I wonder if Apple was as surprised by the popularity of Ted Lasso as anyone. When it premiered in 2020, it was only among the second wave of shows on Apple TV. The company had yet to produce a mainstream hit, no matter how good For All Mankind might’ve been. Suddenly it had a show buzzy enough to get casual viewers to pay up, and about an English soccer/football club, no less.
The unexpected fourth season is wrapping up on October 7. While a fifth season has been teased, it’s not yet confirmed as of this writing. If you’re looking for similar shows to watch in the interim, I’ve got you covered — but in a twist, I’m not going to just spit out a list of sports content. It’s really the spirit of Ted Lasso I want to chase, as well as interesting diversions.
The IT Crowd
More British fish out of water
In the 2000s, British TV comedy was on fire, with shows like Black Books, Spaced, The Mighty Boosh, and That Mitchell and Webb Look. If you’re looking to dip your toes into British humor without an American character in sight, one of the best entry points is The IT Crowd, starring Richard Ayoade, Chris O’Dowd, and Katherine Parkinson.
The premise revolves around a neglected IT department at a major corporation, but it’s really an excuse for absurd fish-out-of-water scenarios — either with Ayoade and O’Dowd’s characters coping with normie culture, or vice versa. More importantly, it actually respects and understands where nerds are coming from, unlike The Big Bang Theory. It’s well-written, and sometimes it’s the technically illiterate characters that look the most ridiculous.
The Studio
A workplace comedy in the craziest industry
While your Apple TV subscription is still running, you should definitely check out The Studio. Seth Rogen plays the newly-appointed head of a fictional movie studio, struggling to balance artistic integrity with corporate realities, not to mention the egos Hollywood is often prone to. The style here is cringe comedy, yet it’s not quite The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm — it’s its own thing, with a very specific target in mind. And a bigger budget.
The show’s secret weapon is the number of real-life celebrities playing themselves. The first season alone has names like Martin Scorsese, Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, Charlize Theron, Anthony Mackie, and more. Season 2 is expected to premiere in March 2027. The show is also notable as the last role for Catherine O’Hara, who played Rogen’s mentor and predecessor.
The Studio
- Release Date
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March 25, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Showrunner
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Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Seth Rogen
Upbeat in all the right ways
In a way, Community is the inverse of Ted Lasso: an utterly cynical man is forced to go back to community college, and strikes up friendships with people with far better attitudes than him. The show was created by Dan Harmon — now best known for Rick and Morty — and helped catapult the careers of people like Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, and Donald Glover. In my opinion, it’s often Glover and Danny Pudi who steal the spotlight, despite the marquee name being Chevy Chase.
Writing leads the way. The show is very self-aware, and finds excuses to go to completely outlandish places without them feeling hokey. For example, the show’s best-known episode is “Remedial Chaos Theory,” in which a roll of the die spawns seven parallel realities for the same night. If you’ve ever seen a GIF of Glover wandering into a room on fire, that’s the episode.
Shoresy
A Canadian crossover hit
I had to include at least one sports show on this list, and Shoresy is a natural pick. It’s a spin-off of Letterkenny, a Canadian comedy that gained a cult following in the US. The title character moves to the town of Sudbury, Ontario to play for a local hockey team, the Icedogs, and ends up vowing to rescue them from closure. Tonally, it’s a mix of Letterkenny and Slap Shot.
While you can watch it on Hulu, it’s unapologetically Canadian, for instance being shot in the real Sudbury, and including cameos by people like Wayne Gretzky and Kids in the Hall star Scott Thompson. I’m honestly surprised how well it’s doing. It’s already five seasons in, and a sixth is due in 2027. I suppose it’s proof that with the right cast and crew, there’s no reason Canadian shows can’t transcend cultures.
