If you loved Ted Lasso, I don’t think it’s because it’s “low stakes,” think it’s because no one in the show is really an asshole and you’re not being asked to empathize with a selfish person. Think on the popular comedies of the last 10 years.

Also, Ted Lasso himself is not a cheerful idiot, a la Michael Scott: he’s a cheerful person people *assume* is an idiot.

If you liked Ted Lasso and haven’t seen Freaks & Geeks, please trust me and go watch F&G. It’s a huge-hearted show that also asks hard questions but never provides “lessons”? It’s a real achievement.