In the press materials for the Peacock series “Ted,” there’s a note from Seth MacFarlane, the executive producer/writer/director/co-showrunner and of course the voice of the foul-mouthed teddy bear from the smash hit comedy movie from 2012 as well as the not-nearly-as funny but still profitable sequel from 2015.
“Each generation develops its own unique artistic style, its own way of seeing the world,” writes MacFarlane. “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.”
Points for being honest about it. While the prequel series is a spinoff from a movie franchise, it’s more in keeping with the seemingly endless parade of sequels, reboots, remakes, re-imaginings, etc., of TV series, e.g., “Fuller House,” “Saved by the Bell,” “I, Carly,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Gossip Girl,” “Party of Five,” “Boy Meets World,” “The Wonder Years,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Doogie Howser,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Veronica Mars,” “Fresh Prince,” et al. Set in the year 1993, with Max Burkholder as the 16-year-old John Bennett (who grows up to be Mark Wahlberg in the movies) and MacFarlane once again voicing the irascible and bawdy Ted during a time when the novelty of his celebrity has waned, the series answers the question, “Did we really need a ‘Ted’ prequel?” with a resounding: No. Not really.
“Ted” is set in Massachusetts but clearly filmed on the Universal backlot (“John Hancock High School” is the famous courthouse square, seen in dozens TV shows and movies), with each episode playing like an R-rated sitcom without the laugh track. Ted’s 15 minutes of fame have passed, and he’s living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts, with John as well as John’s parents Matty (Scott Grimes) and Susan (Alanna Ubach), who have for some reason been renamed for the series, and John’s cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham), who is staying with the family to save money while attending college.
The raunchy, politically incorrect tone from the movies remains intact, often during dinner tables scenes filled with racial humor, sexual humor, etc., most of which comes across as more tired than edgy. Matty is a “BAH-ston” caricature who swills beer and swears he’s not bigoted even as he spouts racist, sexist and homophobic garbage, while Susanna is sweet and well-meaning, but something of an idiot. The enlightened Blaire keeps calling out Matty for his bulls---, while John and Ted are more concerned with getting involved with hijinks including smoking pot for the first time and a trip to the local video store to rent a mountain of porn on VHS.
There are some admittedly funny bits, as when Ted is the designated driver at a college Halloween party and gripes, “I’m the guy that gets to listen to the Spin Doctors sober,” or when Ted mocks a kid in a department store Hulk costume, exclaiming, “The Hulk doesn’t have a f---ing picture of the Hulk on his chest. … If you gotta TELL us you’re the Hulk, it’s already a failed narrative.”
The cast does what it can with the dusty material, with Giorgia Whigham a standout as Blaire, and there are some moderately entertaining moments and even a heartwarming scene or two, but with each episode extending past the half-hour mark (the pilot is nearly 50 minutes), there’s a lot of unnecessary material as the characters get involved in trite and predictable circumstances that are usually resolved just in time for the credits. Turns out “Ted” was a bear of its time, and that time was 2012.
