Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been catching up with the excellent Ted Lasso on Apple TV, starring the fabulous Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis. It’s about a football club and the people in it – an underdog comedy, really, as they’re battling relegation, a string of draws, a diverse team who aren’t playing nicely together.
The title character is a fish out of water, brought from America to make sure the club goes under in an act of revenge by Hannah Waddingham against her ex husband, played delightfully sleazily by the much missed Anthony Stewart Head. Of course it doesn’t work, despite the entire fanbase of the club loathing Lasso, who knows less than nothing about football. He’s a Ned Flanders type who really shouldn’t be as charming as he is. His sidekick is a taciturn man with a fatal attraction to a woman who is quite bonkers. Brett Goldstein growls as Roy Kent, team captain past his glory days but not quite able to give up the beautiful game.
It’s predictable – yes, they’ll be relegated but that’s OK, there’s always another season. There’s a divorce (Lasso is giving his wife 5000 miles of space). There’s a love story and a kitman with an eye for tactics. There’s a Christmas episode with snow. It’s filmed in Richmond so looks posh and pretty. Nothing unexpected but beautifully written and every single episode leaves you feeling hopeful and happy.
It’s exactly the TV we need right now. Watch it.
Things making me happy this week
- Family Wednesdays at work. So much fun.
- Deeney’s specialty toastie – the Macbeth – Haggis, cheese and onions. MMMM.
- Pizza with the kids on Tuesday.
- Thing 1 taking up crochet again.
- Progress on my shawl.
- An evening with some of my girlfriends on Friday.
- A Saturday swim with Rachel.
- The return of bearable temperatures and a few drops of water falling from the sky.
That’s it from me – a quiet week! No big thoughts….
What I’ve been reading:
A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J Maas (Audible)
The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton
A lot of absolute rubbish by various Americans. No thinking required.
What Kirsty did next 