A show that struck the hearts of many around the world, leaving fans and viewers begging for a fourth season, “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+ added a fun element to the abroad experience of Pepperdine London students.
With touching characters, a compelling soundtrack and witty messages, “Ted Lasso” is a moving comedy about an American man who transforms a London football club [soccer in America] as the head coaching manager.
Junior Lyndsee Moran said she watched all three seasons before studying abroad in London.
“Watching the show made me even more excited than I already was to visit and study in London,” Moran said.
The show is about a make-believe football team, which the writers of the show created for Richmond, a London town.
Moran said she visited Richmond and saw Ted’s house, the pub and the park where many scenes took place.
Since the creators of the show are both American and British, Moran said the show is culturally accurate. Brett Goldstein, a British actor and comedian who plays Roy Kent, captures the London culture in his role, she said.
“They did a great job capturing the cultural accuracy by making each of the characters so different,” Moran said.
Senior Bryan Hulit said, while he studied abroad in London and his peers were fans of “Ted Lasso,” he has not yet seen the show.
Richmond is a couple of bus stops away from South Kensington, the location of the Pepperdine London campus, Hulit said.
“Each of my friends told me they loved the show, and from what they said, I’d be greatly interested in watching it,” Hulit said.
Hulit experienced London during a time of upheaval when the country lost Queen Elizabeth II and a new prime minister came into office, he said. He felt a great sense of London’s identity and togetherness within the city’s community.
Hulit said he would love to watch a show that could capture the lush, patriotic culture he experienced.
Junior Charlie Spare saw the first season of “Ted Lasso” before studying abroad in London, watched the second season during his time abroad and he is currently watching the third season, Spare said.
During his time abroad, Spare said his friends loved Ted. His friends took him to Richmond where he saw the pub, the park and Ted’s house. At a Ted Lasso-themed gift shop near the pub, Spare bought a snow globe to commemorate his visit to the sites of the show.
“It was a cool surprise to find out a cafe in the show [Sam’s restaurant] was a five-minute walk from the Pepperdine campus too,” Spare said.
The heart of the show centers around Ted coaching the British sport, football.
The show captures this essential element of London’s culture remarkably well, Spare said. He attended multiple soccer matches with his friends abroad, including a Chelsea F.C. game and multiple Brighton & Hove Albion games.
“The show was able to capture the London culture well through the depiction of the fans,” Spare said.
Spare said the pride of the football fans and the use of profanity during the games was accurate to the show’s portrayal.
Spare said he felt the way Ted did, exploring London for the first time as an American amidst a community with such a rich culture. It took a while to adjust to the use of pounds for currency and the wider roads, but over his two semesters abroad, he adapted.
Spare noticed the tea that Rebecca drinks every morning in the show is true to London culture. Just like Ted, Spare said the tea that people in London drink was not his favorite.
The little things like these that the show portrayed well added some enjoyment to the London abroad experience, students said.
“Before going abroad I always wanted to visit London, but watching the show made me want to visit even more, then seeing those places in reality made me love my experience in London even more,” Moran said.
_________________________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Samantha Wareing via X: (@WareingSamantha) or by email: Samantha.wareing@pepperdine.edu
