Just when Ted Lasso fans were reaching the “acceptance” stage of the grieving process, it looks like the show could be in the process of coming back.

The Apple TV+ aired its third season in 2023, with all signs since then indicating that it would not be returning for another.

Creator and star Jason Sudeikis always said he’d envisaged Ted Lasso as a three-season story arc, with most plot points being wrapped up neatly in the latest finale.

However, over the weekend, Deadline reported that cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift had all had their contracts been renewed by Apple, making a fourth series look extremely likely.

The industry outlet went on to claim that Apple would now seek out the show’s US-based cast members to get them back for a new batch of episodes.

And to say the announcement caught fans off guard would be a bit of an understatement:

Meanwhile, it’s been suggested that Phil Dunster will not be returning for the fourth season due to prior filming commitments.

The CEO of Warner Bros TV, the production company behind Ted Lasso, teased earlier this year that “conversations” had already taken place about the show returning.

In his own interview with Deadline last year, Jason said he had reached the “end of this story that we wanted to tell”, though admitted it was “flattering” that fans still want more Ted Lasso.

He also suggested that he was open to exploring the show’s future in a potential spin-off.

Ted Lasso’s break-out star Hannah Waddingham, who played AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, certainly made no secret of her disappointment about the show coming to an end last year.