Those of us who are fans of Seth MacFarlane’s work, will remember one of his first forays on to the big screen: 2012’s ‘Ted‘. Well, the streaming service, Peacock, has taken that IP and created a series (aptly titled ‘Ted‘), the first season of which premiered on January 11, 2024.

I took the liberty of watching the first couple of episodes of this series, and I’m left asking myself, was this series really necessary?

No. No it really wasn’t.

The series is set in 1993 features a young John Bennet (Max Burkholder), originally played by Mark Wahlberg in the movie versions. Seth MacFarlane returns to voice the titular character of Ted, the foul-mouthed teddy bear brought to life by a child’s wish, and the familial cast is rounded out with Scott Grimes as John’s father Matty, Alanna Ubach as mom Susan, and Georgia Whigham as John’s cousin Blaire.

For having such a great cast of actors, one would think that this would be a pretty well-acted & funny show. One would be wrong about this. The timing felt off, and the actors feel like they just did not want to be there.

The acting & writing for this show just doesn’t work either. Part & parcel for Seth MacFarlane, this show is also rife with a bunch of jokes that would be more suited to a Mel Brooks comedy from the 70s than to today’s more culturally-aware environment. In addition, MacFarlane’s voice acting for Ted was more reminiscent of Peter Griffin than the original version of Ted from the movies – aside from the overt expletives, obviously. As for Burkholder, it would seem that this is a step back for him from his roles in the ‘Purge‘ movies. His delivery feels lackluster, and his jokes just don’t land. His movement on screen doesn’t evokes less awkward teen, and more Elaine Boozler from Seinfeld (his arms don’t move!).

There are also a few anachronisms in the show that just don’t work, writing-wise. First, John’s cousin Blaire is more reminiscent of a Gen-Z adult or Millenial teen, as she is far more socially-conscious than the average person in the early 90s. Secondly, there’s a scene in the 2nd episode, where John & Ted are watching ‘The A-Team’. That show ran from 1983 to 1987. With ‘Ted’ being set in 1993, the timeline just doesn’t work (yes, it may have been in syndication, but still).

Overall, this was just an uncomfortable watch. It doesn’t capture the comedy or the whimsy of the movies, and it’s probably best that it was released direct to streaming.

1 out of 5 Stoned Teddy Bears