A lot has changed in the last 30 years, like how Jurassic Park turned into Jurassic World. Plus I’m sure some other things are different since then, too. But one thing that hasn’t changed, even during the streaming era, are television mini-series events. And since a certain magical talking bear was technically alive in 1993, he’s a perfect candidate to get one in 2023. Seth MacFarlane’s Ted is getting a special prequel mini-series at Peacock, and you can check out the trailer and first-look images for it below.
The talking teddy bear who sounds a lot like Peter Griffin is back. Only this time we’re going back to a much earlier time in his life. Here’s the prequel series’ official synopsis from Peacock:
In this comedic prequel event series to the Ted films, it’s 1993, and Ted the bear’s (Seth MacFarlane) moment of fame has passed. He’s now living back home in Framingham, Massachusetts with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder), along with John’s parents, Matty and Susan (Scott Grimes and Alanna Ubach) and cousin Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). 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.
Not the most informative synopsis ever, but in a press release Seth MacFarlane shared some insight into the inspiration behind the show. Despite the silly nature of Ted, the series is very personal to him. And also silly.
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).
The streamer also provided three images from the seven-episode “event.” They look very much like a throwback ’90s series. One where a teddy bear gets high with a teenager, which would have technically made for a “special event” episode in the ’90s.
All seven episodes of the Ted series will debut on Peacock on January 11, 2024, so we won’t have to wait for a new one every week. And that is very different from how things worked 30 years ago.
Originally published on November 16, 2023.