In 2021, Peacock ordered ten episodes based on the popular foul-mouthed teddy bear. However, the origin story starts back in 1993, when his fame has died down and he first meets John Bennett. The young kid is in a working-class Boston home with his parents and cousin. The series will focus on the special bond between Ted and John.
It’ll also showcase how he became such an instrumental part of John’s life. The series is scheduled to be released on the streaming service on January 11, 2024. Can a Ted prequel series work? Especially since the amazing chemistry between Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane‘s crass bear won’t exist in the series due to the former not being present.
The Positives About Making Ted A Television Series
It could genuinely be funny exploring the origin story of Ted. Horror has a knack for talking objects – with the most notable being Chucky. The reason it works more often than not is the unique juxtaposition that’s presented. Something unsuspecting and considered adorable turns out to be a murderous tyrant that causes chaos and trouble around the community.
Ted is that in some ways, but in a different manner. He’s a foul-mouthed teddy bear that doesn’t particularly have the best morals and values. Watching Ted’s cynical nature rub off of John can produce plenty of hilarious moments. The show can also be profound as Ted is learning and growing like the rest of the world. It could be a fun satirical exploration of the Hollywood lifestyle as seen through the eyes of a teddy bear.
The Drawbacks Of Having A Mini-Series Based On Ted
When Ted was first introduced into the world back in 2012, it was fresh and exciting. Behind the crass and crude jokes was the journey of John needing to finally grow up. Ted 2 then took somewhat of a weird turn that didn’t recapture the magic of the first film, though the chemistry between Wahlberg and MacFarlane remained strong.
The premise of exploring Ted as a celebrity allows the series to dive into deeper themes that reflect modern society. Granted, Ted is never going to be a profound think piece, but the first film had a simple and relatable message that resonated with most moviegoers. However, Seth McFarlane‘s brand of humor can grow tiresome very quickly. Ted is a foul-mouth and crass character and that will surely remain the same in the upcoming series. If McFarlane leans too heavily into this aspect and lame one-liners that don’t add to the story then the series can flop on its face.
Plus, with Wahlberg confirmed as someone not returning to the prequel, it would’ve been more effective to veer away from the story of John and Ted. It’s going to be extremely hard to match the magic that the adult counterparts had in the feature films and it could overshadow the series if there’s no spark between Ted and young John.
Even then, doing a series can stretch this premise dry pretty quickly. That’s the major problem with the prequel, it’s a thin plot that’s better served as a feature than a series. The gag of a foul-mouthed teddy going through Hollywood can lose steam quickly if the narrative doesn’t present something new or intriguing in each episode. McFarlane did a pretty good job of not using the one-note of a talking teddy bear as the main source of comedy. But this is television, and though he has vast experience in this world, a live-action series doesn’t get the privileges that animation does.
The Best Direction Ted Can Go
The best direction would be a mini-series that doesn’t go past one season. Explore how Ted and John first met, how the former became a talking bear, and go back and forth on their lives and why they’re such a good pair. Of course, keep the crude nature that made the features so popular, but don’t revel in the gross aspects that turn it into a senseless farce.
A Ted prequel does have potential if McFarlane strikes a nice balance between comedy and plot. Hopefully, Seth MacFarlane comes out with something incredible. It could be a fun raunchy affair that expands on the lore of the Ted world and offers a new take on the talking objective sub-genre.
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