Ted Lasso returns: why its story of kindness owes so much to ‘orphan girl’ fiction

Ted Lasso – an Apple TV comedy-drama about an American football coach hired to lead a struggling Premier League team – has returned for a fourth season, this time with a women’s team at the heart of both the comedy and the drama. I can’t wait. As a researcher of children’s literature – including comics, graphic novels, fantasy and science fiction – it’s hardly unusual for me to take TV seriously. But few shows have gripped me quite like Ted Lasso. A few years ago, curious to see what the fuss…