“Ted Lasso” is back for a fourth season on Apple TV after a three-year hiatus, but does the feel-good football comedy still have its magic?

The Independent’s review takes a critical look at the return, arguing that the new series—centered on Ted coaching AFC Richmond’s women’s team—feels largely unnecessary and commercially driven, recycling familiar beats while struggling to match the charm and heart of the series’ first two seasons.

Nick Hilton for The Independent:
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Several much-loved characters have departed the series (Mohammed’s Nate, Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tartt, most of the men’s team players, and, of course, the late Anthony Head as Rebecca’s nemesis Rupert), which means an influx of new faces to replace them…

Despite all this upheaval, the show’s creator, Bill Lawrence, and key cast do a good job of making it still feel like Ted Lasso. But it also feels pointless. And cynical. “Last time I hired you for all the wrong reasons,” Rebecca tells Ted, and she approaches him for the new gig. “This time I absolutely want to hire you for all the right ones.” But even though there is an attempt at some broad feminist commentary and critique… it really feels like the show has wasted the earned conclusion of its arc in pursuit of more episodes, more revenue, more Emmys. Sudeikis continues to be charming, [Juno] Temple is a highlight as the mischievous Keeley, and [Tanya] Reynolds brings plenty of new deadpan charisma – yet the return, after three years, feels a bit flat…

The acting, while effective, is often hamstrung by sentimentalism, which pushes it into hammy (and a painfully stilted Jill Scott cameo makes Chris Powell look like Laurence Olivier). And while the show has always been gently amusing rather than laugh-out-loud funny, this new series does feel acutely short of gags…

The show was about bringing some… touchy-feely shmaltz and exposing it to the rough winds of Premier League football. Can you be an eternal optimist on a cold, rainy night in Stoke? Having answered that question, the show has nowhere to go but limp on like an ageing striker whose powers are fading before their eyes.

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MacDailyNews Take: Cue the sad trombone.

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In “Ted Lasso” season four, the series shifts its focus to AFC Richmond’s women’s team — and introduces its most significant new character yet: Alice, the sharp-edged assistant coach played by English actress Tanya Reynolds.

In this Hollywood Reporter interview, Reynolds opens up about landing the role (despite never having seen the show or kicked a soccer ball), her Zoom offer from Jason Sudeikis, and playing a former player turned coach who’s “brittle and spiky on the outside but… quite wobbly” inside as she learns vulnerability and finds her coaching voice.

Lacey Rose for The Hollywood Reporter:
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Unlike the women cast as the AFC Richmond players, who had to audition as actors as well as athletes, Reynold’s soccer know-how was far less relevant. Still, she requested a follow-up Zoom with Sudeikis to make sure he was aware of her lack of athleticism. “I got really paranoid because the thought of me playing a coach is quite hilarious to anyone who knows me,” she says. “I was like, ‘Listen, man, you’ve not met me but I’m not this character. I can give it a go, but I’ve never kicked a ball in my life.’ And Jason just was very Ted Lasso about it, like, ‘Well, I think you are.'”

Over time, she got comfortable, but not without some early nerves. “For the returning cast, they know their characters inside out — but for us, we were still figuring out who we were,” she says, though she did get plenty of pep talks from Lasso vets like Temple and Waddingham. And to Reynolds’ delight, as the writers got to know her and her voice better, they started to write to her, which, she jokes, is why the character became less bulldog and more chihuahua over time. Still, none of it was easy.

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MacDailyNews Take: As we’ve written before, after season three, we approach season four warily, especially as its subject matter is ripe for treacly preaching if handled ham-handedly by those in charge of Lasso‘s third season train wreck. Here’s the official season four trailer:

See also:
• Will ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 be a woke disaster like Season 3? – July 22, 2026
• Some fans of the Apple TV+ series ‘Ted Lasso’ feel it’s being ruined by ‘woke’ writers – May 2, 2023

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Apple TV on Tuesday unveiled the trailer for the fourth season of its hit series “Ted Lasso,” starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jason Sudeikis. “Ted Lasso” returns with its 10-episode new season on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 with one episode, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 7 on Apple TV.

In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would. The new season reunites fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.

“Ted Lasso” is executive produced by Sudeikis alongside Hunt, Joe Kelly, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee and Bill Wrubel. Emmy Award winner Jack Burditt serves as executive producer on season four under a new overall deal with Apple TV. Goldstein serves as writer and executive producer alongside Leann Bowen. Sarah Walker and Phoebe Walsh will serve as writers and producers for season four, and Sasha Garron co-produces. Julia Lindon will write for season four, and Dylan Marron will serve as story editor. Bill Lawrence executive produces via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer also serve as executive producers. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Kelly and Hunt, and is based on the preexisting format and characters from NBC Sports.
Following its global debut on Apple TV, “Ted Lasso” broke records and quickly earned praise from fans and critics all over the world. The first season became the most Emmy Award-nominated comedy series, and the series went on to land rare back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first two seasons on air.

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 of a user’s 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 in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 852 wins and 3,804 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.

MacDailyNews Take: After season three, we approach this season with trepidation.

See also: Will ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 be a woke disaster like Season 3? – July 22, 2026
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MacDailyNews Note: 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 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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“Ted Lasso” arrived on Apple TV in 2020 as a refreshing antidote to cynicism: a kind-hearted American football coach (Jason Sudeikis) takes over a struggling English Premier League football (soccer) team, winning over skeptics with optimism, biscuits, and “believe” signs. Seasons 1 and 2 delivered sharp comedy, genuine emotional depth, and broad appeal, earning Emmys and a devoted fanbase. Then came Season 3 in 2023. Many viewers felt the show shifted from feel-good underdog story to something heavier on messaging and virtue-signaling.

What Went Wrong in Season 3?

Critics gave Season 3 a solid 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audience scores dipped, with notable backlash. Common complaints included scattered storytelling with longer episodes that spread focus across too many characters and subplots, diluting the core team dynamic. The gentle humor gave way to heavier lectures on topics like sexuality, gender dynamics, and social issues. Storylines involving multiple LGBTQ+ characters and identity themes often felt shoehorned in, prioritizing virtue-signaling over organic character growth. Some scenes started feeling like after-school specials rather than natural extensions of the show’s wholesome spirit.

Jason Sudeikis has pushed back against the criticism, suggesting detractors “don’t have imaginations” or lack curiosity. That’s a fair creative defense (series do evolve over time), but it didn’t win over fans who felt the series abandoned its original charm for contemporary posturing.

Season 4 Setup: Promising or Risky?

Season 4 premieres August 5, 2026, on Apple TV. Ted returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s football team. Promotional materials suggest more of the signature warmth, with returning favorites like Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Coach Beard, plus new cast members. The logline emphasizes “leaping before they look” and taking chances.

Potential red flags for “woke disaster” concerns:

• The premise itself — Ted coaching women — invites explorations of gender, empowerment, and male-female dynamics. Given Season 3’s direction, there’s a real risk of heavy-handed messaging around feminism and identity politics in sports.

• Hollywood’s track record shows many comedies have struggled when prioritizing social commentary over laughs.

• Creative team continuity from Season 3 raises questions about whether the virtue-signaling elements will persist or intensify.

Reasons for optimism:

• The women’s team angle could deliver fresh comedy with non-traditional football coaching, team rivalries, and Ted’s positivity clashing with new personalities, without needing to shoehorn in ideological crutches.

• The core strength of the show has always been relationships and personal growth. If the focus stays on believable character arcs (unlike Keely’s in Season 3, for example), it can recapture Season 1 magic.

• The three-year gap since Season 3 might reset expectations and allow a return to form.

The Bigger Picture

“Ted Lasso” succeeded initially because it was not another lecture. It celebrated kindness, resilience, and community without alienating viewers. Many topics aren’t inherently bad where it fits naturally, but when it feels like agenda first and entertainment second, the formula breaks. Season 3 proved that strong performances couldn’t fully mask the sense that the show was trying way too hard to be “important.”

MacDailyNews Take: Season 4 doesn’t have to repeat Season 3’s mistakes. A women’s team offers rich comedic territory without mandating sermons. If the writers trust the audience and prioritize funny, heartfelt stories over checking boxes, it could be a strong return. If they treat it as another vehicle for cultural commentary, the “woke disaster” label may stick.

Ultimately, we’ll know soon enough. Ted’s mantra, “Believe,” applies here, too. But belief works best when earned through great TV, not imposed. August 5th will tell. Fingers crossed the biscuits are fresh and the lectures are light.

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Ahead of the highly anticipated fourth season of the global phenomenon “Ted Lasso,” Apple TV hosted a weekend of events in celebration of the series in Coach Ted Lasso’s hometown of Kansas City. Emmy Award-winning star and executive producer Jason Sudeikis, along with series stars Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, and Abbie Hern, were in attendance for a press conference at CPKC Stadium, a special “Ted Lasso” Night fan event, and a screening of the fourth season’s debut episode at Regnier Extreme Screen in Kansas City.

The 10-episode fourth season of “Ted Lasso” will premiere on Apple TV with the first episode on August 5, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through October 7, 2026. In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would.

Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.

“Ted Lasso” season four adds Emmy Award winner Jack Burditt as executive producer under a new overall deal with Apple TV. Jason Sudeikis stars and executive produces alongside Hunt, Joe Kelly, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee, and Bill Wrubel. Goldstein serves as writer and executive producer alongside Leann Bowen. Sarah Walker and Phoebe Walsh serve as writers and producers for season four, and Sasha Garron co-produces. Bill Lawrence executive produces via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal content. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer also serve as executive producers. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Kelly,, and Hunt, and is based on the preexisting format and characters from NBC Sports.

Following its global debut on Apple TV, “Ted Lasso” broke records and quickly earned praise from fans and critics all over the world. The first season became the most Emmy Award-nominated comedy series, and the series went on to land rare back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys for its first two seasons on air.

The first three seasons of “Ted Lasso” are now streaming globally on Apple TV.

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 of a user’s 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 in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 850 wins and 3,734 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.

MacDailyNews Note: 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 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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