Plot: By 1993, Ted the foul-mouthed teddy bear’s moment of fame has passed. He’s moved back in with his best friend, likable but awkward 16-year-old John Bennett, who lives in a working-class Boston home with his parents, Matty and Susan, and cousin Blaire. Matty’s a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who thinks he’s the unequivocal boss of the house and doesn’t like anyone challenging him, particularly his liberal-minded niece. Susan is kind, selfless and almost pathologically sweet when it comes to caring for her family. Blaire is a smart and politically correct college student who’s not afraid to speak her mind and frequently clashes with her more traditionalist family.
Genre: Comedy
Created by Seth MacFarlane
Written by Seth MacFarlane, Paul Corrigan, Brad Walsh, Dana Gould, Jon Pollack, Julius Sharpe
Directed by Seth MacFarlane
Based on Ted by Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Seth MacFarlane,
Executive producers: Seth MacFarlane, Paul Corrigan, Brad Walsh, Scott Stuber, Erica Huggins, Alana Kleiman, Jason Clark, Aimee Carlson
Producer: John Jacobs
Cinematography: Jeffrey C. Mygatt
Editor: Tom Costantino
Production companies: Fuzzy Door Productions, MRC Television, Bluegrass Television, Universal Content Productions
Network: Peacock
Plot: In 1993, the sentient teddy bear Ted lives with the family of his owner John Bennett, who wished him to life.
This ted prequel miniseries was surprisingly very good.
Pros: This series did work, set in 1993 Massachusetts. Our crude rude teddy bear Ted is back and he’s better than ever. Max Burkholder was great as Young John. This show introduced us to John’s family, and they were cool too. The series comedy is hilarious and its many pop culture references.
Cons: At times some jokes didn’t land as well as others & they can be very offensive at times.
Casts & Characters:
Main:
- Seth MacFarlane as the voice and motion capture for Ted, a foul-mouthed, poorly-behaved, anthropomorphic teddy bear and former celebrity whom John wished to life when he was a child.
- Tara Strong as Ted’s “I Love You” function.
- Max Burkholder as John Bennett, an impressionable yet good-hearted 16-year-old young boy who is best friends with Ted and is near the bottom of the social ladder at John Hancock High. He was previously portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in Ted (2012) and Ted 2 (2015), and by Colton Shires and Bretton Manley in the opening sequence of Ted.
- Alanna Ubach as Susan Bennett, John’s naïve, agreeable, slow-talking, stay-at-home mother. She was previously named Helen in the opening sequence of Ted, and portrayed by Alex Borstein.
- Scott Grimes as Matty Bennett, John’s hot-tempered Republican father who is a Vietnam veteran and is prone to many paranoid theories and irrational fears. He was previously named Steve in the opening sequence in Ted, and portrayed by Ralph Garman.
- Giorgia Whigham as Blaire Bennett, John’s intelligent, politically liberal cousin and Matty and Susan’s niece who attends Emerson College. In “Just Say Yes”, it is revealed that Blaire is living with the Bennetts because of her own dysfunctional family, and attempts to look out for John and Ted and keep them out of trouble. In “Loud Night”, Blaire reveals she is sexually fluid and is in a romantic relationship with Sarah, an Indian girl from her college.
Guest:
- Ian McKellen as the narrator
- Penny Johnson Jerald as Principal
- Bobby Strom as Dennis
- John Viener as Dr. Frankel
- Dana Gould as Priest
- Julius Sharpe as Mr. George
- Tim Russ as ER Doctor
I highly recommend watching this series before it comes to sky max on February 9.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe