Apple TV+ confirmed in March that its Emmy-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” will return for a fourth season, but details on when cameras would roll remained scarce until Hannah Waddingham disclosed this week that production is scheduled to begin in July in London. The actor, who plays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, told Collider the cast had already “mourned” the show’s end and now feels “it’s rising from the dead,” signalling a full reunion of the locker-room ensemble.
Waddingham’s update dovetails with showrunner-star Jason Sudeikis’ March appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, where he confirmed the writers’ room was drafting new episodes and teased a switch to coaching a women’s side rather than Richmond’s men’s squad. Apple’s renewal announcement listed Sudeikis as the returning lead and executive producer but left other contracts unspecified; industry tracker Decider reports that most regulars, including Brett Goldstein and Juno Temple, are expected back, while the fates of Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beard and Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tartt remain unresolved.
With season-three filming lasting eight months and post-production stretching a further four, observers anticipate that a July 2025 start could position new episodes for summer 2026 release, reviving the show’s original warm-weather launch pattern. Financial terms have not been disclosed, but Apple will again partner with Warner Bros. Television under a deal that has helped the series net 13 Emmy wins across three seasons. Television analyst Stacey Burns of TVREV says Apple is unlikely to tinker with a brand that “remains the streamer’s most reliable subscriber magnet.”
Fan discussion boards lit up after Waddingham’s remarks, with Reddit users sharing a film-trade permit showing shooting dates from 1 July through early February. Industry news site Tom’s Guide noted that the writers, whom Waddingham called “Jedi Knights,” have had extra time to refine storylines following last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Independent adds that Waddingham has cleared her West End schedule to accommodate the shoot, underscoring Apple’s intent to keep the original ensemble intact for another optimistic run at the Premier League.
