We Kind Of Need To Thank Chris Pratt And John Oliver For Ted Lasso, And There’s A Wild Story Behind Why

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As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that timing is everything in this business – and sometimes it’s not just about who you know, but who says no. The tale of Ted Lasso is a shining example of serendipity and the power of persistence.

Looking back, it’s tough to envision any other individual being thought of for the NBC advertisement that eventually spawned the character Ted Lasso. This role has proven integral to Jason Sudeikis’ career, culminating in one of Apple TV+’s top shows, and shaping the last five years of comedy significantly. Interestingly, the ad that set all this in motion was initially proposed to stars like Chris Pratt and John Oliver first. Therefore, we can thank the actor from Parks and Rec and the host of Last Week Tonight for bringing us Ted Lasso.

In Jeremy Egner’s conversations for “Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, The Series That Found a Place in Our Hearts”, he chatted with the NBC staff responsible for crafting an advertisement for the Premier League. Their goal was to familiarize Americans with soccer, and it’s safe to say that Jason Sudeikis wasn’t their initial choice, as John Miller, who was the marketing chief at NBC Sports at the time, mentioned.

Initially, we sought out John Oliver while he was still with The Daily Show. He seemed interested, but we had a unique approach in mind: a British individual making complex topics entertaining. However, at that moment, Jon Stewart was planning to make a film, which led to John Oliver temporarily taking over The Daily Show during the summer. Consequently, he became unavailable for our project.

It seems quite plausible, indeed. NBC was seeking an innovative approach to popularize soccer among Americans. Given John Oliver’s reputation as a popular British figure who delivers news with humor and insight (if you watch Last Week Tonight with a Max subscription, his style becomes quite evident), it appeared to be a winning move, much like a sure-shot basketball goal. However, conflicting schedules posed a challenge.

Given that the cast of “Parks and Recreation” was excelling on NBC at that point in time, and Chris Pratt’s fame was growing, they thought it would be a great idea to invite him. A comedic skit involving him learning football rules, yet repeatedly confusing them with American football, seems like an obvious success.

However, Pratt’s film career was blasting off, and he “wasn’t interested,” as Miller said:

After considering Chris Pratt as an option due to his amusing and entertaining nature, known from Parks and Recreation, and our shared NBC connection, we reached out to him. However, he was deeply engrossed in Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy, paving the way for a flourishing film career, and declined our invitation.

Later on, he made it clear that they also thought about individuals such as Ricky Gervais and Seth Meyers. Nevertheless, they felt that Gervais might not have been suitable, while Meyers wasn’t quite as popular as they had hoped for at the moment.

Ultimately, it was Jason Sudeikis who secured the position, and here’s how it transpired according to Bill Bergofin, the newly appointed marketing chief for NBC Sports at the time, as mentioned in the book.

It seems everyone is a bit puzzled. We had someone in charge of managing talent who mentioned, “You see, Jason Sudeikis, I’m not certain if he’s passionate about soccer, but since he’s recently left SNL and I don’t think he has any upcoming projects, he might be available.

Now, that was the real slam dunk!

In the summer of 2013, an advertisement emerged following his last season on Saturday Night Live. At that time, he wasn’t the household name he is now, but the team took notice because they remembered him from his coach character on SNL.

Well, that proved to be a great decision for a lot of reasons.

Initially, as I’m typing this, the YouTube video for this advertisement already has more than 22 million views.

To elaborate further and crucially, the creation process of the Apple TV+ show is what stands out. Thanks to this NBC advertisement, we eventually received a show that captured the public’s imagination, racked up multiple Emmy awards, introduced us to the exceptionally talented Ted Lasso cast, featuring stars like Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Phil Dunster, and left our hearts feeling warm.

That wouldn’t have happened if John Oliver or Chris Pratt said yes.

So, everybody say thank you to them for saying no and these NBC employees for being down for the idea to hire Jason Sudeikis when you watch or re-watch Ted Lasso with your Apple TV+ subscription. Without all this happening, we probably never would have been able to say “We’re Richmond ‘til we die,” because AFC Richmond probably wouldn’t have existed.

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2024-12-26 16:37