TED LASSO is an Apple TV show about an American football coach who is hired to coach a professional British soccer team. When I heard the premise, my eyes glazed over. However, after several friends told me I’d love the comedy, I watched an episode, after which I viewed the remaining nine within a few days. I liked it that much.

Ted knows nothing about soccer and does not bother to conceal that fact during his first news conference. That and decisively losing his first game earns Ted the nickname “Wanker” from both the press and fans. But Ted cheerfully persists in engaging team members, fellow coaches, the team owner and the press. He says, “For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” That belief guides all of Ted’s decisions.

The half-hour comedy stars Jason Sudeikis. He delivers sharply funny lines with perfect timing. Everything in me wanted to regard this over-the-top character with cynicism and suspicion, but he won me over. The casting and acting are spot on. The rest of the cast, a motley ensemble, works well together. I love how the writers portray good guys with flaws and the bad guys with heartwarming traits. Most of all, I like that the main characters change and begin to flourish during the course of the show, but not in a Hallmark Channel way. The plot can be gritty and unpredictable, which I enjoyed. The quality of writing is great.  TED LASSO is Apple TV’s top-ranking show in 50 countries, including the UK, the US, Russia, Japan, Germany and France. And, if all that doesn’t persuade you to watch it, one of the Mumford brothers had a hand in creating the theme music.

These past few years, it feels as if our country has been slugging it out in a giant mud bath. Somehow, this show helped me take my eyes off of the slugfest. Ted Lasso is a stubbornly decent guy who responds to insults and betrayals in a stubbornly decent way. In a sense, this very funny show is a tribute to integrity.