Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor on Ted Lasso being renewed for a new season

The Apple TV+ hit series Ted Lasso will return for a fourth season.

Actor and executive producer Jason Sudeikis is locked in to return as the iconic football coach - with the actor saying Lasso will coach a women's team this season.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall wonders if the series really needs an additional season after wrapping up in 2023.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB, joined.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
By Steve Newill, editor at Flickstock Code.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
I NC, good morning, good morning, here are you going?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Very good? Thank you? And I'm going to say something
which will be hugely unpopular with the masses, but I
am not really hugely excited that Ted less I was back.
I think I see to you. At the end of
the last season. It was so seemed to me to
I've had enough. I don't want to see anymore of it.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Look maybe controversial for fans, but I've got to admit
I didn't make it to the end of the third season.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Okay, I'm not on, so you missed it.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
I think the show, which became a global phenomenon, partly
due to its timing. I think because it was so
pandemic friendly, like watching this kind of cozy comedy was
so well timed for what we were all living through.
But it did also feel like the show Ted Lesser
committed one of the cardinal errors, which was just thinking
it's a bit too clever for its own good was

(01:03):
my feeling.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay, I mean we all need we all needed Ted
when he arrived, it was just this gorgeous, warm, uplifting,
slightly quirky little number that won us all over, right,
And I get that, but we're seeing a lot more
shows sort of being released that can tick that box
as well now, I think so.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
And what felt really effortless, I think in its first
season started to feel a lot more kind of constructed
as the show went on. So the fact that it's
been announced that it is confirmed to return for a
fourth season date unclear, but it's probably going into production
around July, so we're probably looking at next year. To
be honest, I kind of think a bit of a
break might actually help the writing of the show a

(01:42):
little bit, a bit of time to sort of process
how things are gone. And there has been a small
change to the writing team as well, but apparently they've
been working on scripts now for a few months, and
before the announcement that came this week confirming that the
show's back, we've's been kind of signing up cast members
one by one. Not a lot of other information out
at the stage other than Sedeikis confirming in a podcast

(02:05):
that Ted so I'll be coaching a woman's team this season.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Ah Okay, so a little bit of a change there,
all right, a lot giving me another year, and I'll
probably be thrilled it's back, and I'm sure that's very
good news for a lot of our listeners.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
I think it'll be good news for a lot of people. Look, Francisco,
who knows what bad things could happen in the next year.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, exactly, I may need some more cheering up. You
have been to see We've just spoken to Jeffrey Rush
about The Rule of Jenny Pen, which he starts with
John Lithgow. You've been to Seecret. What were your thoughts.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
I really enjoyed this. We spoke a little bit last
week about James Ashcroft, the New Zealand director, and his
next Farm, starring Robertson Narrow, Michelle Monahan and Adam Scott.
Definitely a filmmaker's going places. And if that's not a
reason to see the Rule of Jenny Pen, then it's
excellent cast and kind of overall sense of creepiness really
is that there's something that makes a film that's set

(02:56):
in an aged care facility all the more mundane for
it being one in alted I feel, How did you
like the setting of it?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Oh, I love the setting of it and actually, well,
I mean it's got these two massive stars leading it,
but have a look around the cast that it's just
like a who's who of New Zealand acting from over
the years, right, isn't that awesome.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
When I spoke to Ashcroft, we talked a bit about
how he sort of took the view that really there
are no kind of cameos in the film or extras.
He wanted to cast big New Zealand actors, even if
they're just ready in the background, because he wanted it
to feel like they could have a conversation with John
Lithgow or Jeffrey Rush And he also said that one

(03:40):
of one of the director's favorite things about the shoot
was seeing every night the big circle of New Zealand's
best every night down at the bar with John and
Jeffrey just reminiscing, and said that the bar made a
killing from them. I love, I love. I'd love to
be in a conversation with Jeanet McDonald, ianmu and Nathaniel
Lee's and John Lithgow.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful? Thank you so much, Steve.
Nice to talk to you for.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
More from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen live
to News Talks at B from nine am Sunday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio