Cristiano Ronaldo's Ted Lasso-Like TV Series Has Already Made Its First Mistake

Published Nov 15, 2026, 6:16 PM EST Arielle Port started as a TV producer, developing content for Netflix (Firefly Lane, Brazen) and Hallmark (The Santa Stakeout, A Christmas Treasure) before transitioning into entertainment journalism. Her love of story went from interest to lifelong passion while at The University of Pennsylvania, where she fell in with a student-run web series, Classless TV, and it was a gateway drug. Arielle Port has been a Writer for Screen Rant since August 2024. She lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and more importantly, her cat, Boseman. Ted Lasso did the unbelievable: it made soccer widely popular in the United States. Jason Sudeikis’s sports comedy was a breakout success, dominating Apple TV's streaming charts and staying relevant even during the three-year hiatus between seasons 3 and 4. The trick play of Ted Lasso was that it was a fish-out-of-water story disguised as a sports comedy. Coach Lasso's limited soccer knowledge let the series use his ignorance as both a source of comedy and an entry point for U.S. audiences. Another subtle decision made Ted Lasso even more accessible to both American and British audiences: creating the fictional AFC Richmond — and now Richmond’s Lady Greyhounds in season 4 — rather than featuring an existing club. Cristiano Ronaldo’s upcoming Ted Lasso-like comedy series, Day 1s, is using a different playbook. The Paramount+ series will follow a talented up-and-coming footballer who signs with his dream club, the real-world Brentford Football Club in London. Day 1s is the first production for UR-MARV Studios, a joint venture between Ronaldo and Matthew Vaughn (the Kingsman franchise). With Ronaldo involved, a real-life football club featured, and Vaughn directing the pilot, Day 1s has plenty of credibility before it even premieres. And yet, even with so many key players on the roster, the series may have scored an own goal before even taking the field. One of Ted Lasso's smartest creative decisions was inventing the fictional AFC Richmond rather than setting the series at an existing Premier League club. This let viewers unfamiliar with English soccer discover the team's history, rivalries, and traditions alongside Ted himself. Meanwhile, British audiences could embrace Richmond without betraying their loyalty to their favorite clubs. By setting Day 1s at Brentford FC, the Paramount+ series risks creating a barrier to entry for casual viewers and dedicated soccer fans alike. Casual viewers may find themselves navigating decades of real-world history and established rivalries, while dedicated soccer fans could struggle to embrace a fictionalized version of a team they ordinarily consider a rival. Supporters of rival West London Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Fulham, and Queens Park Rangers may be particularly reluctant to root for Brentford, even when the players and storylines are fictional. AFC Richmond also gave Ted Lasso's writers considerable creative freedom. Day 1s may have less flexibility when portraying an established club with a real fanbase and public image. As an interesting counterpoint, Welcome to Wrexham shows that audiences can become invested in a real football club through television. However, the FX documentary follows Wrexham AFC's real-life fortunes, making the club's history and supporters essential to its appeal. Wrexham also began the docuseries outside the English Football League, giving its pursuit of promotion an irresistible underdog narrative. Brentford, meanwhile, is already an established Premier League club. Although its own rise through English football is remarkable, Day 1s cannot rely on the same real-life underdog story that made Welcome to Wrexham compelling. The blurring of fact and fiction might be a little uncanny for Brentford’s own supporters. By blending the authenticity of a real club with the fictional world of scripted television, Day 1s risks alienating the very audiences it hopes to attract. Ted Lasso Gives Day 1s A High Bar To Live Up To Image via MovieStillsDB Ted Lasso had a modest origin story, beginning as a sketch comedy character for NBC Sports. However, SNL's Jason Sudeikis and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence brought considerable comedic experience to the project. What began as an unlikely premise became one of Apple TV's flagship series, an underdog story worthy of AFC Richmond itself. Although soccer provides the setting, audiences can know even less about the sport than Ted himself and still become deeply invested in the show's characters. Alongside Welcome to Wrexham's unexpected success, the series demonstrated that soccer-centered television could appeal to audiences far beyond the sport's traditional fanbase. Day 1s, however, enters the field with considerably higher expectations, thanks to its impressive creative team and the success of two high-profile soccer shows that preceded it. Yet despite their individual accomplishments, the production's most recognizable figures have relatively little experience making character-driven television comedies. Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Ted Lasso's Jamie Tartt, and he brings undeniable soccer expertise, while Matthew Vaughn has established a distinctive, irreverent action-comedy style through movies like Kick-Ass and Kingsman. However, Vaughn is primarily an elaborate action-comedy feature film director, which is quite different from the intimate, character-driven ongoing storytelling that made Ted Lasso successful. Day 1s Creative Team Creative Best Known For Day 1s Role Cristiano Ronaldo Professional Soccer Executive Producer Matthew Vaughn Kingsman, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class Director, Executive Producer Damian Lewis Homeland, Billions Executive Producer Dan Mazer Borat, Brüno Showrunner Doug Ellin Entourage Executive Producer Thierry Henry Professional Soccer Executive Producer Damian Lewis, starring in a currently undisclosed Day 1s role per Variety, also brings considerable acting pedigree, although his best-known television roles, including Homeland and Billions, are predominantly dramatic. While Billions certainly had its comedic moments, it was hardly a traditional sitcom. Of course, Day 1s does also have experienced comedy talent behind the scenes, including Borat writer Dan Mazer as showrunner. However, Mazer is best known for movies rather than ongoing scripted series. Entourage creator Doug Ellin will be involved as an executive producer. Given that Day 1s follows a rising football star and the friends accompanying him into fame and fortune, Ellin's involvement suggests the series may have more in common with Entourage than Ted Lasso. Whether that combination can produce a compelling television comedy remains to be seen. Before production even begins, Day 1s may already be on the back foot. Release Date August 14, 2020 Network Apple TV Showrunner Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis