When Apple TV+ surveys the long lineup of shows and movies that it's produced in-house since starting as a streaming service years ago, there's an unassuming name that stands out in impressive company. Ted Lasso was one of its more unlikely hits, with a really wholesome, fun premise and some of the gentler comedy you could hope to find, but it broke out in a big way.
It also showed that comedies set in the world of sport can really work, despite the occasional struggle for total authenticity. So, wouldn't you know it, Apple TV+ seems to be returning to that well while Ted Lasso isn't around (however briefly). It's just unveiled a new sporting comedy series starring Owen Wilson – Stick, staring on 4 June.
Where Ted Lasso took on the world of football (or soccer, if you're of a certain persuasion), Stick will look to translate golf, a more niche but no less potentially compelling sport (that's me being even-handed about golf, as a football fan). Owen Wilson will take on the main-man mantle, although he's playing a very different character to Ted Lasso.
He'll be Pryce Cahill, an ex-pro who fouled up his biggest ever shot in the limelight, and has been chewing it over ever since. He's not been in the bigtime for 20 years, but sniffs an opportunity when he comes across a raw teenager at a driving range: Santi (Peter Dager). Santi can hit a ball so purely that he might just be able to go all the way to the top.
With a collapsed marriage behind him, Pryce will have everything to gain and nothing to lose as he tries to guide a massive talent to the success he deserves. Figuring out how to do that without putting too much pressure on a troubled kid will clearly be part of that process, in classic sports genre style.
It looks really wholesome, and actually doesn't lean on comedy all that much in the trailer, another note that distinguishes it a little from the shiny world of Ted Lasso. Also, not to rag on the latter too much, but visually Stick seems a little more grounded and filmic, compared to Ted Lasso's bright lighting and shiny set design – I'm hopeful that it could match it for popularity, too.
That said, golf's simply not as big a game, so it'll be fascinating to see if Stick manages to stand out itself when it arrives in a few weeks.
