Jason Sudeikis is bringing his Ted Lasso character to Apple’s upcoming streaming service.
Variety has learned that Apple TV Plus has given a series order to “Ted Lasso,” on which Sudeikis will star in addition to writing and executive producing. In the series, Sudeikis plays Lasso, an idealistic all-American football coach hired to manage an English football club despite having no soccer coaching experience at all. This marks Sudeikis’ first regular onscreen television role since he left “Saturday Night Live” in 2013. He previously voiced the main character in the Fox live-action/animation hybrid series “Son of Zorn” in 2016.
The character originally appeared in an NBC Sports video in 2013 to help promote the fact that NBC Sports would begin broadcasting English Premier League games. It proved so successful that NBC brought the character back the following year to serve as an analyst.
Sudeikis co-wrote the pilot along with Bill Lawrence, with Lawrence also set to executive produce under his Doozer Productions banner. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold will also executive produce, with the company’s Liza Katzer co-executive producing. Warner Bros. Television, where Doozer is under an overall deal, will serve as the studio.
Since leaving “SNL,” Sudeikis has primarily focused on films, starring in comedies such as “Horrible Bosses” and its sequel, “We’re the Millers,” “The Angry Birds Movie” and its sequel, “Booksmart,” “Downsizing,” and “Colossal.” He has also appeared on shows such as “Eastbound & Down,” “The Last Man on Earth,” and “Detroiters” in addition to sporadic guest appearances on “SNL.”
He is repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Apple TV Plus is set to launch on Nov. 1. Shows that will be available upon the launch of the streamer include “The Morning Show” starring Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, “See” starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, and “For All Mankind” starring Joel Kinnaman.