"Ted Lasso" is headed back to the pitch.
More than three years after the Emmy-winning Apple TV comedy concluded what was intended to be its final season, Jason Sudeikis, the show's star, co-creator, and executive producer, is opening up about why he decided to revisit the series' namesake character after initially believing Ted's story had come to an end.
"The story was told. Ted went home [to Kansas City] to be with his son. I wasn't going to have Ted uproot their life to justify the money truck. It made no sense to me," Sudeikis told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday.
Still, reflecting on his decision to return to the beloved series -- this time with new cast members in tow -- he added, "I know I needed this. I needed it as much as other people do."
"Ted Lasso" returns for its fourth season on Aug. 5. Here's what you need to know before the new season premieres.
Season 3, originally intended to be the show's final season, ended with Ted leaving AFC Richmond and returning to Kansas City to be closer to his son Henry.
Season 4 follows Ted as he coaches a second-division women's football team, which Apple TV calls his "biggest challenge yet."
The 10-episode season premieres Aug. 5 on Apple TV, with new episodes released weekly through Oct. 7.
Sudeikis reprises his role as Ted alongside several returning cast members, including Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Juno Temple as Keeley Jones and Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins.
The season also introduces several new characters played by Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.
Waddingham shared her excitement about stepping back into Rebecca's shoes during an appearance on "The View" earlier this month. The Emmy winner praised the new actresses joining the cast, calling them "magic," and hinted at what's ahead for Rebecca's personal life, joking, "He's not unattractive."
In a separate interview with The Guardian, Waddingham reflected on how she felt when season 3 ended and thinking she might never play Rebecca again.
"It sounds silly and theatrical, but if you've really felt a bond with them, losing a character is like losing a friend," she told the outlet.
Hunt, meanwhile, said it was easy to slip back into his role as Coach Beard in an interview with Sports Illustrated back in May.
"Getting back into Beard was easy enough especially because he talks so very little," he said at the time. "Getting on set and being back with Hannah [Waddingham], Juno [Temple], Jeremy [Swift] and Brett [Goldstein], it was the best. We love the whole new team of players we got too, and hopefully everyone will take to them as well. I'm excited to show people what we got."
Since debuting in 2020, "Ted Lasso" has won 13 Emmy Awards, including back-to-back honors for outstanding comedy series.
Season 4 of "Ted Lasso" premieres Aug. 5 on Apple TV.
