Ted Lasso has become Apple TV+’s breakout hit, with its unlikely origins turning into a comedy with a massive fanbase and a whole bunch of Emmys (with one minor mishap) after the recent ceremony. Unfortunately for fans, the Season 2 finale has released, and the wait has begun to find out what happens next in the third season. The original plan for Ted Lasso was actually for a run of three seasons, but that was before it became the hit it is by this point. Showrunner Bill Lawrence opened up about the plan for Ted Lasso, and why Season 3 might not have to be the end.
The show was actually renewed for Season 3 before Season 2 even began releasing, so Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis and the rest of the Ted Lasso team have had time to plan out a three-season arc. Speaking with Deadline, Lawrence shared the latest on plans for how long the series could run:
I would probably stay clean and say that even if Ted Lasso goes on, the story the writing staff has been telling had a beginning, middle and end for the first three seasons. And then it might veer off from that.
The plan is seemingly still for Ted Lasso to tell that story intended to be spread over three seasons, but that doesn’t mean that Ted Lasso won’t continue into a fourth season and start telling a new story. The three-season plan goes back as far as the pitching stage before Apple TV+ gave the greenlight for the series, so it’s understandable why the creative team wants to stick with their longtime plan while not ruling out continuing beyond. It’s hard to imagine the Ted Lasso team running out of ideas after the third season, and I doubt fans would have any objection to the show returning beyond Season 3, even if that involves a new arc. Possibly, based on previous comments from Lawrence, without Jason Sudeikis.
That longtime plan won’t come to fruition on Apple TV+ any time too soon, however. According to Bill Lawrence, the goal is to release seasons “close to a year apart,” and the hope is to see Ted Lasso “back in the August type area.” The second season premiered in late July, but Lawrence has stated that the release plans were affected by the 2021 Olympics. So fans have the better part of a year to wait to see what happens next after the Season 2 finale, but at least the season didn’t end with any question that the show would have a third season. It’s just Season 4 and beyond that are uncertain!
It is interesting to learn that all of the smash success that the series has enjoyed during its second season, including but certainly not limited to all the big wins at the Emmys, hasn’t swerved Bill Lawrence and the team off of their set course. Of course, Lawrence himself has a bit of a magic touch when it comes to creating and producing popular TV comedies. He also Scrubs, Spin City, and Cougar Town to his name, and it’s frankly impressive that a show based on a character created for some NBC Sports Network promos back in 2013 became such a success. Who would have guessed that it would be a hit with fans and critics by 2021?
For now, you can always watch and rewatch the first two seasons of Ted Lasso streaming on Apple TV+, or check out some other Jason Sudeikis movies and TV shows to pass the time of hiatus while waiting for Season 3.
