Sports-Based Sitcom Emerges as True Champion of Emmy’s Night
"We're Richmond 'till we die! We're Richmond 'till we die! We know we are, we're sure we are, we're Richmond 'till we die!"
That's the chant of a true champion. Not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, not the Los Angeles Dodgers, not even the Alabama Crimson Tide. Rather, it's the chant of the champion of the 2021 Emmy Awards, A.F.C. Richmond, and the show on which the team shines, Ted Lasso.
The Apple TV+ original series is currently airing its second season, but received recognition from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for their work in Season One. The show itself, as well as a number of its stars, were covered in gold by the end of the evening, adding another stop on the incredible journey that the show is on, a journey that few sports-based television shows have made before it.
Hand up, I admit it: I was late to the Ted Lasso game. I began watching the show roughly a month ago, just before the show started to air its second season. I was skeptical after the first few episodes, and I began to question what the public may have seen in it.
Then, in what felt like the blink of an eye, the show hooked me.
For those who have not watched, the show features the titular Ted Lasso, a football coach who is hired by a soccer team in England as the team's new manager. Without spoiling anything else, the show follows the trials and tribulations of the ever-positive coach as he attempts to ingratiate himself to the fans and the players.
The show took the television world by storm, and the biggest stars took home awards last night. The man behind the character of Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis, won an Emmy for Best Leading Actor in a Comedy Series. Brett Goldstein took home the Best Supporting Actor Award for his portrayal of Roy Kent, while Hannah Waddingham took home the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as Rebecca Welton. The show itself was also honored, winning Best Comedy Series.
Sports television shows, and specifically sports sitcoms, very rarely do well in the eyes of critics. For every Friday Night Lights, there are ten flops that fail to make it past a season. Shows like Sports Night and Coach won Emmy Awards from time-to-time, but as far back as I can remember, I'm not sure a sports-based television show has had a run at an awards show that is comparable to this.
So, cheers to the folks at Ted Lasso, and here's hoping that a new wave of sports-based scripted shows are on the way.