Owen Wilson is aiming for the Ted Lasso effect with Apple TV+ comedy Stick

In the midst of a messy divorce, he spots a chance at a fresh start following a chance encounter with teenager Santiago Wheeler (Peter Dager), whose powerful strikes at the driving range show serious promise.

Parallels between the shows aren't difficult to spot, with both being sports comedies on Apple TV+, featuring troubled-yet-warmhearted protagonists mentoring plucky underdogs.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com about the comparisons, star Wilson said they were a "natural thing" and praised Ted Lasso for the inspiring impact it made across its first three seasons.

"It seemed like people loved that show because there was something kind of unusual about that character – just no trace of bitterness," he explained. "I thought that was an unusual hero that really came at a time that people all over responded to."

Co-star Judy Greer agreed that "we really needed Ted Lasso at that time", referencing the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with countless locked-down households finding comfort in the optimism of the hit series.

Wilson continued: "So if there's any way that this show could strike a chord with people in a similar way, that would be great."

Stick creator Jason Keller also acknowledged some "surface"-level traits in common with Ted Lasso, but asserted his view that they are really "very different shows".

"You can't escape comparison. I love Ted Lasso – I loved it the moment I saw it. And I certainly admire what they did with that show," he said. "It was an inspiration just for me as a human and certainly for me as a writer, for sure."

Keller added: "I think that our show is different tonally than [Ted Lasso]... I see the comparison and I appreciate that show. Was it the inspiration for Stick? Not necessarily. But it's hard not to be inspired by great movies and television.

"And Ted Lasso is a great television show."

In our Stick review, we note that the golf series certainly is tonally different to Ted Lasso, taking place in a world closer to our own as opposed to the more heightened, quirky reality in which the Jason Sudeikis sitcom unfolds.

The review also praises Wilson's performance, which is affable and amusing, but still capable of going to dramatic, emotional places as the difficult history of Pryce Cahill is unveiled.

Stick is available to stream on Apple TV+ from Wednesday 4th June 2025.

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