It took a U.S. media/tech platform to make an iconic show about English football, and it took English football to make Apple TV+ a legitimate global media player. Certain Brits and certain Americans might be offended by this truth, but “Ted Lasso” would not have the same global reach if it were a British production, and it would not have the same global resonance if it were about one of our homegrown U.S. sports.
The acclaimed Apple TV+ comedy, which just won seven Emmys, is many things to many people — a call for optimism and kindness in an age of negativity and anger; a leadership masterclass; a Christian allegory; a primer on mental health; a case study in cross-cultural learning and personal growth; a repudiation of tea-drinking.