The Office stars have compared its leading character, Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), to Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) from the Apple TV+ hit, Ted Lasso. The feel-good series follows an American football coach who is recruited to coach a professional English football club, which as a reminder, is the European version of soccer. Even though he is set up to fail, Ted Lasso's optimism is contagious and has a positive effect on the team. The beloved sports sitcom won seven Emmy Awards and is on the path to more success.
The Office has been around a bit longer than Ted Lasso but is equally, if not more, beloved. The workplace sitcom follows Michael Scott, a well-meaning but incompetent manager, and how he runs his office of quirky employees. The series first premiered in 2005 and ran for nine seasons up until 2013. There are some fans who argue the first seven seasons are superior since Michael Scott left the show and wasn't present for seasons 8 and 9. The show regained popularity when it became available for streaming on Netflix. Now, it resides on NBC's streaming platform, Peacock.
As reported by Mashable, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey spoke about the similarities between Michael Scott and Ted Lasso on their podcast Office Ladies. During the episode, they were reflecting on season 5, episode 20 of The Office titled "New Boss." They particularly focused on a moment when Michael prepared for the arrival of his new boss Charles by cutting bagels into "C" shapes. Fischer noted that it was an extra sweet and thoughtful gesture and something that Ted Lasso would also do. In fact, it's similar to how he made special biscuits for his boss Rebecca each day. Fischer also referenced when Ted rode on the back of a lawnmower across the football field and felt that it was also something Michael would do.
The ladies then debated how similar the two leading characters are. Fischer seemed to more heavily draw the comparisons between the two. She stated that there are "a lot of things that Michael does that Ted Lasso also kind of does." Kinsey seemed to think that the two do similar things, but Ted tends to do them in a "better and more appropriate" manner. Kinsey's is probably the more apt assessment. Yes, Michael and Ted both mean well in everything they do and have wholesome moments, but there's no arguing that Ted is a better person than Michael. "Scott's Tots," for example, proves this, as well as all the sexist, racist, homophobic and fatphobic comments Michael has made over the seasons.
The two shows in general are also quite similar. While The Office uses dark humor and Ted Lasso embraces a feel-good vibe, both have the same clever wit. Both shows understand the balance of humor and vulnerability. They also have serious moments that are hard-hitting because the viewers are able to fall in love with their characters. Chances are, fans of The Office are also fans of Ted Lasso. Luckily, season 2 is available for streaming and season 3 is on the way with plans for season 4 in the works.
Source: The Office Ladies (via Mashable)