There’s a surprising connection between Wicked and Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso Author and star Brett Goldstein has confirmed that the hit series is inspired by it The Wizard of Ozand we hold space for this information.

Unless you’ve been disconnected from the internet since September, you’ll be aware of this Evil and its influence is everywhere at the moment. From explicit Barbie dolls to the absolute stranglehold on queer media, Evil is inevitable.

By association, that is The Wizard of OzThe influence is also everywhere (Evil tells the famous story of how the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), became so despised by the people of Emerald City.

A piece of popular culture we didn’t quite expect was inspired by Oz and Dorothy and co. is a football comedy, Ted Lasso.

But our expectations were completely exceeded, as Brett Goldstein, who plays AFC Richmond coach Roy Kent, confirmed.

“Oh yes, there are lots of them The Wizard of Oz In Ted LassoGoldstein, who also writes for the show, told Entertainment Weekly.

But astute fans of the series will know that the Oz influences were indeed heavily represented throughout the show’s three seasons – for example through the The Wizard of Oz Branded pinball machines.

“The pinball machine is the one where Ted always has to go home. “There’s no place like home.” And then there’s no place like Richmond FC. Yes, that’s all Wizard of OzGoldstein added.

Some fans of the show have suspected this for a long time Ted Lasso is somehow connected to Judy Garland’s musical fantasy film, Easter eggs include Roy Kent’s yellow Brick Road-style tie-dye T-shirt, and the main character Ted (played by Jason Sudeikis) is from Kansas.

Ted’s flashy red sneakers were also compared to Dorothy’s red slippers in L. Frank Baum’s story.

Goldstein went a step further and revealed that Roy Kent was based on Tin Man from Oz.

“Ted is Dorothy, Rebecca is the lion and the scarecrow is Jamie,” he added, referring to Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham and Phil Dunster’s main characters.

“I’m sure this is going to cause a lot of trouble,” he continued, likely referring to the fact that he just confirmed a long-held fan theory.

Ted Lassowhich streamed on Apple TV, ended after three seasons in 2023 after becoming an international hit.

The film won 13 Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards in just three years.

In his final season Ted Lasso has been praised for its “refreshing” portrayal of gay male footballers after AFC Richmond player Colin Hughes (Billy Harris) came out.

Ted Lasso is streaming on Apple TV while Evil is now in cinemas.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below and remember to keep the conversation respectful.