Coach Beard Says Tim Cook Could Still Get His Wish for ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4; What New Episodes Could Look Like
On the long list of “Ted Lasso” creators, it can be easy to overlook the name of Brendan Hunt. The multi-talented artist plays the equally reticent and wacky Coach Beard on “Lasso,” and recently sat down with the Los Angeles Times to offer his thoughts on the future of Apple TV+’s flagship series, among other topics.
So, Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Over or Not?
Hunt told the Times that Apple CEO Tim Cook had been to visit the set while Season 3 was in production, and told everyone there he “sure hope[d] there’s a Season 4.” Hunt said that Cook’s message in relaying those words was very clear and that when the boss tells you what he wants, it’s wise to at least give it consideration.
“Everything’s on the table now, including nothing,” Hunt said. “It’s been an all-in job for us for so long that we’re going to go away for a little bit and take a break, and then we’ll reconvene and figure out if something else is going to happen.”
Fans have been anxiously hoping that more “Ted Lasso” would be available at some point, but word from the show's stars and producers so far has been that Season 3 will be the last audiences will see of the mustachioed coach. It wasn’t that they had no interest in creating new episodes, they just felt that Season 3 wrapped up the story they set out to tell at the outset.
The problem for the show’s crew if they truly intended to walk away from “Lasso” is that they left several avenues for potential spinoffs in the Season 3 finale.
What Could Future Seasons of ‘Ted Lasso’ or Spinoff Shows Look Like?
The idea that jumps off screen most urgently is a show centered on an AFC Richmond Women’s team, as proposed by Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) to team owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) during the final episode of Season 3. Temple and Waddingham had fantastic chemistry throughout the series, and it would give Apple TV+ the chance to use popular characters from an established universe with a brand-new concept.
Alternatively, showrunners could opt for another season of “Ted Lasso” itself, likely without its titular character in a key role. Lasso (spolier alert!) returned to the United States at the end of Season 3, and with his story well and truly resolved, it feels highly unlikely that he would feature heavily in a new season of the show. Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent could easily return, as could Beard, Jamie Tartt, Nathan Shelley, and the rest of the AFC Richmond crew who decided to stick around.
There’s no guarantee that fans will get any more “Ted Lasso” content at all, but Apple would be wise to at least consider a spinoff or two. Many streamers, such as Disney+, Paramount+, SHOWTIME, and Max are leaning into franchise content, in order to reduce churn and keep customers engaged with brands they know. Apple TV+ has the opportunity to build a franchise from the ground up, but will it? As the famous locker room sign says, “Believe.”
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.