Ted, the raunchy R-rated talking bear, is front and center in Peacock’s new event series that delves into the stuffed bear’s past, prior to the Ted films. Seth MacFarlane returns to the world he created as writer, executive producer, director, co-showrunner, and the voice of the talking bear, with Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh serving as writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners.
The official trailer confirms Ted’s behavior and language haven’t been cleaned up for the streaming service’s series. No, this is the same trash-talking stuffed bear audiences loved in the 2012 and 2015 movies.
“Each generation develops its own unique artistic style, its own way of seeing the world. In the twenties, it was the subversive musical phrasings of jazz. In the fifties, it was the bold brushwork of the abstract expressionists. Our generation’s unique art is streaming content based on previously successful intellectual property. In that proud tradition, we humbly give you Ted,” stated MacFarlane, Corrigan, and Walsh.
The trio’s statement continued: “Our series is a prequel to the Ted movies. It takes place in the nineties but is based on the timeless truth that being sixteen sucks. The only thing that makes it tolerable is going through it with a friend, even if that friend is a has-been magical teddy bear with a foul mouth and a proclivity for drug use.
The three of us were teenagers in the nineties and grew up in and around Boston, where the show takes place, so many of these stories are personal for us. We were able to put the characters through some of the same indignities and milestones we experienced back then. Also, we made stuff up (it’s a lot of pages to fill and real life is mostly boring).”
The cast includes Max Burkholder as Ted’s BFF, 16-year-old John Bennett. Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach play John’s parents, Matty and Susan. And Giorgia Whigham is John’s cousin Blaire.
The seven episode series premieres on January 11, 2024. Episode one is supersized, while the remaining six are 30 minutes each.
The original Ted film grossed $549 million during its theatrical release. The sequel failed to live up to its predecessor’s numbers, grossing $215 million worldwide.
