I’m a big fan of physical media. Streaming services are convenient for pulling up on any screen — tablet, computer, TV… assuming the internet’s working sufficiently — but discs don’t require a never-ending monthly payment that tends to keep going up.
Ted Lasso is one of my favorite sitcoms, for its characterization, charm, comedy, and Anglophilia. The story (based on a character originally developed for an ad, of all things!) revolves around a Kansas college football coach (Jason Sudeikis) who winds up coaching a British football (soccer) team. The team is newly owned by Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), who was treated badly by her ex (Anthony Head), who previously owned and loved the team.
It’s a wide-ranging, talented cast, with plenty of fascinating, surprisingly insightful storylines. There’s Lasso’s assistant (Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard), also brought from America, but fitting in better.
Two of the players (Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, aging star, and Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, full of himself) make plenty of stupid decisions, some revolving around Jamie’s girlfriend, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple). We see her grow from sort-of-famous to running her own marketing company, and her friendship with Rebecca is a brilliant example of how women can support each other.
Another favorite of mine is the journalist, Trent Crimm from The Independent (James Lance), who challenges Lasso but is eventually won over. Ted could have easily been a figure of fun, but his good heart and old-fashioned virtues are surprisingly inspiring without being naive or too sappy.
Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way collects the 10 episodes of season one and the 12 episodes each of seasons two and three on seven discs. It’s a great way to watch the show without subscription fees.
There are no extras at all. I had hoped the animated clay Christmas piece, “The Missing Christmas Mustache“, would be included, or maybe a clip of when the cast appeared at the White House to promote mental health, but no. I’m assuming that’s because this is a Warner product, and Apple wants people to keep watching the show on their streaming service. (Ted Lasso is still available on Apple+, which is now $9.99 a month. Those extras aren’t available there either, though.)
The box set does come with a mini-poster (12″x18″) that looks like the “Believe” sign on one side and has a composite image of the show stars on the reverse.
I’m glad to have a copy (provided for me by the studio), as it’s something I want to come back to in future. It’s really nice to see an incredibly well-made, enjoyable, and entertaining show that doesn’t revolve around an anti-hero, with lots of characters I want to spend more time with.
English (US) · 