'Ted' Event Series Gets Premiere Date And Teaser At Peacock

The crass teddy bear is back! And back in the ‘90s too. Plus, there's 'Family Guy' news that will sure feel like a throwback

After nearly three years, the Ted series based on the films directed, written and starring Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane has officially set its premiere.

Marketed as a prequel but more of a midquel, Peacock will premiere the “event” series on January 11, 2024, with seven total episodes kicked off by a supersized premiere, with regular length being 30 minutes. The streamer describes it as a “hilarious R-rated nostalgic journey back to the 90s”.

MacFarlane of course returns as the voice of the title talking teddy bear, but being about 12 years since the first film, neither younger actor for John Bennett (played by Mark Wahlberg as an adult) was going to be able to reprise the role. So now, the 16-year-old version of him is played by 26-year-old Max Burkholder, best known for starring on Parenthood. Strangely, Ralph Garman and Alex Borstein are not reprising their roles as his parents. Heck, their names aren’t the same. They who were once Steve and Helen Bennett are now Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach as Matty and Susan Bennett. The series also introduces cousin Blaire, played by Giorgia Whigham.

MacFarlane, who also serves as writer, co-showrunner, and director, released this statement with fellow executive producers and co-showrunners Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh: “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).”

Meanwhile, another MacFarlane series is experiencing something it hasn’t felt in over 20 years. Fox revealed their midseason schedule this week, and the upcoming premiere of Grimsburg and return of The Great North has squeezed Family Guy out of Sunday nights, moving to Wednesdays starting March 6, after the network’s sole live action comedy, the Joel McHale-starring Animal Control. The show hadn’t had a weeknight timeslot on Fox since the Thursday slot it had in the 2001-2002 season, before its initial cancellation.

The teaser, which can be watched below sees 1993 Ted penning a letter to his future self. He hopes for a future of moon colonies and “new TV characters that don’t just rehash old stuff”, similar to the angle taken with the released statement. Present Ted can only hang his head with a chuckle and pity.

Sources: Deadline , The Hollywood Reporter