In the great debate of Bear or Man, Peacock chooses Bear! After giving a green light to Seth MacFarlane’s Ted as an event series, the wise-cracking, weed-smoking bear, and undeniably lovable bastard son of Snuggle is bringing more comedy to the streaming network. Peacock is bumping Ted up to an ongoing show with MacFarlane reprising his role as the aforementioned stuffed bear that comes to life.
The renewal packs the bong after the Ted prequel series premiered on Peackock four months ago. The show launched to banger ratings in January, remaining at the top of the U.S. charts for two months after its debut. Peacock says it’s the platform’s most-watched series in the United States, and its popularity extends to other territories like the U.K., Australia, and Canada.
Ted hails from Family Guy and The Orville creator Seth MacFarlane, with Max Burkholder (The Purge, Parenthood) playing John Bennett, the role played by Mark Wahlberg in MacFarlane’s 2012 comedy and its 2015 sequel. Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes, and Giorgia Whigham also star in the Ted TV series.
Here’s the official synopsis for Ted courtesy of Peacock:
In this comedic prequel event series to the Ted films, it’s 1993, and Ted the bear’s (Seth MacFarlane) moment of fame has passed. He’s now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts, with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder), along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan (Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach), and cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). Ted may be a lousy influence on John, but at the end of the day, he’s a loyal pal who’s always willing to go out on a limb for friendship.
Previously, MacFarlane, Paul Corrigan (Executive Producer, Writer, Director, Co-Showrunner), and Brad Walsh (Executive Producer, Writer, Co-Showrunner) released a note about the upcoming event series:
“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.
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).”
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