Sports-themed movies and shows are not a new phenomenon, but the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” was still a surprise sleeper hit when it premiered in the summer of 2020. Jason Sudeikis starred in the title role as an American football coach who takes a job coaching European football for the AFC Richmond Greyhounds of the English Premier League. Lasso’s positivity and adaptability were a salve for many viewers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and “Ted Lasso” helped establish Apple TV+ as a legitimate challenger to more popular streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Sudeikis said that Season 3 was meant to wrap up the series in 2023, although a fourth season is now in the works. But if you’ve missed “Ted Lasso,” there’s a new show from Apple TV+ that shares its sports setting, likable male lead character with his share of personal and professional struggles, and perfectly cast team of supporting actors doing their best work.
The 10-episode first season of the golf-themed comedy/drama “Stick” finished up its first season in July 2025, with Owen Wilson starring as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up former pro golfer who discovers and mentors a young phenom, Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager). The series also stars Marc Maron as Pryce’s best friend and former caddy Mitts, Judy Greer as his ex-wife Amber-Linn, and Mariana Treviño as Santi’s mother Elena. You may recognize Treviño from her role as Marisol, the amiable neighbor of Tom Hanks’ title character in 2023’s “A Man Called Otto.”
You don’t have to like golf to appreciate Stick
If you’re not interested in golf, don’t let the show’s premise or guest appearances from pro golfers Keegan Bradley and Colin Morikawa scare you off. Marc Maron and Owen Wilson bring their tragic duo of damaged characters together in perfect chaotic harmony, while Greer’s supportive character is a stabilizing force.
The found family grows to include Santi’s love interest Zero (Lily Kay), as the mismatched bunch take off in Mitts’ RV to support Santi’s dream. Timothy Olyphant also appears in five of the 10 epiosodes as Clark Ross, Pryce’s old rival, who is suitably impressed by Santi’s talent and determination. The show’s mix of stressful and hilarious moments is driven by the various character dynamics, which should delight “Ted Lasso” fans.
“Stick” is far from an imitiation of its spiritual papa, though. It’s quite a bit darker in spots, with Pryce still mourning the death of his young son Jett (Sebastien Duncan) and the ghost of Mitts’ widow haunting him and his friends via photos and craft projects in the RV.
Stick’s character interactions are fascinating
The way the characters interact in “Stick” is both similar and different to “Ted Lasso.” Mitts butts heads with Elena and Zero at times, but meets them both halfway through raw, honest conversations that make for two of the show’s best scenes. The stakes seem higher here than with “Ted Lasso,” as Santi and Elena are still coming to terms with how Gary Wheeler (Mackenzie Austin) abandoned them.
All of the characters are bumped a bit out of their comfort zones in some way, another similarity to “Ted Lasso,” but the focus on an emerging young athlete instead of top-tier pros gives “Stick” a universal, relatable charm that “Ted Lasso” doesn’t always pull off.
Meanwhile, Peter Dager and Owen Wilson worked hard off-camera with PGA pro Nathan Leonhardt to make their characters look believable on the golf course. Neither actor was an experienced golfer before taking on these roles, but Wilson has since developed a friendly rivalry with his brothers Luke and Andrew, who absorbed their love of the sport from their late father. “I don’t know why, but [Luke] brings out my best game,” Owen Wilson told Golf Digest. He’ll bring his game back to the screen as well: “Stick” has been renewed for Season 2.
