Shows To Watch If You Love Ted Lasso

If the world can agree on anything, it's that 2020 was rough, to put it mildly. However, out of that dark, dismal year, we were given the most hopeful, wonderful show in Ted Lasso. Developed by star Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Bill Lawrence, the show follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, who takes a job coaching Premier League team AFC Richmond even though he knows absolutely nothing about soccer — er, football. The character is based on commercials Sudeikis and Hunt did for NBC when they started airing the Premier League games in 2015.

The Golden Globe and SAG Award-nominated Apple TV+ show immediately struck a chord with TV audiences. Even if British football isn't your thing, it's impossible not to fall in love with the series: It radiates positivity. Ted teaches his team, and the show's fans, to believe in themselves and their possibilities. The show is also filled with a vast array of memorable characters: Roy Kent, the man who is here, there, and every-freaking-where, hotshot Jamie Tartt, incredibly endearing Keeley Jones, awesome owner Rebecca Welton, and the dynamic coaching duo of Coach Beard and Nate the Great are all unforgettable. 

If you're already caught up on what is undoubtedly one the best shows of 2020, you're in luck. We're here to take a look at shows that can fill the Ted Lasso-shaped hole in your heart until it comes back.

Ted Lasso makes us think about the way we treat others and ourselves. In season one, fans are introduced to the mantra, "Be a goldfish." Basically, the phrase symbolizes a philosophy of how to move forward after you've make a mistake. Ted uses it to demonstrate how important it is to be respectful of others, while also believing in yourself. While sitcoms of earlier decades always end with a saccharine-sweet lesson wrap-up, you rarely see modern shows offer a new, optimist way of looking at life. Ted Lasso is a breath of fresh air in this regard.

If you're looking for a show that'll similarly make you take a peek inside your own actions, The Good Place is the one to watch. Over four masterful seasons, the incredibly smart NBC sitcom addresses the afterlife and what it means to be a good person. Lead by stellar performances from Kristen Bell (Eleanor Shellstrop) and Ted Danson (Michael), each cast member brings their own unique approach to the series, creating one of the most layered groups of characters ever seen on television. You spend every episode rooting for them to become better people and, in turn, find yourself wanting to become a better person yourself.

While The Good Place offers actual philosophy lessons, both shows give you a new perspective on how to live and make the world a better place. Janet, play The Good Place. (That'll make sense one you watch it.) 

Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly began their careers doing improv. Performing with The Second City in Chicago and Boom Chicago in Amsterdam not only allowed them to hone their comedy chops and travel the world, it also introduced them to some other incredibly funny humans. The sheer number of comedic geniuses who have come out of Chicago is astounding: While seeing a show at The Second City, fans of the past might have caught a young Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, or perhaps taken a class from Steve Carell or Stephen Colbert. With roots in places like this, it's easy to see how the Ted Lasso team crossed paths with another improv dynamic duo, Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson.

With the help of executive producers Jason Sudeikis and Joe Kelly, among others, the Michigan natives developed Detroiters, a show about two best friends who work as local advertising executives in Detroit. In an interview with the Detroit Metro Times, the pair explained that they wanted to create a love letter to the city. As Richardson said, "So many TV shows show [Detroit] in this negative light, and we just wanted to show the Detroit that we know. There's so much ruin porn."

Although the Comedy Central show only lasted two seasons, its unique, quirky humor and positive energy are seriously worth a watch. Even if you're not too familiar with Detroit, there's a lot to love about this show.

Even though it only ran for two seasons, AMC's Lodge 49 made a big impact on its fans. The comedy-drama is about Dud (Wyatt Russell), an ex-surfer who loses his father and subsequently joins the fraternal Order of the Lynx in an attempt to once again find happiness. Homeless, Dud ends up staying with his sister, Liz (Sonya Cassidy), and thus the journey begins. We meet the other incredibly unique and interesting lodge members and see the grief or loss they're also trying to understand. Beneath its high concept veneer, the show is about believing in something, with an eternal optimist at the helm. Sound familiar?

The uplifting show was met with an avalanche of critical praise. Following the show's cancellation in 2018, however, it failed to find a new home, despite the best efforts of producer Paul Giamatti and creator Jim Gavin. Once you watch those precious two seasons, you'll wish that wasn't true. The world deserves more Lodge 49.

Some people don't like sports. Totally valid: You like what you like. If you're one of those people, it's understandable to recoil when someone suggests you watch a show about sports. But consider this: If someone just said, "Hey, go watch this show about a Premier League soccer team," you'd agree that it's not the best Ted Lasso pitch, because the show is so much more. The same goes for Friday Night Lights. On the surface, it appears to be a drama about a high school football team in Texas. But any fan of the show will tell you it is not about that at all.

Friday Night Lights centers around the rural town of Dillon, TX, and high school football coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his wife Tami (Connie Britton). Though the series often faltered in the ratings, it built a loyal fan base. There's never a dull moment in Friday Night Lights. Episode after episode, the stellar cast takes on topics including racism, income inequality, and drugs. If you need a show you can really sink your teeth into, you've got five seasons to enjoy right here.