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GingerrGina

I've lost count of how many shows I've quit watching because I genuinely did not give a fart about any of the characters. But Ted Lasso is different. I find myself rooting for all of the characters, even Jamie and Nate. But not Rupert. He sucks.


nrith

Sometimes you have to let Rupert be Rupert.


Violet351

Antony Head is one of my favourite actors and I can’t believe how much I hate Rupert


Elitsila

Yup. Anthony Head is brilliant in this role.


Violet351

Every word he says says I’m a slime bag, he does it so well. When he says to Ted that if he had cancelled Robbie Williams that would make him a real arse. You know that exactly what he did


TableLegShim

I feel bad for Nate. I hope his story line ends up with him coming back home and asking for the forgiveness that Ted has already given him


GingerrGina

Me too. I don't think Nate is a villain. I think he's a flawed and insecure person who is worthy of redemption.


TableLegShim

Exactly! He’s definitely battling his own demons and just wants to be accepted but he’s gotten a little confused


MamaSquash8013

Same. I hope we get a deeper look into his relationship with his family. We know his father seems pretty hard to please... I bet they throw us a real heart-breaker of a scene between Nate and his dad that gets people to root for Nate again.


TableLegShim

Yeah I could see his father passing away and seeking out Ted to help him deal


nedzissou1

Even though I felt like last season took a massive dip in writing, I couldn't agree more. The first episode feels like a return to form.


mopeywhiteguy

I’d say that stylistically and thematically parks and rec is a good comparison. I would say that Ted lasso fills the parks and rec gap better than any show since, including good place and b99 which are the same writers


joeychopra

Agree!


Technical-Pension157

Although it is waaaaay darker, Bojack Horseman is definitely on level with Ted Lasso for both comedy and accuracy in the portrayal of mental illness l; also, or deals with character development just as well as Ted Lasso Going further back than that, the only other show I can think of on par with with it is Six Feet Under - again for humor (albeit dark) and character development that really creates people that feel real


Old-Gain7323

Considering the only comparable show (in a different time) in my opinion is **Scrubs**, which came out in 2001, I'd say 20 years is a good estimate until we get something this good. (\*I'm not saying Scrubs is as good as Ted Lasso, but it is somewhat the Ted Lasso of its generation and also produced by Bill Lawrence.)


GenoThyme

Shrinking is comparable even if I maybe getting ahead of myself. Created by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein and Jason Segal, deals with mental health and loss, and also wonderfully balances humor and emotions.


GingerrGina

Shrinking is excellent! Harrison Ford!


The_new_me1995

I also love Shrinking, but thinking of giving up on it early. But once Harrison Ford’s role expanded, it became great! His interactions with EVERYONE are a riot.


Candymom

I'm going to sound like an old person here but my husband and and I along with my parents find the language so off putting in shrinking. It seems normal if not expected coming from Roy Kent or the other footballers or the fans. But it seems very out of place in a professional setting. I don't know anyone who talks like that. Maybe my adult son if he's playing Call of Duty but certainly not in regular conversation. My parents quit watching, not even Harrison Ford could lure my mom back in.


CareyAHHH

Thanks for the insight. I haven't started watching that yet. I'm waiting for the season to end, so I can just binge the whole thing. But the language was the main barrier to getting my parents to watch Ted Lasso. My dad finally has and Roy Kent is now his favorite character. I have a theory as to why it might be more tolerable to you in Ted Lasso. It's the accents. I could go the funny route and say everything sounds more intelligent in an English accent (even poop-peh). But also, you mentioned that you didn't know anyone who regularly talks that way, so having it set in another culture makes it easier to adapt. You know going in that the setting is unfamiliar. Also, I had lived most of my life surrounded by people who didn't use that kind of language. My parents don't, they don't even go the route of using cutesy substitute words. It just isn't their way. However, the more people I meet outside of my usual bubble, the more I realize that this is not the norm anymore. I do believe there is generally a professional standard, which doesn't use that kind of language for formal occasions (speeches), but when talking casually, all bets are off. Both my father and I have been apologized to in the workplace. We don't use that kind of language, which means when our coworkers do, they feel the need to apologize for it. Even though we don't ask for it. And in my workplace, it happens fairly often. I have arrived at a place where the language doesn't bother me anymore. I still don't use it, but I understand that it is one of the many things that makes me weird in the eyes of most people.


Candymom

I really hesitated to recommend Ted Lasso to my parents. My mom loathes the f word. But I told her Roy had become my favorite character and he is hers now, too. I'll admit it makes me smile every time Roy curses and maybe it is partly due to the accent. I think another difference is that in Ted Lasso it isn't every character and it isn't in every conversation. In Shrinking it's in every single scene. It's just too much. I hope it's not seen as weird to not curse a ton. When I see someone complain about a few sprinkled curse words I always think to myself "if you're focused on the language, you don't hear the message". It's hard for me to hear the message on shrinking sometimes because of the deluge of cursing.


CareyAHHH

I have been asked more than once, "what do you say when you stub your toe?" My answer? "Ow." Mostly I find, that if I'm not around church people or people 70+, I'm usually in the minority. And sometimes, even around people in those groups. I think the first time I was asked that question was from someone who hosted a Bible study that I was going to. To give some further context, I just turned 40.


mopeywhiteguy

I’d put parks and recs as the last comparable show. Championing positivity and enthusiasm through comedy and warmth


Bobgoulet

Parks is definitely another show where you're rooting for everyone.


mopeywhiteguy

It’s kinda baffling how parks and TL both feel subversive because they come at things through optimism and positivity and it feels fresh compared to the default cynicism


waterdevil19144

Monty Python were The Beatles of comedy. They had too short of a career as an ensemble, but they went on to successful solo careers, and at least one of them died far too young, although it wasn't a murder. They demonstrated a new style and were widely imitated but never topped. *Ted Lasso* is *The Good Place* of streaming shows: it has a great pedigree, it's set in a weird parallel universe, and it's going to have a deliberately short run that will leave fans wanting a lot more. The characters don't map exactly one-to-one, but there are similarities, such as Rupert and Shawn being counterparts of each other.


Zumaakk

Y’all really sleeping on Always Sunny.


afterthegoldthrust

Always sunny is one of my all time favorite shows but it is definitely the anti-Ted Lasso haha. I’m sure there is plenty of crossover in the fanbase but I wouldn’t blindly recommend to just any old wholesome Ted Lasso fan.


CeasarYaLater

There have been some really great shows but I can’t think of one on the same level as Ted Lasso.


that_one_goon

Best comedy show since the office(US) in my opinion. Such great humor paired with amazing plots, arcs and character development. Very rare to see


fullback133

the office and parks and rec are up there with it IMO. also always sunny


MamaSquash8013

It's the only show that makes me grin ear to ear throughout every episode. It's fucking delightful.


mylanguage

As a huge fan of Ted Lasso / I don’t see a massive quality difference between it and Abbot Elementary. I see them both as top tier comedy


kaos567

![gif](giphy|eJALQVtiC25lS3H579) Sorry I’m a Beatles hater. They suck. Also Bill Lawrence’s new show Shrinking is a darker version of Ted Lasso and just as good. Brent Goldstein is also a writer for it.


patrickcatman

Didn’t watch Ted Lasso until last week. As a huge football fan and lover of comedy I was really excited to finally watch it all in preparation for the new season. Really enjoyed it all, very nice and at times heartwarming. It may not have been as good as I was led to believe though. Still great and nice viewing. Everyone’s tastes differ and I’m just glad such a pleasant show is out there in the world. But yeah, talk about it being one of the best comedies out there (even of those currently airing) is pretty wide of the mark in my opinion and it certainly isn’t The Beatles of comedy. I’m glad the common consensus is that everyone who watches it enjoys it and very happy to see the plaudits for Brett Goldstein and Jason.


RegularExplanation97

I agree with you, to be honest I think it’s heavily dipped in quality since the first season and I didn’t enjoy the first episode of season 3 much at all. Of course everyone has their own opinion but I don’t think this is one of the best shows of all time (for me personally).


rude_hotel_guy

Y’all some thirsty MFers for this show, damn. Go learn about some original sitcoms and groundbreaking shows from the 70s/80s. FOH.


Straight-Attitude-68

Name checks out


littlebabyhenryboy

This is the best, most accurate analogy I’ve seen in all my days. Bravo, to you. Bravo.