From Advertisement to TV Series: The Adaptation of Ted Lasso
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26441/RC25.2-2026-4526Keywords:
adaptation, television series, advertising, screenwriting, character development, Ted LassoAbstract
Purpose. Adapting and retelling stories has been a common cultural practice since the origins of civilization, growing increasingly prevalent across contemporary media. Yet rarer forms of adaptation, such as television series based on advertising campaigns, remain largely unexplored. This study aims to offer an interdisciplinary approach to this phenomenon, combining the frameworks of advertising, adaptation studies, television studies, and screenwriting theory. Methodology. To better understand the intricacies of this specific type of adaptation process, a case study has been selected: the series Ted Lasso (2020–present), which originated from an NBC Sports marketing campaign featuring the branded short films An American Coach in London (2013) and The Return of Coach Lasso (2014). A comparative textual analysis has been conducted, focusing on two narrative categories drawn from screenwriting practice: premise and character development. Results. The findings of this study reveal that, conditioned by their much shorter length, characters in advertisements need to be easily recognizable, based on distinct archetypal traits. On the other hand, long-form serialized storytelling provides more time to develop characters, their arcs, and their conflicts, hence necessarily requiring more complex characterization, as well as a wider tapestry of storylines. Novel contribution. This research offers key insights into a type of adaptation that has been overlooked, filling a gap in the literature and effectively widening the scope of adaptation studies. The article has also identified notable preexisting adaptations based on advertisements, shedding light on common traits that tend to characterize these retellings, and opening promising new avenues for future research.
Downloads
References
Abbott, S. (2024). ‘That might as well be the first sign of the apocalypse’: Ted Lasso, trauma and the personal apocalypse. Journal of Popular Television, 12 (2), 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00122_1
Agger, G. (1999). Intertextuality Revisited: Dialogues and Negotiations in Media Studies. Sekvens: Årbog for Film-og Medievidenskab, 17-45.
Apple TV (2026, April 28). Ted Lasso - Season 4 Official Teaser [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZg4SfIURg.
Baggett, M., & Baggett, D. (Eds.). (2024). Ted Lasso and Philosophy: No Question is into Touch. Wiley-Blackwell.
Bantle, S.C. (2024). ‘Football Isn’t Just a Game’: Ted Lasso, utopia and the issue of sportswashing. Journal of Popular Television, 12 (2), 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00120_1
Baron, Z. (2021, July 13). Jason Sudeikis Is Having One Hell of a Year. GQ Magazine. https://www.gq.com/story/jason-sudeikis-august-cover-profile.
Baum, L.F. (2019). The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Puffin Clothbound Classics, Penguin Books. (Original work first published in 1900).
Baxter, K. (2020, August 14). ‘Ted Lasso’ was icing on a $250-million deal. Now he has his own TV show. Los Angeles Times. https://goo.su/9WnQs4U
Bazin, A. (1990). A favor de un cine impuro. Defensa de la adaptación. In ¿Qué es el cine? (J. L. López Muñoz, Trans.; 2nd ed., pp. 101-127). Ediciones Rialp. (Original essay first published in 1952).
Beare, A. H., & Boucaut, R. (2025). Positive masculinity or toxic positivity? Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso as a capitalist utopia. Critical Studies in Television, 20(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.1177/17496020241228162
Becker, A. B. (2025). Ted Lasso tackles mental health: entertainment, celebrity advocacy, and variation in source evaluations. Communication Quarterly, 73(1), 51–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2024.2432379
Belluomini, L. (2024). Amplifying Emotion and Warmth at Richmond. In Baggett, M., & Baggett, D. (Eds.). Ted Lasso and Philosophy: No Question is into Touch (pp. 125-139). Wiley-Blackwell.
Benjamin, W. (2002). “The Storyteller: Observations on the Works of Nikolai Leskov”, Selected Writings, Volume 3, 1935-1938 (pp. 143-166). Harvard University Press.
Blacker, I. R. (1993). Guía del escritor de cine y televisión. EUNSA.
Blum, R. A. (1995). Television and screen writing: From concept to contract. Focal Press.
Brechman, J. M., & Purvis, S. C. (2015). Narrative, transportation and advertising. International Journal of Advertising: The Review of Marketing Communications, 34(2), 366–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2014.994803
Cascajosa Virino, C. (2006). El espejo deformado: una propuesta de análisis del reciclaje en la ficción audiovisual norteamericana. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, n.º 61, 53-69. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-200605
Cattrysse, P. (2010). The protagonist's dramatic goals, wants and needs. Journal of Screenwriting, 1(1), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1386/josc.1.1.83/1
Cartmell, D. (2014). Teaching Adaptations through Marketing: Adaptations and the Language of Advertising in the 1930s. In D. Cartmell & I. Whelehan (eds.), Teaching Adaptations (pp. 157-170). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137311139_11
Cartmell, D. (2020). Adaptation and the Marketing of Shakespeare in Classical Hollywood. In R. Jackson (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Screen, Cambridge University Press, 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108367479.004
Cooke, T. R. (2017). Beyond boundaries: Globalization, soccer, and translocal fandom (Doctoral dissertation, Pennsylvania State University). Penn State Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/files/final_submissions/15286
Douglas, P. (2007). Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV. Michael Wiese Productions.
Driscoll, B. (2025). Trauma, Attachment, Educators, and Ted Lasso: The Importance of Relationships and Connection. New England College Journal of Applied Educational Research, 5, 23-45. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1462938
Elliott, K. (2014). Rethinking Formal-Cultural and Textual-Contextual Divides in Adaptation Studies. Literature/Film Quarterly, 42(4), 576-593.
Fallon, K. (2021, July 30). Meet Brendan Hunt, the secret to why everyone fell in love with Ted Lasso. The Daily Beast. https://goo.su/q0XbI
Friedman, S. and Keeler, A. (eds.) (2022). Prestige Television: Cultural and Artistic Value in Twenty-First-Century America. Rutgers University Press.
García Avis, I. and Narberhaus Martínez, M. (2023). El universo metatextual de Fariña: cuatro medios, una historia. Palabra Clave, 26(4), e2645. https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2023.26.4.5
García Avis, I. and Atarama-Rojas, T. (2025). Television Sitcoms through the Decades: Transmedia Intertextuality in Marvel’s WandaVision. Communication & Society, 38(1), 369-386. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.38.1.027
García Avis, I. (2026). Research data: Notable adaptations based on advertising campaigns (USA & UK). ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27363.62241
Genette, G. (1997). Palimpsests. Literature in the Second Degree (C. Newman & C. Doubinsky, Trans.) University of Nebraska Press. (Original work published in 1982).
Golden, M. (2024). Ted Lasso for Trial Lawyers. American Journal of Trial Advocacy (Am. J. Trial Advoc.), 47, 131-150. https://law.utexas.edu/faculty/uploads/publication_files/golden-471--final.pdf
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.701
Green, M.C., Brock, T.C. & Kaufman, G.F. (2004) Understanding Media Enjoyment: The Role of Transportation Into Narrative Worlds, Communication theory, 14(4), 311–327. https://doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2004.tb00317.x.
Griggs, Y. (2018). Adaptable TV: Rewiring the text. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77531-9
Hicks, N. D. (1999). Screenwriting 101: The essential craft of feature film writing. Michael Wiese Productions.
Hogg, C. (2021). Adapting television drama: Theory and industry. Palgrave Macmillan.
https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50177-6_6
Hutcheon, L. (2006). A Theory of Adaptation. Routledge.
Hutcheon, L. (2007). In Defence of Literary Adaptation as Cultural Production, M/C Journal, (10)2. https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.2620
Ianniello, M. (2023). Character composition: A new framework for TV serial drama characters. Journal of Screenwriting, 14(2), 159-172. https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00121_1
Iglesias, K. (2005). Writing for emotional impact. WingSpan Press.
Innocenti, V., & Pescatore, G. (2018). The Evolution of Characters in TV Series. In P. Brembilla & I. A. De Pascalis (Eds.), Reading Contemporary Serial Television Universes (pp. 93–110). Routledge.
Jackson, J. (2020, October 2). Bill Lawrence on Ted Lasso: “You Can Be Ignorant Without Being a Rube”. How an ad for the Premiere League transformed into the best show on Apple TV+. Paste Magazine. Link: https://goo.su/sPFkzMd
Jasik, M. (2002, March 27). Puzzling success of CBS's Baby Bob. Medialife Magazine. Archived from the original on the Internet Archive (April 26th, 2009). https://goo.su/j3maJdd
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture. Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Press.
Kassing, J. W. (2022). Coach Lasso and the embodiment of American exceptionalism: NBC Sports promotion of English Premier League football as the foreign sport. Soccer & Society, 23(4–5), 386–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2022.2059866
Kim, E. (A.), Ratneshwar, S., & Thorson, E. (2017). Why narrative ads work: An integrated process explanation. Journal of Advertising, 46(2), 283–296. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2016.1268984
Kirschner, J. (2022). “Trent Crimm, The Independent”: The Image of the Journalist in ‘Ted Lasso’. The IJPC Journal, 10, 152-168. http://ijpc.uscannenberg.org/journal/index.php/ijpcjournal/article/view/108
Kristeva, J. (1986). Word, Dialogue and Novel. In T. Moi (Ed.), The Kristeva Reader. Columbia University Press.
Lawrence, B; Sudeikis, J.; Kelly, J.; y Hunt, B. (2020-present). Ted Lasso [TV series]. Apple TV.
Lawrence, D. (2020, August 13). Jason Sudeikis created the 'best version of myself' with Ted Lasso. Entertainment Weekly. https://ew.com/tv/jason-sudeikis-ted-lasso-interview/
Leitch. T. (2008). Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads. Adaptation, 1 (1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1093/adaptation/apm005
Leitch, T. (2017). Introduction. In T. Leitch (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of adaptation studies (pp. 1–20). Oxford University Press.
Lotz, A. D. (2014). The Television Will Be Revolutionized. (2nd ed.). New York University Press.
Lotz, A. D. (2018). We Now Disrupt this Broadcast: How Cable Transformed Television and the Internet Revolutionized It All. MIT Press.
McKee, A. (2003). Textual analysis: A beginner's guide. SAGE Publications.
McKee, R. (1999). Story: Substance, structure, style, and the principles of screenwriting. Methuen.
Méndiz, A. and García Avis, I. (2017). La hibridación de narrativas (transmedia y branded content) en el actual storytelling publicitario. In E. de la Cuadra de Colmenares (Coord.) Nuevas narrativas. Entre la ficción y la información: de la desregulación a la integración transmedia (pp. 343-353). Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Mittell, J. (2006). Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television. The Velvet Light Trap, 58, 29-40.
Mittell, J. (2015). Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling. NYU Press.
Mittermeier, S. (2024a). Editorial. Journal of Popular Television, 12 (2), 127-132. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00119_2
Mittermeier, S. (2024b). What if Nora Ephron wrote a sports film?: Ted Lasso and the intertextual frame of romantic comedy. Journal of Popular Television, 12 (2), 195-211. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00124_1
Mittermeier, S. (2024c). “Trying to follow the Yellow Brick Road, where the dogs of society keep on howling”: The Wizard of Oz, Ted Lasso, and palimpsestic transmediality. Science Fiction Film & Television, 17 (3), 375-391. https://doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2024.21
Mullins, A. (2023). Arc analysis: Redefining character arcs for ‘constant’ characters. Journal of Screenwriting, 14 (2), 137-157. https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00122_1
Murray, S. (2012). The adaptation industry: The cultural economy of contemporary literary adaptation. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203807125
Newman, M. Z. (2006). From beats to arcs: Toward a poetics of television narrative. The Velvet Light Trap, 58, 16–28.
O’Leary, N. (2007, March 12). Who Owns Your Big Idea? ADWEEK. https://www.adweek. com/brand-marketing/who-owns-your-big-idea-88259/
Pande, R. (2024). Do not fight back, fight forward: An analysis of Ted Lasso’s approach to systemic race/ism in the English Premier League. Journal of Popular Television, 12 (2), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00121_1
Porter, R. (2025, July 21). Ted Lasso Kicks Back Into Gear With Key Returnees, New Cast for Season 4, The Hollywood Reporter. Link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ted-
lasso-season-4-cast-set-begins-filming-1236324629/
Ricœur, P. (1997). Retórica, poética y hermenéutica. (G. Aranzueque, Trans.). In Aranzueque, G. (coord.), Horizontes del relato: lecturas y conversaciones con Paul Ricœur. Cuaderno Gris, Época III, Nº 2, 79-89. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Ricœur, P. (1999). Historia y narratividad. (G. Aranzueque, Trans.) Ediciones Paidós.
Ricœur, P. (2006). La vida: un relato en busca de narrador. (J. L. Pastoriza Rozas, Trans.) Ágora: Papeles de Filosofía, 25(2), 9-22.
Ryan, M.-L. (2013). Transmedial Storytelling and Transfictionality. Poetics Today, 34 (3), 361-388. https://doi.org/10.1215/03335372-2325250.
Sánchez-Escalonilla, A. (2004). Estrategias de guión [sic] cinematográfico. Ariel.
Sánchez-Escalonilla, A. (2007). De la caverna al Chinese Theater: La pantalla de cine como espejo del drama humano. Revista de Comunicación, 6, 46–69.
Sargeant, A. (2012). Spoofs, Cycles, Spin-Offs: Bond, Barclaycard And Johnny English. In R. Girona (ed.), Cinema, publicitat i turisme (pp. 63-76). Documenta Universitaria.
Seger, L. (1994). Making a good script great. Samuel French Trade.
Smithsonian Channel. (2021, May 8). This object in history: The California Raisins [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33M5aRtPzX8
Solana, D. (2010). Postpublicidad. Reflexiones sobre una nueva cultura publicitaria en la era digital Barcelona: Doubleyou.
Springer Nature. (n.d.). Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture. Book titles in this series. Springer. https://link.springer.com/series/14654/books?page=1
Stam, R. (2000). Beyond Fidelity: The Dialogics of Adaptation. In Naremore, J. (ed.), Film Adaptation (pp. 54-76). Rutgers University Press.
Stam, R. (2005). Literature through film: Realism, magic, and the art of adaptation. Blackwell Publishing.
Stewart, S.; Totka, J.P.; & Hanrahan, K. (2024). Ted Lasso and Team Science for Evidence-Based Practice Teamwork. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 39, 155-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2023.09.009
Sweeney, S. (2025). Between Escapism and Social Engagement: Ted Lasso and the Privileges of Comfort Viewing in 2020. Television & New Media, 26(4), 438-452.
https://doi.org/10.1177/15274764241281691
Ted Lasso [@TedLasso]. (n.d.). X. [X profile]. https://x.com/TedLasso
Television Academy (n.d.). Ted Lasso. Awards and Nominations. https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/ted-lasso
Tripp, C (2023). “Coach, I Got a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore”: Ted Lasso and the Heartland Mythos. The Journal of American Culture 46 (4), 343–352. https://doi.org/10.1111/jacc.13506.
VanHooker, B. (2025, January 6). From beloved Geico commercials to disastrous ABC sitcom: An oral history of ‘Cavemen’. Cracked. https://goo.su/DxkzH
Worthy, B., & Sheehan, P. (2024). Introduction: Genesis of the tele-text. In B. Worthy, & P. Sheehan (Eds.), Adapting television and literature (pp. 1-17). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50832-5_1
Yossman, K.J. (2026, April 28). ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Trailer Reveals August Release Date as Jason Sudeikis Returns to Richmond to Coach Women’s Soccer. Variety. https://variety.com/2026/tv/global/ted-lasso-season-4-trailer-august-release-date-1236732052/
Zanoni, R. (2018). Shakespeare and Advertising (PhD Thesis). Università degli Studi di Verona.
Zanoni, R. (2023). Advertising as Adaptation: The Case of Romeo and Juliet. In E. C. Karpinski & E. Kębłowska-Ławniczak (eds.), Adaptation and Beyond (pp. 82-97). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003435839-7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Derechos de autor 2026 Revista de Comunicación y los autores
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Revista de Comunicación retains the copyright to published works under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License and allows the author to maintain these rights without restriction.
This journal and its articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which allows users to: share, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format, provided that they: give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made; do not use our content for commercial purposes; and/or remix or transform the material.
Portal de Revistas de la Universidad de Piura.