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We thought we said goodbye to lovable goof Ted Lasso back in 2023, but he's returned for a surprise fourth season on Apple TV. Jason Sudeikis is, of course, back as the title character, an American college football coach hired by Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) to coach her Richmond football club, despite his lack of experience with the sport. Having won the team in a messy divorce, she figured Ted was destined to ruin the franchise her ex-husband loved so much. Of course, we all know how that went: Ted (and the team) persevered, mostly thanks to his unrelenting good nature and belief in others.
If you are looking for more streaming shows with the same can-do spirit, here are 10 to consider—not all of them having anything to do with sports, because in 2026, we need to take joy and inspiration wherever we can find it.
Chad Powers (2025 – )
One minute, Russ Holliday (series star and co-creator Glen Powell) is the biggest name in collegiate football, with a future that couldn't be brighter. The next, he's fumbled a touchdown and shoved a fan into a wheelchair-bound cancer patient. Not great! Eight years later, he's looking for a comeback and, with shades of Mrs. Doubtfire, he reinvents himself via prosthetics and a wig as the title's Chad Powers, a charmingly naive athlete who signs on to the football team at a tiny Georgia college. It's a goofy premise, but Powell's performance sells it, and the show becomes more engaging as Russ/Chad is forced to ask himself whether this new persona is a total con, or the person he'd actually like to be. Stream Chad Powers on Hulu.
Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015)
Amy Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, a can-do go-getter in the sleepy town of Pawnee, Indiana. Irrepressibly perky, she's the deputy director of the local Parks and Rec Department, with ambitions that extend to the White House. Her dream is as inspiring as it is unhinged, but she's hard not to root for—at least a little. In the best workplace comedy tradition, her office is filled with lovable oddballs: gruff libertarian Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman); cynical underachiever Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari); and saucy Donna Meagle (Retta), whose mysterious but definitely wild personal life is only ever alluded to. It's all amiably silly, and full of characters determined to do their best, albeit with mixed results. Stream Parks and Recreation on Peacock.
A Man on the Inside (2024 – )
Another well-loved TV celebrity stars in a lightly satirical comedy that's a bit more plot-oriented than a typical sitcom. Ted Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a hapless retired professor and recent widower who listens to his daughter's plea that he find something to keep him occupied. He answers an ad from a private investigator seeking someone to go undercover by moving into a retirement community in San Francisco in hopes of discovering who's been stealing the residents' jewelry. As he comes to care about the people he's investigating (and lying to), Charlie's job only gets harder. The second season moves to a small liberal arts college, and co-stars Danson's real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen. Stream A Man on the Inside on Netflix.
Somebody Somewhere (2022 – 2024)
Bridget Everett plays Sam Miller, a woman struggling to find her new direction after moving back to her hometown to care for her dying sister (don't worry: there's plenty of comedy in the drama, and it's not as heavy as it sounds). She's solidly middle-aged and starting over, kinda—making new friends in a familiar environment where she has to confront the past and the future alike. Luckily, her love of singing, and a community of goofy oddballs, are there to help. It's another story of a person of a certain age trying to rebuild their life following an upheaval. Stream Somebody Somewhere on HBO Max.
Haikyu!! (2014 – 2020)
One of the best and most beloved anime series of the past decade-and-change happens to be a reasonably good match for Ted Lasso, even while it concerns a high school volleyball team in Japan. Shoyo Hinata is athletic, though short, and determined to play volleyball professionally—whatever his stature. He signs on to his high school club, only to learn that he's the only member of the once-mighty team. Hinata eventually recruits enough scrappy underdogs to make a go of it...but they're overwhelmingly defeated their first time out, in large part due to Tobio Kageyama, a brutal and brilliant opposing player. Hinata vows revenge, but soon finds himself and his rival on the same team. Now they all have to work together if they're to have a shot at the championship. Stream Haikyu!! on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Shrinking (2023 – )
A fun, funny, occasionally serious dramedy (vibe-match here, even if the setting is very different), Shrinking stars Jason Segal as cognitive behavioral therapist Jimmy Laird, who's been in a depression spiral since the death of his wife a year before the show opens. When he tries to get through a workday following a night of partying, he chews out a whiny patient—which is not exactly standard procedure. But Jimmy finds himself invigorated, nonetheless, and telling people what he really thinks becomes his new thing, with mixed results. Jessica Williams plays fellow therapist Gaby Evans, perpetually upbeat despite her recent divorce, while Harrison Ford is clearly having a great time playing Jimmy's crusty boss and mentor. Michael J. Fox joined the cast for the third season, and it's been renewed for a fourth. Stream Shrinking on Apple TV.
Welcome to Wrexham (2022 – )
Almost certainly inspired by Ted Lasso, this (mostly) lighthearted docu-series follows the fortunes of Wrexham A.F.C., a Welsh professional association football club that has seen better days, despite being one of the oldest clubs in the world. In 2020, it was bought by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who, despite having no particular experience with the sport (sound familiar?), were determined to revive its fortunes. The show has won eight Emmys so far, and won over audiences and critics with its inspiring tone and willingness to make fun of the occasional cluelessness of its leads. Stream Welcome to Wrexham on Hulu.
Abbott Elementary (2021 – )
Quickly establishing itself as one of the great workplace mockumentaries, Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary portrays its cast of (mostly) well-meaning characters running up against an American educational system that doesn't always reward good intentions. It's another vibe match—a show about a group of goofballs doing their best in the face of overwhelming odds, and sometimes even succeeding. The 2022 Emmy win for the great Sheryl Lee Ralph became a viral moment, if only because it was so well-deserved for an actress representing an incredibly talented, brilliantly funny cast. Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max.
Rooster (2026 – )
The world of Rooster is a bit darker than that of Ted Lasso (this is more of a comedy-drama), but we're still playing in a similar sandbox. Greg Russo (Steve Carell) is the author of a series of popular, but critically dismissed, detective novels. Despite that, his world is falling apart around him rather precipitously in the opening episodes: He's started dating a grad student, and his already complicated relationship with his daughter grows even more so when she accidentally (kinda) burns down a house. It's a show about a likable, well-meaning character who struggles to maintain his principles and outlook when faced with a world that's more than happy to throw mud in his face. Stream Rooster on HBO Max.
Friday Night Lights (2006 – 2011)
A show that survived on viewer affection and critical acclaim more than ratings (at a time when such a thing was still possible), Friday Night Lights ran for five seasons without ever being a particularly big hit—but it's had an impressive afterlife. A drama about small-town high school football rather than a comedy, the show nonetheless stays positive and inspirational, even as it captures the highs and (often heartbreaking) lows of life for the kids, coaches, and families around tiny Dillon, Texas. A reboot is in the works. Stream Friday Night Lights on Prime Video and Paramount+.
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