History Corner: Believe : The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, the Show That Kicked Its Way into Our Hearts by Jeremy Egner

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Penguin Random House, via edelweissplus, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

The definitive book on the TV show Ted Lasso, written by the NYT journalist who knows the cast and creators best and shares, in a pitch-perfect way, what made the show such a cultural touchstone, award-winner, and fan favorite.

Synopsis:

Ted Lasso first aired in 2020, nobody—including those who had worked on it—knew how a show centered around soccer, filled mostly with unknown actors, and led by a wondrously mustached “nice guy” would be received. 11 Emmys and one Peabody Award later, it’s safe to say that the show’s status as a pop culture phenomenon has been secured. Now, for the first time, New York Times television editor Jeremy Egner explores the creation, production, and incredibly potent legacy of Ted Lasso.

Drawing on new and existing interviews from key stars, Believe will take readers from the very first silly NBC Premier League commercial to the pitch to Apple executives, then into the show’s writer’s room packed with Sudeikis’s friends, through the brilliant international casting, and onto the set of Ted Lasso at the very height of Covid. Egner will cover the show’s creation and production season by season with frequent intriguing reveals that are sure to bring a smile to millions of fans (including the real soccer pros who appear as themselves in the show). 

Egner approaches his reporting with the love and appreciation of a true fan, carefully and humorously telling Ted Lasso’s story of teamwork, of hidden talent, of a group of friends looking around at the world’s  increasingly nasty discourse and deciding that maybe simple decency still had the power to move the needle; a story about what happens when you dare to believe.

Review:

I gotta admit, I came late to the Ted Lasso universe! I started watching in the middle of the second season, and I was an immediate convert! The show had some of my fav British actors, along with Sudeikis, and it just had a magical allure that you could not walk away from. This book isn't just for the true fanatic of the show though- it's really interesting to see not only how the show came to be (from a one off ad, to a second ad and then years later to a streaming series), but how they found their main character actors and then how the series progressed, taking the show in an arc that most fans didn't see coming, which made perfect sense. There is a reason fans are clamoring for another season- they MISS the characters, that became a dysfunctional family that everyone could relate to. This book lets them go back and learn all about the show again, and see why it had heart, and why that heart stays with its fans even today. Perfect for keeping, but also for giving this holiday season- this book just might make you gift giver of the year!

About the Author:

 Jeremy Egner is the television editor for The New York Times, overseeing coverage of the medium and the people who make it. He joined The Times in 2008.