Seth MacFarlane Gives Details About The Ted Prequel Series Coming To Peacock (And Yes, There Will Be F-Bombs)
Remember "Ted"? The dirty teddy bear comedy from "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane isn't necessarily on the tip of everyone's tongue these days, but it was a surprise hit upon its release in 2012. The movie grossed over $500 million worldwide, generating a sequel and now, a decade later, a prequel series.
The first season of the Peacock series is still being made (that CGI bear probably takes a while to render), so fans of the foul-mouthed plushie will be waiting a while longer for his return. But in the meantime, McFarlane is sharing insight with Collider about what to expect from the new show that he executive produces, writes, directs, and stars in. Hint: it's not fun for all ages. "There's no broadcast standards there," McFarlane says of the streamer, noting that the new show will be the equivalent of "an R-rated comedy."
The original film starred Mark Wahlberg as Ted's childhood pal, John, who wished the teddy bear to life only for it to grow up into an alcoholic partier who's much more prone to drop an F-bomb than a string-pull toy "I love you." According to the writer-director who also voices the bear, those F-bombs will make a triumphant return in the new series. "Our guidelines are the same as they were for the movie," he says. "It's no different. You can say 'f***', you can say whatever you want."
A '90s-set origin story
McFarlane does mention that there are some challenges to be "mindful of" when it comes to keeping the character authentic, including a modern "climate that is maybe a little less friendly to comedy than it has been in the past." Hopefully, the movie is able to maintain McFarlane's clever streak without punching down. It'll also be interesting to see how the show tackles its retro premise, as it's set in 1993. The writer-director says the "Ted" prequel "embraces that era, embraces the nineties, and tracks what is essentially Ted's adolescence" alongside his buddy John.
Despite his mention of John, the "Ted" prequel hasn't announced Mark Wahlberg as a cast member. At a press event reported on by The Wrap earlier this year, McFarlane said the show had to answer the question, "How does this character exist in a world without Mark Wahlberg?" Given that the character is a teenager at this point, it makes sense to use another actor. Giorgia Whigham ("13 Reasons Why"), Max Burkholder ("Parenthood"), and Scott Grimes ("The Orville") will round out the cast alongside McFarlane.
"Tonally we're sticking pretty close to the first movie," McFarlane told Collider. "I think fans of 'Ted' are going to be very happy with this show."
"Ted" will premiere on Peacock, but has not yet announced a release date.