Ted Lasso became a global phenomenon after kicking its way onto one of the best streaming services in 2020. The feel-good comedy swiftly became one of the best Apple TV plus shows at a time when the world was at a major low point.
The award-winning sports comedy stars Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, a fish-out-of-water American football coach who is hired to manage a middling British soccer team. Ted Lasso season 3 was seemingly the final series, but it looks like the much-loved team might be back on the field once again for a fourth season, according to Variety.
The publication has reported that Ted Lasso season four "is heading towards a greenlight" and that the original cast will be returning, including Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift. It's also believed that Sudeikis is involved in some capacity as an executive producer.
So, with all this exciting buzz of a possible renewal, here are three similar comedy series with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes to watch on Apple TV Plus while you wait for a potential season 4 to get confirmed. Have subscriptions to other services? Try these six fun shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu and more.
Trying
- RT Score: 95%
- Age rating: TV-14
- Length: ~27 minute episodes
- Creator: Andy Wolton
Trying follows married couple Nikki Newman (Esther Smith) and Jason Ross (Rafe Spall), who decide to adopt children after struggling to conceive naturally. This sets off an amusing chain of events as they navigate new challenges of raising adopted children.
Much like Ted Lasso, Trying, which was one of three new Apple TV Plus shows with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, is a feel-good comedy that explores similar themes of family and teamwork with plenty of humor and heart. While both shows have an emotional edge about serious topics, they still manage to keep it light and optimistic in tone through a cast of lovable characters.
Bad Monkey
- RT Score: 92%
- Age rating: TV-MA
- Length: ~46 minute episodes
- Creator: Bill Lawrence
Bad Monkey is another big Apple TV Plus comedy from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence. Based on Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name, the show stars Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a former Miami Police department member turned health inspector in Southern Florida. When he stumbles upon a case involving a human arm, his murder mystery investigation takes him through a colorful cast of eccentric characters and one bad monkey.
Vaughn's quirky charm as the witty investigator matches Ted Lasso's positive vibes and appeals to fans of awkward humor like we see in Sudeikis' sports comedy.
Shrinking
- RT Score: 91%
- Age rating: TV-MA
- Length: ~31 minute episodes
- Creators: Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein, and Bill Lawrence
Shrinking shares creative DNA with Ted Lasso as it has two of its creators: Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein (Goldstein also plays the lead role of Roy Kent in Ted Lasso). In Shrinking, Jason Segel plays grieving therapist Jimmy who starts to break the rules and become drastically more involved in his patients lives as a way to deal with his wife's death.
Shrinking tackles more serious topics compared to Ted Lasso as it deals with grief, PTSD, mental health, and addiction. However, where it is most similar to Ted Lasso is the brilliant writing and genuine laugh-out-loud humor, with each character bringing their own unique quality to the show. I must also add that Harrison Ford is particularly hilarious as senior therapist and Jimmy's grumpy emotional confidant Dr. Paul Rhoades.
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