Ted tv series - first look at Seth McFarlane's prequel show

Sky have dropped a teaser trailer for the series starring the talking bear.

While there’s no hint for a renewal of The Orville so far, Seth MacFarlane’s latest project returns him to an old character.

Across two hit movies, in 2012 and 2015, he performed and voiced the crude, foul-mouthed, alcoholic Ted, best friend to Mark Walberg’s John Bennett.

Ted tv series - Max Burkholder as John with Ted — Ted: Max Burkholder as John, Seth McFarlane as Ted (Photo by: PEACOCK)

Now, in a 7-part television series, we’re headed back to the 1990s to see their early friendship, with a 16-year-old John played by Max Burkholder.

Here’s the premise for the Ted series:

It’s 1993, and Ted the bear’s moment of fame has passed. He’s now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett, along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan, and cousin Blaire. Ted may be a lousy influence on John, but at the end of the day, he’s a loyal pal who’s always willing to go out on a limb for friendship.

Ted tv series - Max Burkholder as John, Scott Grimes as Matty, Alanna Ubach as Susan, Giorgia Whigham as Blaire and Ted. — TED – Max Burkholder as John, Scott Grimes as Matty, Alanna Ubach as Susan, Giorgia Whigham as Blaire — (Photo by: PEACOCK)

Macfarlane and Max Burkholder are joined on the show by Scott Grimes (The Orville), Alanna Ubach and Giorgia Whigham.

Seth MacFarlane takes the roles of executive producer, writer, director and co-showrunner. Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh join him as executive producers, writers and co-showrunners.

The trio introduce the show thus:

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).

Ted comes to Sky Max and NOW early in 2024.