Even people who haven’t watched Ted Lasso yet have undoubtedly heard about it by now. Why? Because the show became an instant cult favorite when it hit Apple TV+, and fans (*raises hand*) can’t stop gushing about it. The five-second synopsis: Ted Lasso stars the always-funny Jason Sudeikis as the title character — an American football coach who has just won a Division II championship before being sent off to coach a very Bad News Bears-ish soccer team in the U.K., despite knowing literally nothing about the “football” played across the pond. Still, he wants to win! And since Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence adapted it, you can rest assured that there are tons of quirky, legitimately laugh-out-loud TV shows like Ted Lasso out there to stream if you’re left just browsing your endless streaming channels to no avail.
Most of the jokes always hit, but being funny isn’t Ted Lasso‘s only redeeming quality. As Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter put it in a review of the Apple TV+ series, “Even if the show’s ability to capture on-field action is a little hit-or-miss, by the end of 10 episodes, I was getting misty over the team’s results and over the journeys of several characters. That, ultimately, means more to me than whether or not I’d qualify Ted Lasso as ‘hilarious.’ A little big-hearted sporting hopefulness might be more important at this particular moment.”
So, with that said, get ready to laugh and cheer on the underdogs when you add these other shows like Ted Lasso to your binge-watching queue.
Shows Like Ted Lasso to Add to Your Queue
1. Dave (2020)
Yet another bonkers comedy from FX, this show is about Dave Burd, a neurotic mid-20s suburbanite who truly thinks he has what it takes to be the best rapper of all time. Lil Dicky, as he goes by, uses his friends as support as he tries to prove to the world that he is destined to be the king of hip hop. Ah, gotta love that Ted Lasso-esque unrelenting optimism!
2. Trying (2020)
Trying is a British comedy about a couple desperately trying to have a baby. While it might not sound like Ted Lasso (except for the U.K. setting), if you love the humor of Sudeikis’ sitcom, you will fall right in love with this one. The Hollywood Reporter calls the show “disarmingly original” in its setup, even if the unlikable leads make you want to throw something at your television now and again.
3. Eastbound & Down (2009)
If you love the haplessness of Ted Lasso, then HBO’s comedy about a retired baseball player trying to make good is for you. Danny McBride plays Kenny Powers — a drug-addicted former Major League Baseball player who moves back to his hometown to become a gym teacher. He’s crude and rude, so take it all with a grain of salt and enjoy the laughs.
4. Barry (2018)
HBO’s Barry is a whole lot darker than Ted Lasso, as it’s about a hitman coming to terms with himself and his past deeds. To do that, he enrolls in an acting class and ends up (maybe?) finding his true self… if only he can stay alive long enough.
5. The League (2009)
Whether you understand the ins and outs of a fantasy football league or not, you will die laughing at this FX sitcom. It’s about a bunch of friends in (you guessed it) a fantasy football league who just can’t seem to stop bringing it into their real lives. The fun of a fantasy league gets cutthroat and watching the guys bring in the competition into their lives, relationships, and even their work makes it the perfect watch — especially if you’re much like Ted Lasso and don’t know a thing about the sport.
6. The Morning Show (2019)
It’s not a through-and-through comedy like Ted Lasso, but The Morning Show is on the same platform, making it an easy “next up.” Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell star in this dramedy about the anchors of a morning show in the face of scandal. The savage one-liners alone delivered by Aniston will have you rolling off your couch, for sure. And thanks to Witherspoon’s small-town-reporter-makes-it-big character, you’ll find yourself rooting for someone scrappy.
7. The Game (2006)
This show follows the experiences of several women married or dating pro football players. It’s a comedy with a hint of drama that keeps fans committed to the characters. The show touches on the struggles of celebrity life and securing privacy in a pro-athlete world, all while leaving us laughing. It’s far from Basketball Wives but will keep you strapped on an emotional roller coaster.
8. Atlanta (2016)
After dropping out of an Ivy League college, Earnest returns to Atlanta and reconnects with his cousin, Alfred. Alfred is an Atlanta-famous rapper named Paper Boi. When Earnest agrees to manage his cousin’s music career, it proves to be much more complicated than he thought. These young men find themselves in hilarious, eery, and strange situations throughout their journey to making it big.
9. Scrubs (2001)
Before there was Grey’s Anatomy, there was Scrubs. This show follows the hilarious lives of a group of rookie medical students. There is drama, wit, and comedy weaved throughout their struggles and medical adventures. And although the show takes place in a hospital, it’s a pretty light-hearted series. On their journey to becoming quality medical professionals, we get to watch them grow as doctors and friends.
More Shows With Quirky Underdog Characters
- The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (2009)
- Little Voice (2020)
- Entourage (2004)
- Happy Endings (2011)
- The Mindy Project (2012)
- Silicon Valley (2014)
- Brockmire (2017)
- The Rebels (2014)
- Nathan For You (2013)
- You’re The Worst (2014)
- Great News (2017)
- Pen 15 (2019)
- My Name Is Earl (2005)
- Crashing (2016)
- Man Seeking Woman (2015)
- The Other Two (2019)
- Northern Exposure (1990)
- Space Force (2020)
- Red Oaks (2014)
- Fleabag (2016)
- Love, Nina (2016)
- Ballers (2015)
- Sports Night (1998)
- Men of a Certain Age (2009)
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This article was originally published on 8.20.2021
