Book info

• Title Believe
• Author Jeremy Egner
• Year 2024
• Genre Non-Fiction

When Ted Lasso first aired in 2020, nobody—including those who had worked on it—knew how a show inspired by an ad, centered around soccer, filled mostly with unknown actors, and led by a wondrously mustachioed “nice guy” would be received. Eleven Emmys and one Peabody Award later, it’s safe to say that the show’s status as a pop-culture phenomenon is secure. In Believe, entertainment journalist and Ted Lasso fan Jeremy Egner traces the show’s creation and legacy through the words of the people at its center. Drawing on dozens of interviews from key cast, creators, and more, Believe takes readers from the first, silly NBC Premier League commercial to the pitch to Apple executives, then into the show’s writers’ room, through the brilliant international casting, and on to the unforgettable set and locations of the show itself. Brimming with careful reporting and written to match the show’s heart and humor, Believe tells a story of teamwork, of hidden talent, of a group of friends looking around at the world’s increasingly nasty discourse and deciding that maybe simple decency still has the power to bring us together—a story about what happens when you dare to believe.

Thoughts

I’ve had this book to read in my list for a while, and given that the show is making an unexpected return with a fourth series, I thought it was worth prioritising it before it becomes outdated. This has interviews with all the cast and crew so has that official air, and covers how the show came to be and why it had such an incredible impact. It does lean a little too much to the US view, obviously written by a US journalist that makes sense but sometimes it felt like they thought the UK was some unknown mysterious place. Regardless, it’s a great review of the wonderful series and naturally just makes me want to watch it all over again.

Rating: 4 / 5