A talking teddy bear goes to high school with his owner in the ‘90s—what could go wrong? Premiering on Peacock on Jan. 11, the “Ted” series serves as the prequel to the 2012 film “Ted” and its 2015 sequel, “Ted 2,” all featuring Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane.
The “Ted” franchise is a comedic exploration of the unconventional friendship between a talking teddy bear and his human companion.
The earlier films depict the bear as a sentient and often foul-mouthed plush companion centered, with a focus on the character Ted, voiced by MacFarlane. The narrative unfolds with a blend of humor, heart, and a touch of irreverence as Ted and his owner, portrayed by Wahlberg, navigate the challenges of adulthood.
The franchise is celebrated for its unique premise, clever humor, and the chemistry between Wahlberg and MacFarlane, establishing it a beloved and iconic part of contemporary comedy. Returning to the spotlight, MacFarlane is set to revive his iconic role as the talking teddy bear in an upcoming prequel series.
In an interview with the Beacon, MacFarlane, along with executive producers Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh, discussed the unique and rewarding experience of resurrecting this beloved character for the third time. However, when Peacock approached the team, they were hesitant to reboot the characters due to their past success.
“I kind of arrived at the feeling that people just want to see the Ted they saw in the movies. I shouldn’t mess around with it,” MacFarlane said.“He’s not a character that is a biological life form. He’s a stuffed animal. So it’s not like he’s going to grow and evolve, and he’s always going to kind of be what he is.”
Bringing back the original comedic essence of the “Ted” films raises the question of whether the audience will respond in the same manner.
“The feeling was that people probably just wanted to see Ted. You’re rolling the dice a little bit. Has it been so long that people have moved on, and it’s not as big a deal as it was back when the movie came out?”
Addressing the potential challenges of reviving a movie franchise after a decade, MacFarlane reflected on the typical struggles faced by sequels that wait too long to resurface. Acknowledging the potential dip in audience appetite, he advocated for a different approach, steering away from the conventional feature film route.
“Ten years after a movie’s heyday, there’s always some question about whether there’s still an appetite for it. Often sequels that wait this long to come out struggle a little bit,” MacFarlane said. “I think for that reason, it made good sense to do this a different way than to do just another feature film.”
Die hard fans of “Ted” can anticipate a series that stays true to the movie’s original narrative while incorporating a particular infusion of fresh elements that breathe new life into the story. MacFarlane’s deliberate choice to embrace the television series format for “Ted” becomes even more significant considering the creative freedom afforded by this medium.
“For fans of the movie, they can expect we can promise them that what they’re going to see is, tonally, absolutely true to the first movie,” MacFarlane said. “We have not toned it down or softened it or made it any less than it was.”
By steering clear of the pressure to tell grand, life-changing narratives, the series finds its comedic strength in the exploration of smaller, character-driven stories. This strategic decision not only breathes fresh life into the franchise but also aligns seamlessly with the nature of its comedic style.
“The fact that it is a television series, just by the nature of the format, injects some fresh life into it,” MacFarlane said. “We don’t have to tell these big, grand, life-changing stories. We can tell smaller stories, which really is better for comedy to begin with.”
MacFarlane utilizes computer-generated imagery (CGI) to portray him as the bear, a perspective that has caused disconnection of actors before. In explaining the distinctive approach taken in producing the “Ted” series, MacFarlane underscores the significance of the live recording process, a departure from the common animated production practice.
“So, as far as other films and shows that we looked at animation-wise, it was tough because one of my big complaints with films that have animated characters in them is that there’s always an antiseptic quality because usually, the celebrity is not there on set,” MacFarlane said. “They’re recording months later or months earlier. And so that energy between two actors doesn’t really exist.”
Capturing the voice performances in real-time during filming, the series breaks away from the sterilized quality often associated with animated characters.
“The fact that we do it all live makes a big difference,” MacFarlane said. “We’re not going in and adding the voice later or earlier or whatnot.”
Amidst the visual challenges of ensuring Ted’s consistent appearance, the executive production team, Brad Walsh and Paul Corrigan, faced the task of swiftly turning around episodes for the episodic TV format. Walsh mentioned that the time constraints in TV production demand meticulous attention to detail to maintain Ted’s iconic look.
“In terms of visuals, the biggest challenge and the most important thing was making sure that Ted looked like Ted, which is a little bit more challenging. You have a lot more time when you’re making a film than if you’re making episodic TV,” Walsh said. “So there was a lot of work put into making sure that we were able to quickly turn around those episodes and have Ted look very much like himself, because we knew that people would be very quick to notice if he did not.”
For Walsh and Corrigan, the commitment to preserving this visual continuity is not just a technical challenge; it is a crucial element in creating the immersive experience that defines “Ted.” The challenge, therefore, goes beyond mere aesthetics; it is about preserving the believability of Ted’s presence within the world of the series.
“Part of the fun of this show and this world is that the bear seems to be really in the world, and we wanted to make sure we did that,” Walsh said.
While Max Burkholder skillfully portrayed the younger version of John Bennett, Mark Wahlberg’s absence in the series did not diminish the subtle references and nods to the original films scattered throughout the episodes. Despite the change in casting for the character’s younger years, Corrigan and Walsh strategically incorporated elements that pay homage to the roots of “Ted,” maintaining a connection to the iconic portrayal by Wahlberg in the earlier installments.
“Another huge challenge was casting somebody who could plausibly grow up to be Mark Wahlberg,” Corrigan added. “Seth was familiar with Max Burkholder as acting before this a little bit and sort of brought him in to audition. And he just hit that audition out of the park. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we saw we have someone who is talented enough, funny enough, and could plausibly grow up to be Mark Wahlberg.”
Without diluting the content or compromising its essence, “Ted” is introducing both a fresh perspective and actors to Peacock, providing comedy enthusiasts with a novel platform to enjoy their beloved stars.
“They want Ted as Ted,” MacFarlane said. “They want to see the bear they saw in the original movie. They want it to be just as outrageous. We did our best to deliver.”
Staying true to the essence of Ted’s character, the creators aimed to deliver the same irreverent charm that fans loved in the original movie. As MacFarlane notes, the appeal lies in maintaining the larger-than-life persona fans crave. Yet, within the hilarity and absurdity, MacFarlane emphasized the grounded nature of the series.
Despite the talking teddy bear and the comedic chaos, the stories are rooted in the relatable day-to-day experiences of a family navigating life in the ’90s.
“That’s one of the things I like about this series is that Ted, at the end of the day, is just about relationships, and these stories are all pretty small,” MacFarlane said. “There isn’t anything that’s life-changing there, isn’t it? This is just day-to-day life in the ‘90s for this family, with this talking teddy bear.”
This emphasis on the small-scale, as highlighted by MacFarlane, serves as a crucial foundation, making the forthcoming statement about the series being structurally representative of the franchise particularly intriguing. It suggests a deliberate alignment of narrative structure with the essence of “Ted,” making the series a standout incarnation in the broader franchise landscape.
“In many ways it’s structurally probably the most representative of any incarnation of this franchise that we’ve worked on,” he said.
With the assurance of tonal fidelity to the beloved first movie and the promise of fresh storytelling within a television format, the “Ted” series emerges as a promising and distinctive addition to the franchise, offering fans both familiarity and novelty in this exciting new chapter.
