Where Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Filmed? Creator Bill Lawrence Prioritized Authenticity in Filming Locations
Creating an effective movie or TV show is about transporting the viewer to another world and making them believe it could exist in theirs. That means having believable dialogue, realistic situations, and locations that look and feel real. In the AppleTV series Ted Lasso, getting the location aspect right is crucial for making the soccer-centric show ring true. So where does Ted Lasso film? Let’s take a closer look at whether the show about an unlikely soccer coach is filmed in the same place that it’s set in.
Why the show works
In Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis stars as an American football coach who travels to England to coach a different kind of football team – one that would be called a soccer team in the U.S.
The show works because while it is funny, it also has a heart, tackling subjects like mental health. Oddly enough, it all started with a commercial in which Sudeikis portrayed the character. In an interview with Men’s Health, the actor said the show ended up coming about rather organically after the commercials were popular:
“But then the commercial really hit, and people really dug it. Both people in the U.S., people in the U.K., soccer fans, football fans, comedy folks. It was almost this Olympic Rings type venn diagram that we were aiming for, but by no means did we think we’d achieve. So we got to do a second one.”
Fans have really responded to the sometimes ridiculous but well-meaning Lasso. The series is currently running its second season on the AppleTV streaming service.
The filming locations of ‘Ted Lasso’
The show is about British soccer, but it theoretically could be filmed anywhere, much like any other show. However, according to The Cinemaholic, both Sudeikis and series executive producer Bill Lawrence wanted the show to feel authentic. They insisted on filming where it actually takes place. The show is shot at the West London Film Studios in Hayes, Hillingdon, London.
Why the insistence on using the actual location of London? Lawrence told the New York Post that it was about other sports shows and movies and how easy it is for them to look staged:
“The first burden for anybody who’s made a sports movie or TV show is that it’s really easy to make one that looks fake. The football aspects of it needed to look real. We were lucky enough to use real venues.”
This is understandable – Ted Lasso may be a comedy, but it does strive to feel grounded. Having the right locations helps do that.
There’s one big question on many fans’ minds. How much longer can they see the continuing adventures of Ted in merry old England? Lasso lovers are in luck as there’s at least one more season to look forward to.
Season 3 of ‘Ted Lasso’ is a go
According to Deadline, Apple renewed the series for a third season. As far as how long fans of it can expect it to continue, Lawrence said the original plan was for a three-season storyline:
“This story [we’ve already mapped out], I know has a beginning, middle and an end, and will end the third year…I think there’s other stories to tell about Ted Lasso and the gang, and we’ll see. I think either way, it’ll be important to Jason and all of us to try and go out on a high note.”
That’s not to say season 3 will be the end, just that it may see the end of some of the show’s storylines. If the demand for more Lasso is there, you can be sure Apple will bring back Sudeikis and company for more hilarity.
