When Seth MacFarlane's Ted first debuted in 2012, it was a mega-hit and spawned the sequel Ted 2 three years later. Audiences will now get to watch the stuffed bear who speaks his mind again, this time from the beginning of his story in a new series for Peacock.
Peacock, NBC's streaming service, has ordered Ted as a live-action comedy series from MacFarlane and his production company, Fuzzy Door Productions. The original Ted film was so popular that it became the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time that was not a sequel or based on other intellectual property. Together, Ted and Ted 2 grossed over $750 million. MacFarlane will executive produce the show alongside Erica Huggins, president of Fuzzy Door. Instead of picking up where Ted 2 left off, The Hollywood Reporter sources say the ten-episode series will serve as a prequel, which MacFarlane will also be writing.
There's no official word on who will star in the show, but MacFarlane is currently in talks to return as the voice of Ted. The prequel premise suggests Mark Wahlberg, who starred in the original Ted, may not be involved at all. Wahlberg portrayed Ted's childhood friend John Bennett in the films, who found his romantic life complicated by his attachment to the foul-mouthed Teddy Bear. It's also unlikely that Mila Kunis or Amanda Seyfried will be involved, although Kunis has worked alongside MacFarlane for over twenty years as the voice of Meg Griffin on Family Guy.
Details on the new series are limited, but fans of the Ted movies can hold out hope that it's in good hands since MacFarlane is known for being heavily involved in his projects. Fuzzy Door Productions is behind such hits as American Dad!, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and The Orville.
This will be the second show that Fuzzy Door is bringing to Peacock, the first being The End Is Nye, a science series hosted by Bill Nye that will examine the reality of various global threats and disasters. Aside from the Ted series, MacFarlane is currently working on a revival of Smokey and the Bandit, the limited drama series The Winds of War, and a modernized version of the classic Revenge of the Nerds.
While details on the series are scarce, the opening moments of Ted do offer some insight into what the Peacock show could explore. After all, Ted became an instant celebrity after being brought to life by the wish of a young Bennett, only for that fame to disappear once the novelty of a talking Teddy Bear wore off.
There is currently no release date set for the Ted series.
Source: Hollywood Reporter