If you’re a millennial who went to high school around 2007, one creator’s work was virtually inescapable in every lunchroom, hallway, and classroom: Seth MacFarlane. Family Guy was a massive hit with teens and young adults during the late 2000s, and MacFarlane quickly followed up on the series with a movie that killed at the box office. That’s right, we’re talking about Ted, the 106-minute comedy where Mark Wahlberg hangs out with a talking teddy bear who sounds like Peter Griffin.
Ted was a really interesting idea at the time. What happens when a little kid wishes for his teddy bear to come to life, and his wish comes true? Then, what happens when the two of them are old enough to smoke weed and watch porn? Very 2012.
Ted 2 didn’t perform quite as well when it launched in 2015, but it looks like MacFarlane is getting another chance to prove the Ted formula can work. There’s a new Ted prequel series on the way, this time on Peacock. Wahlberg is out of the picture, and instead we’re going back in time to the 1990s, when Ted and his pal John Bennett are in high school.
Interested to learn more about the series? Here’s everything we know about Peacock’s Ted.
What’s the release date for Peacock’s Ted?
The Ted TV series launches on January 11, 2024 as an “event series.” The full series launches on the premiere date; expect seven episodes in total.
It’s unclear for now if we’ll receive future episodes, although it’s certainly plausible if MacFarlane’s new TV series proves an overnight sensation.
Is there a Ted trailer out?
Yes! There are two trailers out, actually.
On November 16, we got our first look at Ted with a tongue-in-cheek “Dear future Ted” letter from 1993. Ted in 2023 answers each prompt, revealing the future is far shittier than his 20th century counterpart realized.
Then, on November 29, MacFarlane gave us our first full look at the Ted TV series, including school life for Ted and John back in 1993. Masturbation jokes? Check. Getting high together? Oh yes. Getting hit in the nuts? That happens too. This is Ted in full form.
What’s the plot for Peacock’s Ted prequel?
The Ted TV series takes place between the opening segment in the first Ted, and the Ted film series proper. John Bennett is a high school student in 1993, and Ted has just about shored up all his widespread fame. At first, John plans to go to high school alone, but Ted causes more trouble than it’s worth by sitting around the house all day, shooting guns and blowing up the family TV. John’s family decides to send Ted to school with John, and the two get into all sorts of wacky, adolescent hijinks—including Ted offering to get John a hook-up by yelling he has “fresh penis.”
Yep, classic MacFarlane territory here.
Who’s in the cast of Ted?
Ted’s TV iteration has a completely different cast than the film series. That makes sense, given that the original film came out a decade ago. Teenage John Bennett is played by Max Burkholder of Parenthood fame. John’s mother is played by character actor Alanna Ubach, while Scott Grimes stars as his father.
Seth MacFarlane returns to voice Ted, complete with that perfect New England accent we’ve all come to expect.
What is Peacock’s Ted prequel rated?
The original Ted film series was R-rated, and for good reason. Ted is no children’s series, despite the fact plenty of parents took their kids to see the first film back in 2012.
Nothing will change for Peacock’s Ted. The initial Ted teaser trailer from mid-November 2023 gave the series a TV-MA rating, and the second trailer showed plenty of bawdy jokes. Based on the Ted previews already published, expect MacFarlane to keep the adult humor coming.
(featured image: Peacock)
