Book Review: ‘Believe’ takes a curious, not judgmental, look at success of ‘Ted Lasso’

It’s hard to believe that a TV show based on a series of commercials with the same punchline — an American football coach confused by the rules of soccer — could have lasted beyond an episode or two. It’s even harder to believe that it became an Emmy-winning hit with a cast invited to the White House to talk about mental health.

There’s a lot to learn from the unlikely success of “Ted Lasso,” the hit Apple TV+ show featuring Jason Sudekis as its mustachioed, wholesome namesake. Jeremy Egner’s “Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, the Show that Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts” is the best place to learn it.

As television editor for The New York Times, Egner had a front-row seat to the show and the cultural phenomenon it became. That background offers readers an enlightening and entertaining guide, though it’s definitely geared toward fans of the show.

Written half as an oral history and half as a guide to key episodes, “Believe” offers plenty of interesting tidbits about the making of the show and provides inspiration for fans to give “Ted Lasso” another viewing.

Egner leaves no detail uncovered, including the taste of Ted’s famous biscuits (dry, at least in the first season) and arguments over what the “Believe” sign hanging in the locker room should look like.

The book avoids becoming too laudatory of the show and notes the criticism it faced, especially during the third — and final? — season.

Egner adeptly explains how all the right factors, including an audience overwhelmed by negative news and divisive times, worked together to ensure the show’s success. It’s an audience that was hungry for a show that, as he puts it, is about personal transformation.

The book may not necessarily transform anyone into a new fan of “Ted Lasso,” but it may at least give those who like the show a reason to give it another watch.

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