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Logo text Ted Lasso is back on Apple TV, and Ted Lasso is back in Kansas City . He's not there for long, but he's there long enough to give the KC Tourism Board the best free advertising money can't buy.
The Kansas City side ultimately got paid for hosting the filming location for the season four premiere — ain't Ted Lasso nice? Speaking of Kansas City and sides (I'm not talking about the cheesy corn, pit-smoked baked beans and seasoned fries — yet), it is the Missouri side of the state line that reaped the rewards thanks to a film tax-incentive program the Kansas side does not (yet) have. Related Stories TV 'Ted Lasso' Review: Season 4 of Apple's Hit Soccer Dramedy Struggles to Find Anywhere Interesting Left to Go TV 'Ted Lasso' Makes Long-Awaited Return: When and Where to Watch Season 4 Online
In the hit show's premiere, which released on Wednesday, Ted (played by creator Jason Sudeikis ) visited the American Jazz Museum, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Gates Bar-B-Q and other local hotspots. All that those on the Kansas side could do is watch, despite the suburbs over there marking the actual hometown of the Ted Lasso creator and star.
One day ahead of the highly anticipated Ted Lasso return , which also happened to be a local Election Day, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas about the show. He wasn't in the hot seat in terms of his job, but we got a simmer going when asking about the best barbecue in his constituency.
As we speak, it's Election Day where you are. But is this your Election Day?
This is not. As mayor, there are about $1.7 billion of bonds and housing funds, and all of that I have on the ballot. But no, this is not my political survival. So unfortunately, I've got to do that some other time.
What I'm hearing is that I'm the most important part of your day.
Have you seen the Ted Lasso season four premiere ?
First of all, there's this thing about Ted Lasso that I love — it just builds this joy within you. If I can tell you a little secret — even though I'm telling a reporter on the record — I don't actually have Apple TV. I really haven't watched Ted Lasso . I've seen episodes here and there, but my wife and children's viewing habits are still more at the Ms. Rachel -era of television watching, so it just hasn't been on our list.
I know and I've met and I like Jason Sudeikis. I know the theme of the show and, obviously, its Kansas City presence. But I left impressed because, if you don't have a great understanding and think, "All right, I've seen Ted Lasso ," whether it's in ads or whatever else, "I kind of know the whole shtick" — it has this kind of way of roping you in. At the end of an episode, you are intrigued by the characters, you seem to know a decent amount about them, and you're smiling. Which, as somebody who's viewing habit last night was watching [ The Bombing of Pan Am 103 ] on Netflix ( smiling ), it's just a lot better and I think that's part of its success.
Are you suggesting, Mr. Mayor, that three hours of Ms. Rachel doesn't leave you smiling?
( Laughs .) The sad thing is that my kids love the repeats, so I can sing the hell out of "Bingo, Was His Name-o."
I have a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, and just as the 5-year-old transitioned maybe a year ago over to Paw Patrol , the 2-year-old is like, "Wait, what is this?"
Paw Patrol can be tough too, but soon you'll get to the Bluey phase — Bluey is like Ted Lasso for kids both in terms of its niceness and its quality.
I cannot wait. My mother raised me — probably why I'm in this business now. I had to watch Meet the Press press and stuff. [I said to my wife,] "Why don't we just make this kid a total nerd like me, and they'll be mayor in no time?" I've lost that battle so far.
Did you know before any of us that Ted Lasso was returning because of permits and things like that?
Oh man, our film commissioner will be mad at me, but yes, I did. There are both other things going on every day in a city like mine and larger ones, but I think I was aware. And you know, I'll be honest, I think I probably thought, "Oh, that's cool." I had no idea what exactly the impact will be. You hear from your city film commissioner, and you're like, "I look forward to learning more."
How well does the character of Ted represent "Midwestern Nice" to you?
The first thing that Ted Lasso gets right is this familiarity among the residents. In Kansas City, you can be in the most posh establishment, and you actually still do have people wearing Kansas City sports gear, whether it be Missouri or Kansas, the Chiefs or Royals. And there is this other part, which is the sheer friendliness.
I went to college in the Midwest, but I attended law school at Cornell University [in Ithaca, New York] and, this is no knock on my alma mater, but I was like, "People don't just say 'Hi' when you pass them." My mother was probably like, "You're so dumb, I should have gotten you out more." I would call home, and I was just expecting that — it really does happen. To the extent someone doesn't acknowledge you, it's a bit strange. We're not a small town where people become your best friends and have your life story and are nosy. But it really is this transcending of economic class, race, part of city, all of that. You get this really positive, almost uplifting community vibe. It was part of why I came back to Middle America.
One of the running jokes of the Ted Lasso season four premiere is the tourists — Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keely (Juno Temple) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) — never know which Kansas City they're in. How true to life is that for your visitors?
You do get a lot of people — and we got to test it for the World Cup just a few weeks ago. The smallest American city with World Cup matches. It's nice. I'm far from famous, but Argentina Instagram kind of adopted me on TikTok. They're like, "El alcalde es Argentino," meaning, "The mayor is Argentine," and the number of people that...
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