Ted Lasso season 4 is currently in active development, with scripts being written and shooting commencing this summer. While most of the creative team from past seasons is returning, Apple has made a key change that should help solve season 3’s biggest problem.
New hire now co-leading Ted Lasso season 4 alongside Jason Sudeikis
When Apple officially announced Ted Lasso’s return, the press release had minimal new details—aside from this significant nugget:
“Ted Lasso” season four adds Emmy Award winner Jack Burditt…as executive producer under a new overall deal with Apple TV+.
Jack Burditt has a long history of producing and writing for great comedies.
As Apple mentions, he’s an Emmy winner. Burditt won several Emmy awards for his work on 30 Rock, where he contributed for nearly the entire run of the show.
Beyond 30 Rock, his resume includes being showrunner, executive producer, and/or writer for various beloved shows:
- Nobody Wants This (the recent Netflix hit)
- Modern Family
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- The Mindy Project
- Last Man Standing
- and more
Burditt’s involvement in Ted Lasso is undoubtedly a win for Apple, and ultimately for fans of the show.
But it seems he’s playing an especially important role in season 4’s development.
Nellie Andreeva writes at Deadline:
I hear the writers room is led by co-showrunners Sudeikis and new series addition Jack Burditt (Modern Family, 30 Rock), a comedy veteran who recently played a key role on the first season of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.
If Deadline is correct, it sounds like Burditt is not only an executive producer on Ted Lasso, but also a new co-showrunner who is leading the writers room alongside Sudeikis.
In other words, he and Sudeikis are partners, together shaping what Ted Lasso season 4 becomes. Which solves a big problem season 3 faced.
Why Jack Burditt could help Ted Lasso avoid season 3’s missteps
Ted Lasso season 3, for all the hype it received, was generally not seen as the show’s best.
Rotten Tomatoes reveals a notable quality dip based on critics’ reviews:
- Season 1: 92%
- Season 2: 98%
- Season 3: 81%
Personally, I found certain episodes of season 3 top-tier Lasso, while other moments were disappointing or frustrating. “Uneven” is the word that best describes my take on the season.
What I didn’t realize until recently is that series co-creator Bill Lawrence had a highly reduced role in season 3—which almost certainly was a major reason for the show’s struggles.
Bill Lawrence co-created other Apple TV+ hits like Shrinking and Bad Monkey, and he and Sudeikis together developed Ted Lasso.
Here’s how Lawrence described his shifting Ted Lasso involvement, right as season 3 was airing:
I ran that show the first year because Jason was still shooting movies while we were doing the writers room…the second year, we ran it together, and I’m only able to do other things now because that guy ran the show himself the third year, as it should be. It’s his voice and his world this season.
So for Lasso’s first two seasons, Lawrence was heavily involved, then in season 3 he stepped back.
Clearly, Jason Sudeikis benefited from having a creative partner leading the show alongside him.
And that’s exactly what Jack Burditt is providing for Ted Lasso season 4.
As co-showrunner and co-lead in the writers room, Burditt will fill Bill Lawrence’s shoes and hopefully find fruitful collaboration with Sudeikis.
Lawrence is still around as executive producer, but with Sudeikis and Burditt co-leading, I’m optimistic Ted Lasso season 4 will be able to avoid the missteps of its last season and set off in a strong new direction.
Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.
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