The Apple TV+ series TED LASSO which has been filmed in Richmond and Twickenham has become an award-winning global hit and is slowly building up its own fan base in the UK.

The series has a significant British actor contingent including Ted's co-star Hannah Waddingham who plays Rebecca and Brett Goldstein, who plays the Roy Keane tough-guy footballer Roy Kent. As well as the uplifting and inspirational characters and dialogue, the music has also been recognised and nominated for an Emmy.

Here Nub News talks to Barnes-based Tom Howe, who collaborated with Marcus Mumford from Mumford & Sons to create the distinctive theme tune and accompanying music for Series One and Two and is preparing to start work on Series Three later this month.

Tom, 44, has composed music for over 80 films and TV series including A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, The Great British Bake Off and Sir David Attenborough's television series The Mating Game.

Q: Tom, it's not often that the music from a TV show gets nominated for an Emmy, tell us what that meant to you after all the work you have done with other television themes over the years and perhaps how it is different? How did you get involved in the project?

A: Any kind of recognition is always appreciated. The job involves long hours and you put your heart and soul into so the fact that someone notices is very rewarding. Ted Lasso was extra special as the show just caught light in the US and so to get nominated for an Emmy, the crown jewel of US television awards made it extra special. My involvement in the project came through Bill Lawrence and Kip Kroeger whom I worked with in a TV show called "Whiskey Cavalier" in 2019. They wanted me to go onto Ted Lasso. Jason wanted to involve his good friend Marcus and so Marcus and I were connected together, got on well and started working as a team.

Q: Writing for a TV series like Ted Lasso will be a bit of mystery to most people, how do you actually go about it? Do you watch the entire series and get a sense of what kind of music best fits?

A: We get scripts which give us the overall story arc and what will happen in each episode and then it's a schedule that is rigidly stuck to which moves episode by episode. We receive the picture (which may not be a finished picture) and start writing the episode. We normally get around 2 weeks to write the cues and deliver the final mixes. Ted Lasso series 1 was a little different as it happened when the pandemic kicked in which through the schedule out. Marcus and I wrote stuff away from picture based on calls with Jason. These sketches became the basis for series 1.

Q: Ted Lasso is also quite complex in that it inspires a mixture of emotions, from humour to sadness, often in the same episode, how do you approach that, or even start to think about. Do Jason (Ted) and the other writers and directors have any input?

A: Yes there is input from Jason, the producers, editors etc… about what each scene needs or doesn't need. We obviously have an opinion too and then we try and decipher how to go from there. The easiest way is to write something! Once there is a piece of music over a scene we can discuss whether it needs more energy or emotion etc… Having done this for a while my initial instincts are usually a good starting point.

Q: Obviously you worked very closely with Marcus Mumford on the music. How did that work practically during the pandemic or was that all before? I understand you worked at Marcus's farm for part of the time. Simple question but can I ask which instrument is played by whom or lots of he music created electronically?

A: I went to Marcus's farm for 10 days and we wrote together. After that I was back in LA for season 1 and wrote from there and Marcus wrote from his farm. We couldn't get back together, although that had been our original plan as we were all locked down! We therefore send each other things over the internet. Not ideal, but like the rest of the world we got used to it. Marcus plays all the drums and then we share, guitars, bass, percussion and I played some piano. Very little of the score is not organically recorded. That was a big thing for us. Make it all recorded and real.

Q: You have talked about influences from Gerry and Pacemakers and the Beatles would the viewer recognise these influences in the music on the TV?

A: Not straight up, but the hope is the harmony and sonic sounds puts one in mind of those influences. Does it? You tell me!

Q: It might be an unfair question but given we have had two full series now with 22 episodes how long has it actually taken to compose the music for this?

A: Two weeks an episode, sometimes 3 plus extra time at the start for theme song, and messing around so… around a year.

Q: It has become obvious that Hannah Waddingham who plays Rebecca has a very strong musical background herself and a wonderful voice too, has she been involved at all in the process?

A: She hasn't, but she is very musical as you can tell from her singing in the show!

Q: Can you give us some idea of the interaction that you have with Jason, the other writers and the production team. Jason also seems to be quite accomplished on the musical front?

A: Jason really knows his music, which is very helpful. We all meet on zoom (around 10 of us) and they all wade in. That's the nature of the gig. The music is a part of the process of making an overall TV show so it always has a lot of input from the creatives. Sometimes they might say "do your thing" or "you know what to do", but at other times you will get something rejected or have fix notes. That's the nature of the beast and the whole thing is done in the spirit of collaboration and the aim of making the best thing we can.

Q: You are based in Barnes, tell us a bit you came to live and work in the area and what do you love about the area?

A: I have been in Barnes for most of 2021, recording and working. I have friends and family nearby and it's a great area for just about everything! The river, pubs, restaurants, schools etc…. and a real sense of community.

Q) You are only a stone's throw from many of the locations in the series, Twickenham, Richmond etc – have the locations and your local knowledge played any part in the making of the music.

A) Not really, although I know the areas well. The musical choices are guided by the picture and story.

Q: What do you think of the series?

A: I love it and am proud to be a part of it.

Q: Without giving the game away do you have to compose new music for series 3 which is just about to start filming and is it true Ed Sheeran is recording a track for the series?

A: Yes series 3 will have new music cues. Not sure about Ed Sheeran!

Listen to the Ted Lasso theme here.