Not every former series regular returns for “Ted Lasso” Season 4, but Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, and Juno Temple are front and center from the jump, as Rebecca, Higgins, and Keeley arrive on Ted’s Kansas City doorstep hoping to convince him to coach AFC Richmond’s newly formed women’s team.
The trio relished kicking off Season 4 together in the city where the series’ title character first took shape, with Temple even pitching a Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”-inspired entrance for Keeley that made its way into the premiere. But beneath the excitement of filming in Kansas City lurked a lingering anxiety shared by the entire “Ted Lasso” troupe: How do you bring back one of television’s most celebrated comedies of the last decade without letting its fans down?
“I know we’ve all talked about it a little bit, of feeling nervous coming back,” Temple admits. “This has been a show that has done so much for us and has brought so much into our lives in such extraordinary ways that I think you just feel nervous to come back. You don’t want to do it a disservice.”
Waddingham shared Temple’s apprehension, admitting she didn’t “want to be any less than [she] was before.” Fortunately, those nerves quickly evaporated once the cast reunited on set.
“There was no need to worry because, as long as our molecules are all in the same room, we’re all fine,” Waddingham says. “We got straight back on the horse… As soon as we then stand there, it’s back to the utter truth of the show that people love.”
That, Waddingham believes, is what has allowed “Ted Lasso” to avoid a trap that often befalls long-running sitcoms.
“I think a lot of times with shows that have later seasons, it all gets very, very big,” she explains. “Those things that people love about characters, the actors have heard them, and then they’ve just gone crazy and not been reined in. I think with our show, we are all so in love with the characters we play, and the nuances. We’re all just watching that detail all the time to keep it rooted in reality.”
Ted and company return to Richmond in Episode 2, streaming Wednesday, August 12, on Apple TV+. In the meantime, watch our full cast interview above, grade the Season 4 premiere below, and then drop a comment with your full review.
