Alongside its flagship title The Morning Show, Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso has to be one of Apple TV Plus’ most successful original TV shows. For its first season it scooped up 20 nominations at the Emmy Awards – the first comedy to do so, winning in seven of its categories including Outstanding Comedy Series. Sadly, rumor has it, while you can watch Ted Lasso Season 3 right now with an Apple TV Plus subscription, this may very well be its last.
Though a potential spin-off with Brett Goldstein could be on the cards, the fate of Ted Lasso has yet to be confirmed. Still, with the final episode due to drop on Apple TV Plus on May 31, we thought what better time than to go down memory lane and reveal some fun facts about the filming of Ted Lasso that you might not know – including whether or not you can actually grab a pint at Ted’s local, the Crown and Anchor.
Ted Lasso Was Actually First Created In 2013
Ted Lasso may not have arrived onto Apple TV Plus until 2020, but the character of Ted, a bumbling American with no idea about the differences between football (soccer) and the American kind was actually first created by Jason Sudeikis in 2013 for an NBC commercial.
The sketch, also featuring Brendon Hunt (who portrays Coach Beard in the show), was aired to promote the network’s coverage of the Premier League in 2013, with a follow-up sketch featuring the character a year later, too.
The Pub Is, In Fact, Real!
The Crown and Anchor is a real pub in Richmond called the Prince’s Head – and it’s actually around the corner from Ted’s home on the Richmond Green. No movie (or, rather, TV) magic here.
Truly, the fact that may blow many people’s minds, more so than it being a real pub, is that the pub has been standing for over 300 years.
AFC Richmond’s Home Ground Was Actually Nearly 13 Miles Away In South London
Crystal Palace ring a bell? Well, it should if you're familiar with Premier League football. Turns out, the AFC Richmond Greyhound's Nelson Road is actually Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace's home ground. Situated in the London Borough of Croydon, that's a good 13 miles away from Richmond in West London.
Similarly, AFC Richmond's training ground also wasn't filmed in Richmond. Hayes & Yeading United Football Club's training ground was used for filming the show and is where scenes of Ted and Coach Beard whipping the team into shape took place – the very training sessions that ultimately see the team promoted back into the Premier League. Not quite as far away as Selhurst Park, Hayes and Yeading United FC's football ground is a good half an hour drive away in Ealing (around 7.3 miles).
One stadium that Ted Lasso did get the keys to was Wembley Stadium, where AFC Richmond played against Manchester City in Season 2, Episode 8. Although it's unlikely the team were allowed to step on the actual pitch, the iconic Wembley Stadium did feature in the show in some sideline shots.
Although the fictional team had to go further afield and stray further north and south of Richmond, the filming of Ted Lasso still managed to take place somewhere in London, often in the west on the team's home turf.
With the Crown and Anchor just around the corner from Ted's apartment on Paved Court, other shots in the area took place on Richmond Green nearby. The filming of Ted Lasso was kept fairly local, then, with all the key areas plotted in the map below if you fancy your own Ted Lasso pilgrimage.
Brett Goldstein Was Initially Only A Writer For Ted Lasso
Imagine a world in which Brett Goldstein wasn’t the beloved Roy Kent. Well, it turns out the football chant is true: Roy Kent is every fucking where. Brett Goldstein actually started out his time on Ted Lasso strictly in the writer’s room after being roped in by producer Bill Lawrence, who Goldstein had worked with previously for a comedy that never saw the light of day, called Spaced Out.
It was only after the writers had finished penning Season 1 of Ted Lasso that Goldstein’s affinity for the character of Roy Kent compelled him to send in tape acting out five scenes from the show to the production team.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Brett Goldstein said he felt he really understood Roy.
I won’t name them, but we have family friends who are professional footballers [...] I was around when they retired, and I know how difficult that transition is. How football is your life and then suddenly it isn’t – and you have no training for normal life. There’s a real sort of tragedy to that. No one wants to stop playing football – it’s just that your body can’t. That’s tragic. I understood the sadness of that. I understood his depression. And, most of all, I fully understood the rage. It was all the aspects of him. I thought, ‘I am Roy Kent.’ The difference is that I don’t want people not to like me, so I suppress it more.
The Shortbread Cookies Ted Frequently Delivered To Rebecca Weren't...All That Tasty
How does Hannah Waddingham really feel about the shortbread biscuits Ted brings her character Rebecca? Well, apparently they "sucked all the saliva out of [her] mouth" and, considering how much her character loved them, she said portraying them in all their buttery, delicious glory was some of “the hardest acting of my life” in an interview with Vulture.
One Unscripted Moment Led To A Painful Head Injury
In an interview with Drew Barrymore, Jason Sudeikis revealed that he sustained a head injury in the middle of a scene from Ted Lasso Season 1 that resulted in his head having to be glued shut.
Exiting Rebecca’s office in high spirits, Ted jumps and clicks his heels only for his head to unintentionally collide with the doorframe. In the scene, he quickly recovers, hops up, and informs Rebecca he is fine. Like a pro.
You can watch the incident below.
Disney Almost Didn't 'Let It Go' With Its Streaming Rival
Cast your minds back. In Season 1, Episode 7 “Make Rebecca Great Again”, Hannah Waddingham gives a beautiful rendition of the song “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen when AFC Richmond wins a game against Everton after sixty years of loss. But it almost wasn’t to be.
Initially, Disney said no to licensing the Elsa hit to be used on Apple TV Plus. Not exactly surprising considering its a rival streaming service. However, when sent a cut of the scene, the execs at Disney apparently changed their minds. If not for this U-turn, we would’ve instead seen Rebecca’s take on “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
It seems like a running trend as Ted Lasso has increasingly proven more and more popular. The Premier League gave permission for its branding to be used in the show after seeing its initial success. Similarly, Nike came on board as the official sponsor of AFC Richmond for Season 3, with the option for people to buy official AFC Richmond football jerseys.
While it seems like all reports point to Season 3 being the last we'll see of the beloved Ted Lasso, those who’ve yet to experience the sheer joy of this TV show can start streaming the show now with an Apple TV Plus free trial.
