Review - Ted (2024)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, last time, we took a look at the Ted movies, which were written and directed by Seth MacFarlane. Today, we're taking a look at the new Peacock streaming series Ted, which is a prequel to the main events of the two Ted movies. The series sees Seth MacFarlane return as the voice of Ted, and also stars Max Burkholder, Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes, and Giorgia Whigham. 

       The series is set in the year 1993, and Ted's celebrity status is pretty much non-existent, thus he's living at the Bennett household with his best friend John, John's parents Matty and Susan, and John's cousin Blaire. The series, which runs for a total of seven episodes, is filled with jokes, gags, and a fantastic blend of hilarious and heartwarming moments. One thing I appreciate is how the opening theme is the song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" by Norah Jones, which was written for the original movie and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song, losing to "Skyfall" by Adele. 

         Now, obviously, Seth MacFarlane as Ted is hilarious. Even though it's been nine years since the last time Ted was on screen, he's still hilarious as the foul-mouthed, pot smoking, talking teddy bear. But, the real highlights were the Bennett family. Max Burkholder as the sixteen year old John is absolutely fantastic, sounding very on point with Mark Wahlberg's Bostonian accent from the original movie, and having all the mannerisms that Wahlberg had in the movies. Both Alanna Ubach and Scott Grimes as John's parents, Susan and Matty (previously named Helen and Steve in the first movie and played by Alex Borstein and Ralph Garman) were fantastic, and they had some real humorous moments throughout the series. But, my favorite was easily Giorgia Whigham as Blaire. Blaire definitely adds a dynamic that would have been missing had the character not been included in the series, as she acts as a relative that John can turn to who is close to his age, therefore understands what he's going through in life. Also, I really liked the idea of Blaire having a girlfriend, Sarah, who is also Blaire's classmate in college. Like I said, Blaire really adds a needed dynamic to the series. 

           I actually like how the series is set in the '90s. If you saw my review of Netflix's That '90s Show last year, then you already know that I enjoy movies and shows set in the '90s, as it allows for many nostalgic references to movies, music, and franchises released at the time. For instance, Ted includes references to movies like Aladdin and Jurassic Park. I actually laughed my ass off when John and a girl he was on a date with rode on top of a car, with Ted driving, while sitting on a carpet dressed like Aladdin and Jasmine. Also, Ted getting the TalkBoy for Christmas was pretty cool. 

          At the show's core, Ted is very much a family sitcom for the adult audience. Now, granted, the family is dysfunctional, there's tons of adult language and raunchy humor, and it's very much not for the family audience. But, much like Seth MacFarlane's animated series like Family Guy and American Dad, the family dynamic of the Bennetts is at the very heart of Ted, which is a big part of what makes the series work as well as it does. 

          All in all, of you're a fan of the works of Seth MacFarlane, and especially the two Ted movies, then I highly recommend the series Ted. Honestly, between this series and Twisted Metal, it looks like Peacock has finally got itself some bangers in terms of original streaming content. I'm giving Ted a rating of 4.95/5. Log on to Peacock and check it out for yourself. 

         Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time when I kick off Robert Rodriguez Month with my review of Desperado.