Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso first premiered on August 14, 2020. The show stars Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an American football coach who is hired to coach the British soccer team AFC Richmond. The comedy series has won many awards, including Emmys, for its stellar acting, directing, editing, and more.
Sudeikis doesn’t just star in the show, though – he also created it. With the help of Brendan Hunt and Bill Lawrence, he was able to craft a three-season show (with the final season airing later this year) that has captured the hearts of millions. Looking at Sudeikis from the perspective of a creative mind can reveal what exactly went into the making of this delightful sitcom.
The most essential personality trait leading to creativity is an openness to experience, which Sudeikis seems (from an outsider’s perspective) to possess. He has shown himself to be politically liberal, as he has worn a shirt saying, “My body, my choice” to an awards show, as well as heavily implied a distaste for former president Donald Trump on numerous occasions. Additionally, he has shown to believe in the importance of art – his 2021 hosting of Saturday Night Live (SNL) paying homage with a sincere and reverent speech to his time as a cast member on the show and the institution as a whole.
Throughout his life, Sudeikis was collecting memories that would become important later on. Experiences from his real life would eventually make their way into the show; from the relationships he had with his own coaches while playing basketball in high school to intimate moments with romantic partners.
Many creative processes went into the creation of the show. One clear-cut example is that in an interview, Sudeikis once stated that the show was created with the concept of, “What if Nora Ephron wrote a sports movie?” This indicates that analogy was a key component of the creative process, as he took the emotional weight and uplifting themes from a Nora Ephron film and translated it into his own work. Another creative process used was incubation; the character of Ted Lasso was first used in an NBC Sports commercial in 2015 but took five years to become a fully developed show. It took time for the concept to evolve from a goofy five-minute commercial to a poignant season of television.
While Ted Lasso is on the surface a show about soccer, the characters within it engage with and praise literature, musical theater, and many other compelling art forms. And its core message, that kindness is something we should all strive for, is one that every single creative should take to heart.
I loved this post! Your point about of the importance of openness reminds me of our in class discussion about how expertise can limit one's creativity; Sudeikis' open mind might help him avoid that (I'd argue that he is certainly an expert).
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you decided to talk about this show for your blog post! I always found Ted's ever present openness and willingness to keep going so inspiring. Sudeikis playing both the main actor and being the creator truly highlights his ability to create in so many facets.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you picked Jason to write about this week! He is a Kansas City legend as that's his hometown and mine as well so I have loved this show since the beginning. His creativity is present in the way he is able to connect with the audience and uplift anyone who watches. I love that my entire family can sit down and watch Ted Lasso, it speaks to his ability to see the production through the eyes of the audience. Sudeikis is an expert in acting but also producing, making him a creative force to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteWow. I did not know he also wrote the show. That's a bit silly of me. I also had no idea about the musical theater elements of the show, but thinking back on it I totally see it. This show (and by extension, this guy) keeps on finding ways to surprise me!
ReplyDeleteHi Gillian, it was awesome reading your post about Ted Lasso! As someone who loves both romantic comedies and sports stories, this is one of my all-time favorite shows. I absolutely loved you included the analogy from Sudeikis about how Ted Lasso is like Nora Ephron writing a sports story, that makes so much sense and I love that connection made. (The episode "Rainbow" is a wonderful homage to iconic rom coms, and also includes one of my favorite lines in the show: "If Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan can go through some heartfelt struggles and still end up happy, then so can we.")
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