Fans of the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso have been rocked by news that the forthcoming third season may be its last.
The sitcom stars Jason Sudeikis as an upbeat American football coach who moves to the UK and becomes the manager of a Premier League football club.
It has been one of the streaming service’s few breakout hits, with the show’s positive messages and feel-good humour often praised by fans.
However, writer and star Brett Goldstein told The Times that the third season – which will reportedly benefit from a new liscencing deal with the Premier League – was being written to serve as the show’s end.
“It was planned as three,” he said, before joking: “Spoiler alert – everyone dies.”
In 2021, Sudeikis suggested that the show could end after three seasons but that he remained open to more if the ideas are there.
Fans have reacted to the portentous news with disappointment, with many saying they had hoped it would share the longevity of hit US comedies, rather than the comparatively short-lived UK model.
“Gutted to hear the upcoming season of @TedLasso will be the last, but hardly surprising considering it’s predominantly a US production filmed in the UK. Still gutted though, imagine what we would have missed if Scrubs had only gone 3 seasons,” wrote one fan.
“Just discovered #TedLasso and binged the first 2 series… I am gutted that S3 will be the last,” another person wrote.
“Ted Lasso ending is seriously such a bummer :( but respect to the creators for knowing when the story is finished,” someone else commented, while another fan quipped: “I’m gonna need an emergency meeting of the Diamond Dogs to help get me through the fact that Ted Lasso is ending after this next season.”
“Diamond Dogs” is a running joke in the series, with the name being used to refer to a group of characters who meet to discuss their relationship troubles.
Ted Lasso can be streamed now on Apple TV+.
