‘Trying’ on Apple TV+ Deserves Some Of ‘Ted Lasso’s Love

Earlier this month Ted Lasso doubled its tally of Emmy nominations when it picked up a staggering 20 noms for the second year in a row. It’s been similarly lauded by voting panels at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice. In stark contrast, the only recognition Apple TV+’s other London-based sitcom, Trying, has received is a Best Original Song nod at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. 

Not that we’re disputing all the Richmond F.C. love. The Jason Sudeikis vehicle has not only managed to get even the most soccer-phobic invested in the fortunes of a fictional Premier League team, its resolutely feel-good vibes also got many of us through the pandemic. But the gulf in acclaim between the two shows would suggest a gulf in quality. And yet the tale of a couple navigating the ups and downs of the adoption process can often be just as charming, sweet and laugh-out-loud funny as the NBC ad spin-off. 

The fact that Trying has made it to a third season (July 22), however, proves at least someone is paying attention. And should a few more industry bods stumble across its eight episodes while waiting for the return of the mustachioed manager then perhaps leads Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, in particular, will finally get the chance to grace a red carpet or two, too. 

Picking up immediately where things left off, we’re reintroduced to aspiring parents Jason and Nikki on the night they were temporarily placed with orphaned tween Princess (Eden Togwell) and when her younger brother Tyler (Mickey McAnulty) sneakily came along for the ride, too. Indeed, while the first season focused on the couple’s deliberations about adopting and the second the challenges of finding a match, the third sees them desperately trying to convince social services the siblings are better off in their care.

Bringing kids into the equation is often a sign a sitcom is about to jump the shark (see everything from Family Ties to The Mindy Project). Of course, that’s pretty much unavoidable with Trying’s premise. Luckily, the two child actors are allowed to act naturally rather than as precocious joke machines. And although there’s the occasional descent into Hallmark card schmaltz, the show largely avoids relying on the ‘aww factor’ to prop up its story.

Smith and Spall both get the chance to shine playing mom and dad, too. The former is superb at conveying the anxieties of a new parent, whether it’s struggling to form a bond – you can almost see Nikki’s heart breaking when Princess banishes her to another table on a girls’ day out – or wondering how to keep the pair occupied (“swimming with dolphins” a prime example of her amusing scatterbrain). This is balanced out, though, with an unwavering general confidence. “No one has ever not liked me before,” she tells her other half while stressing about her mother/daughter connection. And Smith is so charming you can believe it. 

Meanwhile, Spall offers a similarly endearing mix of goofiness (see the mad dash to save Tyler from show-and-tell humiliation), invaluable life lessons (“never wear white socks past the age of 12”) and sensitive dad, the latter best-displayed by giving a funeral to a pet desk lamp named Adam. As with the similarly rose-tinted Ted Lasso, niceness is definitely a virtue in Trying’s slightly Richard Curtis-esque vision of the capital. 

The third season does get a villain, of sorts, in the shape of a mysterious figure from Tyler and Princess’ past. Yet as with every character who doesn’t automatically fit the ‘good egg’ mold, you’re never in any doubt that a redemptive arc will be on the way. Jason’s feckless best friend Freddy (Oliver Chris) even launches his own answer to AA (Arseholes Anonymous) in a self-involved bid to overcome his inherent numskullery.

Freddy’s narcissistic attempts at self-improvement shows how Trying can still engage even when it veers away from the main narrative. Robyn Cara steals every scene as Jen, the clueless co-worker Nikki spends all series trying to summon up the courage to fire. While sardonic teacher sister Karen (Sian Brooke) is also handed more welcome screentime thanks to a discovery which throws her hatred of children into question. 

However, it’s the latter’s partner Scott (Darren Boyd), a man so brilliantly pretentious he has a vacation-specific fedora, who gets the best side plot when a publishing magnate (the ever-charismatic Denis O’Hare) mistakes his pompous blog musings as satire and turns them into a toilet book sensation. Apple TV+ are perhaps missing a trick if they don’t release “What A Banker” for real. 

Sadly, Imelda Staunton’s dotty social worker Penny, a woman previously so integral to the adoption journey, is notable by her absence, with her more serious-minded replacement Noah (Karl Collins) given little to do apart from raise his eyebrows. And although there’s something amusingly meta about Jason’s limited understanding of the stock market – you may remember Spall played a trader in The Big Short – his secretive financial dealings feel shoehorned in simply to create some sense of conflict between the two lovebirds.

Of course, you can probably guess whether everything is neatly wrapped up by the time the sound of Bear’s Den ring in for the eighth consecutive episode. The duo’s original soundtrack should ensure Trying gets at least some awards appreciation over the next year. But Apple TV+’s most under-rated Britcom undoubtedly deserves to be hailed for its performances and script just as much as its emotive indie-folk. 

Jon O’Brien (@jonobrien81) is a freelance entertainment and sports writer from the North West of England. His work has appeared in the likes of Vulture, Esquire, Billboard, Paste, i-D and The Guardian.