The Musical Side Of ‘Ted Lasso’ Leads To Emmy-Nominated Song For “The Most Important Episode In The Whole Thing” – Contenders TV: The Nominees

Pete Hammond
·3 min read
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Tom Howe has been the main musical man behind Ted Lasso for all three seasons, including that memorable and catchy theme song, but it was an assignment to write a song that could really get to the heart of what the series and its title character is all about that has led to an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for Howe and his key collaborator, singer and musician Sam Ryder.

Along with a third writer Jamie Hartman they came up with “Fought and Lost,” performed by Ryder, that plays during a key moment representing the end of Lasso’s time with the team in Season 3. It plays on different levels, getting to what the heart of the Apple TV+ series is all about.

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Howe, joined by Ryder on the Ted Lasso panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees awards-season event, said he knew the song could turn out to be his most important contribution in his three seasons at Lasso. “I mean, we’ve written a lot of music in this show, but I think I can safely say that this is the most important episode in the whole thing. The most important moment rather, in the whole thing for Ted. You’ve had the build-up and this is when he decides that he’s going back to America and it’s going to be the turning point in the whole series. And you know, that’s been hinted at a couple of times and how he’s felt along the way in various moments,” he said.

“It’s that cliffhanger … even walking through the locker room there. You know, what he’s decided. And I think that’s the power of the song I think it’s a really key moment in the show. “

For Ryder, a thrill was when he learned that Queen’s Brian May was contributing by playing a guitar solo on the track. “We were so excited, we knew we were onto something. There’s nothing that beats that feeling like when you’ve written something like that, and and we were both sort of saying ‘What if Brian May plays the guitar on it?’

“It was kind of like Wayne’s World, actually. I think we sort of, we put some feelers out to hopefully get to Brian’s camp and the first time that we knew that the message had got to him was through sort of an intermediary,“ Ryder recalled. “I was watching TV and my phone rang. And it was a number I didn’t recognize. And I was actually quite annoyed because I was like, who’s interrupting me this late at night while I’m watching Ted Lasso? But you know it’s like, ‘Hi Sam, it’s Brian. This song is amazing.’ And he was right there in his studio recording.

He said, ‘I’m sending over a guitar lick right now. Let me know what you think.’ He was so enthusiastic. And we don’t have to repeat the fact that the guy’s a living legend, right? And his guitar solos — gorgeous. It makes you feel like you’re flying.”

Check out the panel video above.

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