"Pilot" | |
---|---|
Ted Lasso episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Tom Marshall |
Story by |
|
Teleplay by |
|
Produced by |
|
Featured music |
|
Cinematography by | David Rom |
Editing by | Melissa McCoy |
Original release date | August 14, 2020 |
Running time | 31 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso , based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence from a story by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly, and directed by Tom Marshall. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, alongside the two follow-up episodes. [1]
The series follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, who is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, her unfaithful ex-husband. The episode serves to introduce all the characters and establish their story arcs.
The series premiere received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Sudeikis' performance, humor, and uplifting tone. For his performance in the episode, Jason Sudeikis won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Additionally, the episode received a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) has been given ownership of the English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, after a divorce settlement with her ex-husband, Rupert Mannion. Due to Rupert's constantly cheating on her, she plans to ruin the club, which was one of Rupert's most beloved assets. She fires the current coach and appoints American Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) as the new coach.
Ted is a college football coach, having led the Wichita State Shockers football to a championship, but lacks any kind of experience with soccer. Arriving at Richmond, London, he is accompanied by his assistant, Beard (Brendan Hunt). They meet kit man Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed), who introduces them to Rebecca. During a press conference, Ted makes a poor impression to the journalists and the public, by displaying his lack of knowledge of soccer. Ted is also introduced to some of the players: hot-headed box-to-box midfielder Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), arrogant striker Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), and right-back Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh).
None of the club's players have confidence in Ted, with Roy referring to him as Ronald McDonald. Alone in the locker room, he meets Jamie's girlfriend, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), who helps him in putting a "Believe" sign. As Ted leaves at night, Rebecca confides in her Director of Football Operations, Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), about her intentions, also reminding him that he enabled Rupert with the women to cheat on her. Arriving at his apartment, Ted talks with his son over the phone. He then talks with his wife, with the conversation revealing that she asked for space due to their strained relationship. The conversation makes him lose sleep for the night.
The character of Ted Lasso first appeared in 2013 as part of NBC Sports promoting their coverage of the Premier League, portrayed by Jason Sudeikis. [2] In October 2019, Apple TV+ gave a series order to a series focused on the character, with Sudeikis reprising his role and co-writing the episode with executive producer Bill Lawrence. [3] Sudeikis and collaborators Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly started working on a project around 2015, which evolved further when Lawrence joined the series. [4] The episode was directed by executive producer Tom Marshall and written by series creators Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence from a story by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly. [5]
The premiere received positive reviews from critics. Gissane Sophia of Marvelous Geeks Media wrote, "Right from the start we are shown just how much divorce has weighed on Rebecca, and we are shown how much this space from his wife is wounding Ted. We are shown that Roy Kent harbors a lot more than he lets on, and we are shown that there is a lot of potential no one has allowed Nate to explore. And as a Pilot, it promises that this is only the beginning of possibilities." [6]
Jason Sudeikis submitted this episode for consideration for his Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. [7] He would later win the award, earning his first Emmy win. [8]
Sudeikis was also nominated alongside Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, losing to Hacks for the episode "There Is No Line". [9] They were also nominated for Episodic Comedy at the 73rd Writers Guild of America Awards, losing to The Great for the episode The Great. [10]
Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago, and The Second City. In 2003, Sudeikis was hired as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, and later spent nine seasons as a cast member from 2005 to 2013, playing Joe Biden and Mitt Romney, among others.
Hannah Waddingham is an English actress and singer. She is best known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series Ted Lasso (2020–present), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022. She has also appeared in a number of West End shows, including Spamalot, the 2010 Regent's Park revival of Into the Woods, and The Wizard of Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West; and has received three Olivier Award nominations for her work.
The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) (US) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduced in 2011 when the event was first initiated. The winners are selected by a group of television critics that are part of the Broadcast Television Critics Association.
Brett Goldstein is a British actor, comedian, podcaster, and writer.
Brendan Hunt is an American actor and writer known for roles in the films We're the Millers (2013) and Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) as well as voicing two characters in the video game Fallout 4 (2015). He is a co-creator of the Apple TV+ sitcom Ted Lasso, as well as a writer and regular cast member.
Ted Lasso is a British-American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly, based on a character Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The show follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team with the secret intention that his inexperience will lead it to failure, but whose folksy, optimistic leadership proves unexpectedly successful.
MJ Delaney is a British director. She is known for her work on Ted Lasso, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022.
"Biscuits" is the second episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by Joe Kelly from a story by Brendan Hunt and Jason Sudeikis, and directed by Zach Braff. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, alongside "Pilot" and "Trent Crimm: The Independent".
"Trent Crimm: The Independent" is the third episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by supervising producer Jane Becker and directed by Tom Marshall. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, alongside the previous two episodes.
"For the Children" is the fourth episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by supervising producer Jamie Lee and directed by Tom Marshall. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 21, 2020.
"Tan Lines" is the fifth episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by main cast member Brett Goldstein and directed by Elliot Hegarty. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 28, 2020.
"Two Aces" is the sixth episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by executive producer Bill Wrubel and directed by Elliot Hegarty. It was released on Apple TV+ on September 4, 2020.
"Make Rebecca Great Again" is the seventh episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by main cast member Jason Sudeikis from a story by consulting producer Joe Kelly and main cast member Brendan Hunt, and directed by Declan Lowney. It was released on Apple TV+ on September 11, 2020.
"The Diamond Dogs" is the eighth episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by Leann Bowen and directed by Declan Lowney. It was released on Apple TV+ on September 18, 2020.
"All Apologies" is the ninth episode of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by Phoebe Walsh and directed by MJ Delaney. It was released on Apple TV+ on September 25, 2020.
"The Hope That Kills You" is the tenth episode and first season finale of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. The episode was written by main cast member Brendan Hunt from a story by Joe Kelly and main cast member Jason Sudeikis, and directed by MJ Delaney. It was released on Apple TV+ on October 2, 2020.
"Goodbye Earl" is the first episode of the second season of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. It is the 11th overall episode of the series and was written by main cast member Brendan Hunt and directed by supervising producer Declan Lowney. It was released on Apple TV+ on July 23, 2021.
"Lavender" is the second episode of the second season of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. It is the 12th overall episode of the series and was written by producer Leann Bowen and directed by supervising producer Declan Lowney. It was released on Apple TV+ on July 30, 2021.
"Do the Right-est Thing" is the third episode of the second season of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. It is the 13th overall episode of the series and was written by Ashley Nicole Black and directed by Ezra Edelman. It was released on Apple TV+ on August 6, 2021.