Cross-Atlantic hit Ted Lasso hits all the feel-good notes for most of its viewers, and has become one of the most beloved sitcoms of the last few years. But for some of us, it might be just a little too sweet—or there may not be enough of it to satisfy your sweet tooth at all.
However you find yourself in regards to Ted, you’ll be happy to know that there’s quite a few shows that hit the same notes, for various reasons. Here’s 15 of the best Lasso-like shows, for when you need a pick-me-up.
First, some picks if you love Lasso‘s earnest sweetness:
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary reinforces how important teachers are and how much more pay and support they deserve. It also debunks the notion that burrowed into our brains when we were kids—that teachers only exist at school. Believe it or not, teachers have family drama, love lives, and interests outside of their jobs!
Abbott‘s writing is hilarious, and its characters (played by a charming cast)—even the prickly ones—are fundamentally compassionate. Even when making jokes at each other’s expense, it’s clear that they come from a place of love. If you’re looking for a smart comedy with a kind heart, this is a great choice.
Bob’s Burgers
Speaking of smart comedies with kind hearts, Bob’s Burgers has been exactly that for 13 seasons (and counting!) and a feature film. Whereas many animated shows are either cloyingly sweet when geared toward children, or raunchy and sarcastic when geared toward adults, Bob’s Burgers strikes an amazing balance that’s great for people of all ages.
And at its heart is the Belcher family, who are one of the most loving and supportive families on TV. Its individual members are far from perfect, but their conflicts rarely stem from their relationships with each other. They are always down for each other in a way that I wish more families IRL would be.
Spy x Family
This anime series adaptation of the popular manga and light novel is the sweetest show about a spy who creates a fake family with an assassin and a telepathic orphan I’ve ever seen!
Spy x Family debuted last year to well-deserved critical and fan acclaim (spawning a stage musical adaptation and an anime film due to arrive in December), and that has a lot to do with the family at the show’s center.
Sure, Loid Forger only adopted Anya and married Yor Briar to complete a mission. Sure, Loid doesn’t know Yor is an assassin, and Yor doesn’t know he’s a spy. And sure, Anya is keeping her telepathic abilities to herself while knowing everything about her parents’ secret lives. But that hasn’t kept these three from becoming emotionally invested in and devoted to each other. It’s almost as if “family” goes beyond blood relation.
Shrinking
Ted Lasso isn’t the only sweet and poignant-yet-irreverent comedy Apple TV+ has to offer. Shrinking, starring Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams, is a laugh-out-loud comedy about grief.
Segel’s Jimmy is dealing with life as a dad to a teenage daughter in the aftermath of his wife’s death. Shrinking‘s humor doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, but it does so without trading in meanness or stereotypes. Each character cares so deeply about the others, and that care is undeniable even if they don’t express themselves in the best ways.
The cast is diverse (racially, economically, in sexuality, in age/life stage), which allows the humor to examine a number of perspectives in a loving and compassionate way. This is a story about therapists, and it shows in how its characters are constantly trying to be better in their relationships with others.
Lower Decks
Like Lasso and the other shows mentioned above, Lower Decks is a show that has managed to maintain sweetness and earnestness without sacrificing edgy comedy.
The crew members on the Cerritos are the scrappy underdogs of Starfleet, no matter their rank. Yet, as much as they try to prove themselves to their superiors, they also revel in their underdog status, recognizing the value of being a supportive team able to think and act outside the box.
Lower Decks pokes loving fun at and pays homage to a sci-fi franchise known for its optimistic look at humanity. That optimism continues to shine in this series, which is one of Star Trek‘s best offerings, animated or otherwise.
If you prefer to cut your sweetness with some bitter, these comedies might be more up your alley for a post-Lasso binge:
Schitt’s Creek
The first few episodes might deceive you into believing that Schitt’s Creek is entirely sardonic, but just give it a chance and it’ll surprise you. This delightful show has a great deal of heart to it, but only in the moments that matter.
With a lovable cast of characters (that you’ll want to throttle every once in a while) and a town that starts to grow on you, Schitt’s Creek is the rare sort of show that captivates you from start to finish. The way that the story fully concludes in such a satisfying, well-earned way is something of a rarity in shows these days.
Barry
While not nearly as jovial as Ted Lasso, HBO’s Barry shares the same sort of dry humor, albeit in a much more tense setting. Fellow SNL alum Bill Hader stars as the titular Barry, a former veteran-turned-hitman who fumbles his way into an amateur acting career.
These shows have often been called parallels of each other, with there being hints of wisdom in between all the respective absurdity and chaos. Either way, Barry is certainly just as bingeable.
High Maintenance
On paper, a show about a weed delivery guy sounds like it’ll be just another in a long line of stoner-driven series. But in practice, this show demonstrates more soul and creativity than most shows out there, and we still mourn its cancellation.
High Maintenance follows “The Guy” throughout New York as he delivers his products to trusted customers. Their lives often intersect, making the customers the main characters of each episode, and The Guy our beloved recurring character. But everyone is treated with fairness and tenderness, and where Lasso‘s sweet moments are a little on the nose, HM‘s are wonderfully subtle.
Mozart in the Jungle
Ted had some pretty big shoes to fill going to work in London, and for what was initially meant to be an orchestrated disaster. In a similar vein, Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke) finally got her chance to play for the NY Symphony Orchestra, and it’s more cutthroat than she ever could have anticipated.
Anyone who’s ever tried to make it as a musician—or anyone who’s dedicated to their art in general—will find some catharsis in Mozart in the Jungle. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, maintaining a constant air of levity and determination, but the moments when shit hits the fan really make you sit up straight.
Hacks
We hate Hacks and we love it. Hate, because it can get so toxic that we get second-hand embarrassment whenever we watch it. And love, because hey, that’s good TV!
Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a once-renowned comedian, is in turmoil over her career, while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) can’t find steady work as a comedy writer after an ill-advised tweet. Together, they are a pair of snarky, insufferable jerks, and it’s both fantastic to watch and anxiety-inducing for Ava, who’s just trying to keep her job. But don’t worry, it’s not all knives out: there are the occasional moments of sweetness, and they hit especially hard in their rarity.
Insecure
Now that Insecure has officially ended, you really have no excuse NOT to watch it. Especially if you’re a fan of Lasso, because these shows are both about rooting for the little guy, and watching Issa (star and creator Issa Rae) grow into who she needs to be is incredibly inspiring!
Issa Dee is approaching her thirties and finding her life isn’t fulfilling, while her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) has a great career, but is scratching the bottom of the barrel for dates. It’s a hilarious, captivating, and at times heartbreaking show that pairs each episode with literally the best music you could possibly play in a TV show.
Shrill
Ahhhhhhhhh how we love Lil Baby Aidy! Similar to Insecure, Shrill is all about a young woman trying to find more purpose in her life and her work, yet with a different set of challenges keeping her from progressing. When the series begins, Annie (Aidy Bryant) has a cool job but not enough to do, and her boyfriend is a moron who makes her feel awful about herself. Annie really lacks a backbone, and much of the series sees her growth from a wallflower into a “shrill” badass. It’s a really cool journey, especially for plus-sized viewers, and even when Annie acts like a jerk, we can’t help but root for all the growth she’s making happen.
Mythic Quest
This is a silly series, if you liked the silliness of Ted Lasso. I also considered putting Rob McElhenney’s first show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on this list, but that series is ultimately quite mean and Lasso is … pretty much the opposite of that. So, thankfully, we have McElhenney’s other show to go on: Mythic Quest.
Video game development is a notoriously slimy industry, but this show does a great job at humanizing it via all the ridiculous stunts and in-office drama. The cast helps make the magic happen, featuring everyone’s favorite snark shark Danny Pudi and the infamous “Rickety Cricket” (David Hornsby).
King of the Hill
Now if you’re a person of taste and you liked Lasso for its southern charm (notably lacking in conservative politicking), then you can’t go wrong with King of the Hill. It’s satire at its best, albeit with less saccharine sweetness and more of a dry humor that’s best paired with a green thumb.
We don’t know what else to say, really—it’s King of the Hill. If you ain’t with it, get with it. I tell you what.
Malcolm in the Middle
So we might be a little biased, but we firmly believe that Malcolm in the Middle is, without a doubt, one of the greatest TV shows of the modern era. It’s got all the hallmarks of the early 2000s while still managing to be painfully relevant today (i.e., the follies of our education system, class inequalities, plain old teen angst, etc.).
It may not be as obviously sweet as Lasso, especially in the moments when Lois is whooping ass, but ultimately, it’s a show about a family that only has each other in the animalistic world they live in. And as animalistic as they are themselves, we love that they never really change: they stay who they are, for better or for worse.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
