Apple TV+ Comedy Dubbed 'Perfect Ted Lasso Replacement' Has 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Summary

• It's an authentic comedy that will get you laughing.
• It's not exactly a classic, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the show.
• You can binge both previous seasons in just 5 hours.

Over three seasons and a total of 34 episodes, Ted Lasso brought us moments of comedy mixed with genuine emotion. It was the ultimate feel-good show, filled with well-rounded characters, great dialogue and a story of hope that we could all get behind.

Okay, it may have gotten a little cheesy at times. But it was a show that knew what it was and didn't take itself too seriously. Balancing that with sincerity was one of its strengths and helped the show earn a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

But it ain't coming back.

However, if Ted Lasso was right up your alley, this Apple TV+ series, which has a 93% rating on RT, is a must-see.

Smart, authentic, and thoroughly bingeable, the show leaves the original movie in its wake

The 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover is rated just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, which states that it "raises the question: Is bad representation better than no representation?"

Set in Mexico, the film was produced by and starred Eugenio Derbez and was criticized for its cheap comedy that played into stereotypes.

Despite its poor reception, How to Be a Latin Lover grossed $62 million against a production budget of $10 million, and there was clearly something to it – as it went on to become one of the most underrated sitcoms of recent years.

With the third season of Acapulco coming to Apple TV+ this month, it deserves a little more promotion from the streaming service. Season 1 is rated 100% on RT, with Season 2 right behind at 96%.

Derbez reprised his movie role as Maximo for the TV series, but worked with 10 other executive producers, including Benjamin Odell, who co-produced the movie. And maybe that was the secret sauce it needed. Acapulco is fun, lively, full of great one-liners, and has left behind the cringe-worthy portrayal that held the movie back.

What's it about?

Derbez plays the modern-day version of Maximo, telling his rags-to-riches story to his young nephew. Season 1 began with his move to Acapulco, where he got a job at Las Colinos.

It's a bilingual comedy that spans two different eras and is built around lovable characters who are all just trying to be the best person they can be.

It's got all the vibrancy and color of a Latino festival, along with a cocktail of youthful exuberance and nostalgic reflection. And it's riding the wave of the '80s that just keeps going.

Taking a poorly received movie and trying to create a TV show that spans multiple languages and eras was a risk. A lot could have gone wrong. So far, nothing has.

Feel-good TV

Acapulco is easy to watch. It's not intellectually challenging, and there are no complex plots to unravel. It's a show built around characters and the relationships between them. And those characters are relatable.

Nostalgia is always rose-tinted to some degree, and anyone who has listened to the stories of their elders knows the feeling of simplicity that comes with trying to visualize their stories. Acapulco captures that perfectly.

Season 2 is all about making up for past mistakes, and it's best to watch the first two seasons before diving in. But with only 10 half-hour episodes per season, the dedicated viewer can catch up in a weekend.