Ted Lasso is back, and the Apple TV series has once again become a worldwide streaming sensation as a result of its first season 4 episode dropping on the streamer, with the show’s success being explained by a few factors. Apple TV’s library of shows is stacked with high-end offerings of the most diverse genres. That said, heartfelt comedies are among the best.
Ted Lasso was created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. The sports comedy quickly made its way into people’s hearts with plenty of hilarious situations, some dramatic twists, and characters that were easy to root for and that grew in immense ways over three seasons. Lawrence has shown how he is a master of the genre, also creating the hit shows Rooster and Shrinking.
The latter comes from Apple TV, like Ted Lasso, and was co-created by Roy Kent actor Brett Goldstein. As such, even though Ted Lasso went on a 3-year hiatus, which initially seemed like the end of the show, some of its key players remained honing their skills for heartfelt comedies right at home on Apple TV. It has paid off.
Ted Lasso season 4 debuted on Apple TV on August 5, with its new 10-episode season adhering to a weekly release format. Despite the fact that only a single episode of Ted Lasso season 4 is currently available on the streaming service, the sports comedy series has already flown high on Apple TV’s charts, and it makes sense, as the audience has spoken.
Ted Lasso Season 4’s Success Makes Even More Sense After Its Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Ted Lasso is one of, if not the biggest, Apple TV shows to date. For that reason, the sports comedy series’ return was always going to be massive, and it is why the streamer chose to insert a “Welcome Back, Ted” commercial before episode 1 started that had Sudeikis’ character interact with several Apple TV shows, like Slow Horses, Shrinking, Severance, and many more. At the time of writing, Ted Lasso is Apple TV’s 2nd most-watched series worldwide, only standing below Silo, according to FlixPatrol. That said, Ted Lasso season 4 has pushed it to #1 in 37 countries, including the United States.
Sure, on brand recognition alone, Ted Lasso season 4 was expected to become a global hit. It did so instantly, becoming Apple TV’s most-watched series worldwide a day after episode 1 debuted. However, the continued success it is experiencing and should continue to display until the Ted Lasso season 4 finale on October 7, is largely due to its universal acclaim.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Ted Lasso season 4 sports a stellar 89% critics’ score, becoming Certified Fresh, and beating season 3’s series low 81%. Viewers are also high on the show, as Ted Lasso season 4 currently stands at a 79% audience score. With viewers and critics now confirmed to agree on the status of the hit series’ return, Ted Lasso is right back to the successful road it knows well.
Can Ted Lasso Keep That Success Going For Apple TV?
Ted Lasso was originally conceived as a three-season story. That led to many characters’ arcs being beautifully wrapped up by the end of season 3. However, there is more story left to be told, as Rebecca is still doing long distance with Matteo, Roy and Keeley have not gotten back together yet, and Ted must now take on the new challenge of managing the A.F.C. Richmond women’s football team. Recently, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sudeikis claimed he needed Ted Lasso to return as much as the fans wanted it to, with plans in place up to season 6.
Given how Ted Lasso season 3 ended up being the most uneven of the series, I would say it is still too early to claim whether the sports comedy could continue to be as successful a few years from now. To do that, Ted Lasso must keep reinventing its formula. That said, season 4’s strong start is a hopeful sign for the show’s future, and as this new storyline with the women’s team develops, we will know for sure just how fresh or repetitive it could be. Right now, Ted Lasso is playing like a champion.
- Release Date
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August 14, 2020
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Declan Lowney, MJ Delaney, Erica Dunton, Matt Lipsey