Ted Lasso Season Four Is Coming: What To Watch While You Wait

The wait is nearly over. Ted Lasso will officially return in summer 2026, Apple TV has confirmed, and yes, it feels like the right time to start believing again.

Season four is currently in production, with Jason Sudeikis back both in front of and behind the camera. Fan favourites return too, including Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside a raft of new cast members including Tanya Reynolds and Jude Mack.

But here’s the twist. Ted is back in Richmond with his biggest challenge yet, coaching a second division women’s football team. New dressing room. New expectations. Same belief. The official line promises a season about leaping before you look and taking chances you never thought you would. If the show’s record breaking, Emmy sweeping first three seasons taught us anything, it’s that this team knows how to land an emotional punch.

So while we wait for summer 2026, here are five shows and films that carry the same generous spirit.

Schitt's Creek

TV Show (2015-2020) A wealthy family loses everything and is forced to rebuild their lives in a small town they once bought as a joke. What begins as culture clash comedy slowly becomes one of television’s most satisfying studies of growth, acceptance and chosen family. At the centre of it all is the late Catherine O'Hara, whose performance as Moira Rose is a masterclass in comic precision and unexpected vulnerability. Like Ted Lasso, it earns its heart and rewards patience, building to a finale that feels fully deserved.

Abbott Elementary

TV Show (2021-2026) Set in an underfunded Philadelphia public school, this mockumentary follows teachers who show up every day because they believe their work matters. It’s sharp, funny and deeply affectionate toward its characters. The comedy lands, but it’s the sense of community and purpose that lingers.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Film (2006) Starring Will Smith, this true story of Chris Gardner’s battle with homelessness is emotionally tough but ultimately uplifting. It’s about resilience, fatherhood and refusing to surrender to circumstance. Different setting, same underlying message about perseverance and belief.

Detectorists

TV Show (2014-2017) Two friends search the English countryside for buried treasure, and in doing so reveal something far more valuable about friendship and quiet contentment. It’s gentle, observational and deeply humane. The stakes are small, but the emotional truth is big.

Soul

Film (2020) Pixar’s meditation on purpose and meaning blends visual invention with surprising philosophical depth. It suggests that connection and presence matter more than grand achievement. It’s animated, but it plays straight to the adult heart.

Season four of Ted Lasso promises a new team, a new challenge and the same emotional intelligence that made it a cultural reset. Until then, these are worthy warm ups.

Believe.