This unsung Apple TV+ comedy series is better than ‘Ted Lasso’

Esther Smith, Scarlett Rayner and Rafe Spall in “Trying” season four which premiered on May 22, 2024, on Apple TV+.

The unsung, heartwarming Apple TV+ comedy series “Trying” is stars BAFTA Award nominee Esther Smith and SAG Award nominee Rafe Spall. “Trying” just returned for its eight-episode fourth season on Wednesday, May 22nd with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through July 3rd.

In the new season, we fast-forward six years to discover that Nikki (Smith) and Jason (Spall) are experienced adopters having built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network. However, as their teenage daughter, Princess (Scarlett Rayner), starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother, Nikki and Jason find themselves confronted with the ultimate test of their parenting skills.

Rory Mellon for Tom’s Guide:

Consistency is key when it comes to crafting top-tier television. The best TV shows maintain a relatively steady quality throughout their entire run. But if there’s one show that failed in this area, it’s Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso”. Lasso’s third outing was so bad it made me question whether I’d ever liked the show at all. Fortunately, “Trying” is different, and is aging a lot more gracefully than Coach Lasso. 

I’ve been advocating for “Trying”, an Apple TV Plus original comedy with a similarly optimistic tone as “Ted Lasso,” for literally years at this point. I’ve written numerous articles detailing why it’s my favorite show on the streaming service, but even I’ll admit, I was a little concerned ahead of “Trying” season 4. 

The show’s fourth season deploys a time skip, which is a storytelling device that can yield mixed results, and I also felt that “Trying” season 3 ended in such a perfect spot that it felt like an appropriate series finale. I wasn’t sure we even needed more. But, now that “Trying” season 4 has arrived, and I’ve watched the first two episodes, I’m relieved that my fears were unfounded. The show is as good as it’s ever been. 

“Trying” is showing “Ted Lasso” how it’s done, as this Apple TV Plus original is doing a remarkable job of keeping a consistently high-quality level across multiple seasons. 

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MacDailyNews Take: At a few points in its final season, Ted Lasso peered over the edge of the miasma-filled abyss into which Shameless so, uh, shamelessly sank in its final seasons (after Emmy Rossum smartly exited). Thankfully, Lasso only dipped a toe and never fully dove in, but, yes, Trying is certainly more consistent and arguably better at “comforting comedy.”

As we nearly two years ago, “If you like Ted Lasso, we highly recommend Trying, an extremely likable, nuanced, gem of a series.”

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