Marc Rebillet
14th November 2024Brett Goldstein has been busy since leaving Apple’s Ted Lasso after three seasons as Roy Kent, writing and staring in SuperBob (2015) and appearing on various television series like Derek, Drifters and Drunk History UK incarnation.
Ted Lasso
Josh Sudeikis made an impressive transition in Ted Lasso from one-off sketches to three seasons with grace, adding depth both to the character and supporting cast.
Sudeikis, Goldstein and their team made it look effortless with an upbeat, friendly show that landed on Apple’s platform and went on to win 13 Emmys during its run – including back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series wins for Sudeikis and co-writer Bill Lawrence.
Goldstein may be best known for his collaborations with Sudeikis, but he has written for Key & Peele, Community, We’re the Millers and Horrible Bosses 2 before helping launch Ted. Now working alongside Jason Segel in Shrinking as a drama about a therapist treating Parkinson’s patients (a disease his own father suffers from) while always placing an optimistic spin on everything he writes – his motto being: Putting positive spins on everything you write!
Shrinking
Apple TV+’s Shrinking series made its long-awaited return this week after nearly 18 months away, picking up where it left off. Created by Ted Lasso breakout Brett Goldstein and Scrubs/Cougar Town veteran Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel stars as Jimmy; an unorthodox psychotherapist struggling since his wife’s passing who goes against established rules to speak his truth and tell patients exactly how he feels about them.
This creates an intriguing premise, but the opening scene raises some red flags: A therapist waking up his upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood at 3am with speed-fueled speedbomb rides from two paid escorts does not make for the most believable protagonist – let alone hero!
This show’s intention was to break down stigma associated with therapy and reveal its advantages, yet instead became an aimless mess that relies on tropes as its foundation. While its cast is impressive, little substance lies beneath its surface layers.
Soulmates
Goldstein has often focused his projects on exploring the complicated and uncertain nature of love, making it central to many of his recent endeavors. Perhaps none more so than on AppleTV hit series TED LASSO, in which he co-starred as surly soccer coach Roy Kent.
Soul Connex is an intelligent matching service that connects people to potential soulmates through an algorithm-driven algorithm, while still tapping into real anxieties of dating and relationships.
Season one of The Path uses technology developed at Imogen Poots’ company for everything from terrorism prevention to finding missing children; season two explores to what lengths people will go in search of love. Each episode offers its own dramatisation that tackles different facets of this question, creating a cohesive satire of our cultural obsession with technology and romance – while giving Imogen Poots ample stage time to shine as always!
Films To Be Buried With
Brett Goldstein has made waves in the comedy scene for years. Aside from acting, writing and comedy performances, his skills span writing for Shrinking Ronna & Beverly 4Funnies Hoff the Record as well as playing Roy Kent on Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso where he serves as executive story editor and also stars as Roy Kent himself.
In 2022, he signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television to create, write and produce Soulmates based on his 2013 short film For Life. Additionally, he wrote for episodes of SuperBob as well as having a role in Office Romance, both scheduled to air soon.
Brett meets Emmy Doran, an extraordinary comedian, writer and sketco. They discuss all things micro to macro; minor to major; dad bouquets, room altars and moth fairies to the fine line between anger and passion.