When did TV get sooo freakin’ good? TIMMY

“Ted Lasso” is about an American football coach hired to helm an English soccer team. The premise is actually pretty stupid but the writers and actors refused to let the show be sub-par. Played by Jason Sudeikis, the character of Ted is exactly what we all needed in 2020. You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy the show (they barely simulate actual soccer or strategy) but Ted makes his boss biscuits every morning and if this show doesn’t warm your heart, you have officially turned to stone.

Now we’re all wrapped up in “Cobra Kai,” the TV series sequel to the “Karate Kid” movies. I was skeptical because a continuation of a favorite childhood movie certainly sounds like a recipe for small-screen failure. It opens with Danny as a successful autodealership owner while Johnny groans on the floor after too many Coors Banquet beers so the cliché machine was quickly set on high. But if you make it to the REO Speedwagon singalong scene, I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

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The story arc has been more nuanced and fun than I expected. William Zabka as Johnny steals the show. Maybe he purposely didn’t act in anything since Karate Kid in order to make the theme of a squandered lifetime really ring true to viewers? And Ralph Macchio is solid as Danny – the successful, yet oblivious 50-yearold dad who is 58 in real life but looks like he’s 32 and sounds like he’s 14 anytime he says “Miyagi-Do”. Rumor has it that Elisabeth Shue as Ali will appear in Season 3 and I. Am. Here. For. It!

So we’ve watched about a decade’s worth of television in eight months which I’m not super proud of, OK? But so be it. As far as passive entertainment goes, this stuff has been high quality. Maybe the news cycle will calm down. Maybe 2021 will be the Year of the Book? If not, maybe that British actor David Tennant will put out another series. I’m going to have some time to kill.