Sports and workplace stories have the potential to portray some of the most moving storylines and teach us some of the most heartfelt lessons. This is because it is something we can all relate to. Some of us have been team members both at work and at play. In the case of shows like Ted Lasso, it can be a combination of both. Ted Lasso features Jason Sudeikis as the titular character, an American college football coach who is thrown into the deep end to manage AFC Richmond, an English football (soccer) team.
At first, he comes off as clueless due to his lack of knowledge on the sport itself, as well as the new environment which he finds himself in. Slowly, he begins to win over the team, fans, and even the media through his gentle brand of coaching.
This has in turn captivated viewers at home, as Ted Lasso has come as a breath of fresh air in terms of tone and is actually quite hilarious to boot. If you’re looking for more shows of this nature, you’ve come to the right place as here are 15 shows like Ted Lasso, to hold you over before the new season drops.
List of TV Shows like Ted Lasso
1. The League (2009)
The League, created by Jeff and Jack Schaffer,is a sport-oriented comedy series like Ted Lasso. It is centered around a group of six friends living in the city of Chicago, who participate in a fantasy football league, and go to hilarious lengths to ensure that they win and come up on top in their collective rivalries.
This show is semi-improvised in nature, meaning not all scenes are fully scripted and actors are encouraged to go off-the cuff at times. It’s a low-key sitcom, and if you’re a fan of those then you should definitely give this one a watch also.
2. The Office US (2005)
The Office is a classic 2000s series, not just for its great use of the mockumentary style, but for its impressive ensemble cast, who all bounce well off of each other in the same vein as series similar to Ted Lasso. The show contains a whole load of comedy, egos clashing and wacky characters.
One of these wacky characters is Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, who heads the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. This show is adapted from its UK version of the same name which starred British comedian Ricky Gervais in the same role as Steve Carell. Every fan of the comedy series as a whole needs to watch this one.
3. Cobra Kai (2018)
Cobra Kai is pitched as a sort of sequel to the original Karate Kid movie released back in 1984. The rivalry between William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel De Russo is revived again. Interestingly, it takes things from Johnny’s perspective rather than Daniel’s, and it is quite a welcome twist to the Karate Kid formula. If you’ve already seen this engaging series, then check out our list of shows like Cobra Kai.
The series which was released on both YouTube and Netflix, performed well in terms of viewership, and has received critical acclaim for its writing, acting performances, even making use of the nostalgia factor well and respectfully. There are more than a hundred reasons for you to watch this show, especially for the themes it shares with shows like Ted Lasso.
4. Friday Night Lights (2006)
The highly acclaimed series Friday Night Lights focuses on a coach and his team, in the same vein as shows similar to Ted Lasso. It centers on head coach Eric Taylor, who manages one of the best football teams in the country in the Dillon Panthers, and all the prep and drama behind the scenes before game day every Friday.
It’s a series that outdoes its premise, cementing itself as one of the best shows on TV throughout the 2000s according to critics. It has been hailed by fans as the greatest sports-related show ever made, and its style and enthralling drama is one that hasn’t really been replicated till today.
5. All American (2018)
It’s another high school football story next in All American. This sports drama, similar to series like Ted Lasso, follows the story of a rising high school American football player from South Los Angeles, as he aims to make it to the upper echelons and go pro, while coming from nothing.
This show is inspired by a real life football player in Spencer Payslinger, and has gained some good reviews during its time on air. It’s a show that tries its best to tackle dicey issues such as race and class struggles. This show has been renewed for its sixth season, so if you’re interested, catch up on it all the way from the first one.
6. Eastbound & Down (2009)
Eastbound & Down is another hilarious yet mature sports centered series compared to shows like Ted Lasso. It follows the story of Kenny Powers, a former pitcher whose attitude has seen him leave the major leagues… literally. He moves back home to his hometown located in North Carolina.
He takes a job as a substitute teacher, teaching P.E at the middle school which he had actually attended while growing up. Produced by comedic legend Will Ferrell alongside Adam McKay, the show is said to be based on the life of former MLB pitcher Mitch ‘Wild Thing’ Williams, although any connection has since been denied by the former baseball star.
Also Read: Shows like Seinfeld
7. GLOW (2017)
GLOW is a comedy-drama series similar to Ted Lasso, which follows the story of a group of female professional wrestlers known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). We are treated to all the hijinks and adventures that this large female ensemble cast goes through, as well as all the drama that happens behind the scenes.
It is set in the 1980s, in Southern California as well as Southern Nevada. The show’s soundtrack is infused with a lot of great records from the era which it is set in. It has been praised for its excellent ensemble cast, as well as its use of goofy and self-depreciative humor.
8. A League of Their Own (2022)
We have another ensemble female cast on the show A League of Their Own. It is based on the 1993 movie featuring Tom Hanks, and follows the story of the formation of a team known as the Rockford Peaches. This is a women’s team formed to participate in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
It’s a show with themes ranging from equality to camaraderie, the latter which will be familiar to fans of shows similar to Ted Lasso. It gives its own spin on the 1993 movie and has garnered good to great reviews from fans and critics alike.It’s been renewed for its second and final season so why don’t give this one a try.
9. Welcome to Wrexham (2022)
Ryan Reynolds and Ron McElhenny just might be the real life Ted Lassos. This TV documentary follows the two American Hollywood stars after their purchase of the Welsh football team. It follows the team’s progress under their new ownership, and their hopes of improving the team and positively affecting the Wrexham community.
It was well received by critics and won Best Sport Documentary at the 7th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, also bagging another nomination for Best Ongoing Documentary Series. The natural humor of the owners rubs off on what is meant to be a run-of-the mill documentary, and you will definitely enjoy it, if you love series like Ted Lasso.
10. Shoresy (2022)
Much like shows like Ted Lasso, Shoresy is a comedy-drama and a spin-off of a Canadian series known as Letterkenny. It follows the story of Shoresy, the titular character played by Jared Keeso, who moves to Sudbury to manage the Sudbury Bulldogs, a team that has lost 20 games in a row, and is at risk of being shut down.
It has been praised for matching the energy of the show which it is based on. It makes good use of gags, satire and visual comedy. It’s a great show that might even see you get interested in hockey as a sport. If you’re liking all that you’ve heard make sure to add this to your watchlist.
11. Brockmire (2017)
It’s another down-on-his-luck former MLB employee in Brockmire. This time we have a baseball play-by-play announcer who suffers a meltdown after finding out that his wife has been cheating. A decade later he moves to a small town to rejuvenate his career and love life.
This show with its sport-centric plot similar to shows like Ted Lasso has been a critical success, with praise particularly reserved for the acting performances of Amanda Peet and Critics’ Choice TV Award-nominated Hank Azaria, as well as its good use of humor. It was its network’s highest rated series, averaging over 500,000 viewers per episode.
12. Superstore (2015)
Superstore stars Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera and Ben Feldaman, who both play Amy and Jonah respectively. It’s quite similar to comedy series like Ted Lasso and The Office, with its large ensemble cast, and a story about co-workers or team members working towards a common goal… or maybe just to make ends meet.
Superstore, created by Justin Spitzer,was one of the better comedies during its time on air. The show has been praised for growing stronger and getting better as the seasons went on. So if things seem a bit slow at first, just give it a bit of time, and you may just find yourself falling in love with this show too.
13. Mythic Quest (2020)
This is one premise we’ve not really seen explored in workplace comedy shows like Ted Lasso. Mythic Quest is a TV series that follows a video game studio, who are most known for developing a popular MMORPG known as, you guessed it… Mythic Quest.
It stars Rob McElhenney as Ian Grimm, the creative director for the game Mythic Quest, who is trying his best alongside his team to keep their cash cow relevant in the gaming sphere. Debuting on Apple TV, Mythic Quest is a smartly written show, with loads of humor and a good refresh of the usual workplace comedies.
14. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the story of Detective Jake Peralta and his colleagues at the 99th Precinct of the NYPD. Used to being carefree and careless, a new Captain comes into town, forcing Peralta to rein in a bit of his laissez faire tendencies, as he looks to reform the police department.
A long-running comedy series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is quite similar in terms of tone to shows like Ted Lasso, despite being a police procedural. It garnered a lot of great reviews and was a regular winner and nominee at the Emmys and Golden Globes, especially in the Comedy categories. You’ve got to give it a watch if you haven’t.
15. Pitch (2016)
Sadly this sports drama was canceled after one season, but it does share some similarities to series like Ted Lasso, and still has a good story for you to enjoy. It follows the story of a young pitcher known as Genevieve Baker, who becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues of professional baseball.
It lasted 10 episodes and received good reviews while it was still running. This show was even deemed the most consistent sports drama since the classic Friday Night Lights. Genevieve’s character was a good role model for young female viewers of the show, especially athletes. Too bad it had to be canceled, but I guess we’ll always have this season.
Honorable Mentions
Here are more shows like Ted Lasso that didn’t make the list which you can watch regardless:
- Schitt’s Creek
- Detroiters
- Ballers
