award-winning Apple Originals from today’s most imaginative storytellers. Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung, LG, Sony and VIZIO smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free. This special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device.
MacDailyNews Take: Series creator Bill Lawrence said back in December that Ted Lasso was likely to end after just season 3 because Sudeikis has a family, and likely will not want to be spending half of each year an ocean apart from his kids.
We scoffed, “Negotiating tactic. Ted (and Jason), lured by big money in America, can easily move back home to coach a Major League Soccer team in the U.S.A.”
There is no way on earth that Apple is letting their first breakout Apple TV+ hit close up shop after only three seasons.
YAY! Go TED LASSO! THIS is the TEDtalk I want to keep attending. And a big YES to Hannah Waddingham (the actress playing the team’s new owner). She’s a musical theater star in her own right in the West End and can really sing.
MacDailyNews, I’m in lockstep with you on this one.
I completely agree that Ted Lasso could easily have Season 4 occur entirely in Jason Sudeikis’ backyard if necessary. Be fun to see some of the Brits deal with some American (southern likely) culture shock. It would write itself. And yes, they can throw Apple $ at him to sway his decision and likely will.
Great to see such a great show get the attention it deserves.
I was completely uninterested in this series I don’t like sitcoms generally, and the trailer made me stay away. It was months before I gave it a try, and was immediately hooked. Great television.
I had the exact same experience going into it, certain that I would not like it. Southern boy in England and everything just reeked of easy jokes, stupid setups, and I rarely do comedy unless it’s pretty dark. I was totally floored.
What surprised and hooked me the most is that it screamed two-dimensional characters and then proved me wrong again and again. By the end of the 10 episodes, given screen time and all, most of the characters have really evolved and deepened. I really didn’t expect that.
The guy who plays the assistant coach (Brendan Hunt) to Sudeikis’ lead is the co-creator. They just kept talking about this and were not unlike their characters. Hunt had come to love soccer after living in Holland for a time, Sudeikis thought it was dumb that any game of any sport could end with the score 0-0.
Anyway, you can read more here, but it’s a good story how it all came about.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-08-14/jason-sudeikis-ted-lasso-english-premier-league-apple-tv