The same thing that happened to Ted Lasso in the show, his expansion beyond those initial perceptions, happened to 'Ted Lasso,' the show. People thought it would be one thing, but no, it's a whole lot more.
I all but literally had a conversation with myself of like, 'You have to stop thinking about 'Ted Lasso.' It's not healthy to think about 'Ted Lasso,' it's not going to happen, it's just not going to happen, man.'
Something I think is amazing about 'Ted Lasso,' and we didn't know if it would work, but it's funny when you think about it, in that it's quite unique, but from the responses that we're getting, it seems to be a show that people watch with their families.
We knew that Ted Lasso was at least an optimistic guy and an enthusiastic guy, and the show was going to emanate from his energy.
One of the reasons I'm proud of the show and think it works is that as much as Ted is nice and he's kind and he's passionate, his troubles are real. He doesn't exist in a vacuum. The world of 'Ted Lasso' isn't a fairy tale.
'Ted Lasso' is many things, and I think at its worst, it's a show that is nice and shows that people can be kind and also funny.
Here's what I think is good about 'Ted Lasso' and what I'm proud of in it, as a writer: It's about kindness and teamwork and empathy, and being curious and not judgmental, but it does all of that through storytelling and plot.
One of the incredible things about doing a show like this is that Jason Sudeikis has it all mapped out in his head. I imagine it's a bit like the tattoos in 'Prison Break.' If you cut Jason open, it's probably like that, but with the story of 'Ted Lasso.'
I love the love that you see for 'Ted Lasso,' but there's also, I think, a kind of simplification of the show. Particularly from people who haven't seen it and are only aware of the hype and probably get annoyed with it.
And that's the thing about our show: what are they going to do put on the poster? I don't know. It's always easier when you have someone like Cedric the Entertainer where you can go, "You know this guy. You love this guy. Watch his sketch show." And then people tune in and go, "I though I knew that guy. I don't love that guy in a sketch show."
Sometimes, you release an album and the record company just about ignores it, and so many people don't even know it's out. And I'm not about to jump up and down shouting, "Hey folks, look at me! I'm cool and groovy!" That's not what George Harrison is all about.
One guy that I wish was here right now, Ted Williams, helped me so much, our long talks, not about hitting but about fishing, one of Ted's passions, and I wish he was here today to share this with me because I owe so much to Ted Williams.
I like the lasso of truth. There is something so beautiful about the fact that people have to tell the truth when they have the lasso around them. And it's not too violent.
So in 'Ted Lasso,' which is an American show but set in the UK and most of the cast are British, I think that's what's interesting and what was a risk and what worked: there are two sensibilities.
A lot of people will always say, 'I really know nothing about the ancient world.' But there's lots and lots of things people know. Partly, they've been encouraged to think they're ignorant about it. In some ways, the job to do is show people that they know much more than they'd like to admit.
I didn't know anything about movies or movie stars or the Academy or anything. I was just a blank sheet of paper. I was totally ignorant of all that stuff. I never went to the movies, didn't know anything about the movies.