Peacock’s ‘Ted’ Is a Lighter, Raunchier Return for the Foul-Mouthed Teddy Bear 

Alci Rengifo

Once in a blue moon this trend of TV spin-offs of movie hits yields a few guilty pleasures. Peacock’s “Ted” is not a great show. You can even argue it’s not a “good” one. Yet, there’s a mischievous appeal to its revival of the trashy teddy bear first introduced in a 2012 film starring Mark Wahlberg, which at the time felt ever so edgy. Now in a post-woke environment, the brand of humor “Ted” espouses seems even more rattling, even if we can’t stop from laughing. The premise fits with the idea of a sitcom, especially if the aim is to subvert the very idea of a wholesome network show. But this is a new streaming entry and after a few episodes, the season loses some gas. 

But Ted as a character is still a rather hilarious CGI rebel. The timeline here is 1993 Massachusetts, so about two decades before the event of the original “Ted” movie. Wahlberg’s middle-aged man-child is now a 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder). Ted, the teddy bear who magically came to life, gained some fame and is now a has-been, is once again voiced by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the series. John’s problems are pretty basic such as being bullied at school and the woe of being a virgin. He lives at home with parents Matty (Scott Grimes), mom Susan (Alanna Ubach) and sister Blaire (Giorgia Whigham). Emboldened by Ted, John goes on multiple adventures such as uncovering a bully’s dark secret, watching porn for the first time and trying to figure out just what an orgasm is.

“Ted” is a curious production where a much better sitcom is hiding within a show hampered by typical streamer trends. Written and directed with the look of a ‘90s sitcom, episodes have varying runtimes ranging from an hour to 40 minutes. Good comedies know that if you go on too long, the joke gets killed. But we’re tempted to forgive the runtime because the writing is a quirky mix of warmheartedness and raunch. In spirit it’s also a throwback to the man-child fests of the 2000s and 2010s that “Ted” the movie belongs to. Back then, incest jokes and penis references were in vogue. “Ted” the series tones it down just enough for some simple laughs. In one episode John and Ted go seek porno tapes in order to achieve orgasm, but instead they end up ruining the family VCR. On top of that, Susan finds the tape and is inspired to try and spice up her sex life with Matty. The gag actually becomes very funny when Susan thinks the tape belongs to her husband (“I don’t want to choke other women, even if that’s what Matty wants”).

There’s not a running plot but individual stories, as in the style of a sitcom. Worn out plots about bullies are refreshed by the lively dialogue, which is the show’s real star. When someone throws a homophobic slur at John, Ted retorts that he could probably satisfy his buddy better than any of these losers. And watch out for his “your mom” comebacks. How society used to think in the ‘90s adds fuel to the show’s edgier moments, like Matty facing his homophobia with a sentient toy truck. He also cracks racial slurs for jokes that Blaire calls him out on. The opening credits bounce and jingle in an obvious wink to shows like “Full House” and “Family Matters.” Such shows were always loaded with corny messaging. “Ted” has no time for that and opens with John and Ted mocking trick or treaters with f-bombs. Ted might also suspect in another episode that he is the new Jesus Christ since his own origin seems divine. He’s also the last teddy bear who should be given advice (“you know what they never say about drunk driving? How fun it is”).

“Ted” also has a bizarre combination of cuteness and bad taste, which makes it almost work like the first movie. The brilliance of the original idea is how Ted looks deceptively like any lovable stuffed animal but is a rowdy troublemaker. In one episode he agrees to be Blaire’s designated driver at a Halloween party and shows up dressed like an Ewok. Unsurprisingly, Ted gets pretty drunk and the ride home turns into a dicey endeavor later involving Blaire’s creepy literature professor. Even here, the writers can throw in one good line for Ted (“As Hemingway said, ‘I wonder what this gun tastes like’”). Alas, this is the kind of show that likes to repeat some themes over and over, like how ‘90s kids were the last generation to value the danger of drawing porn and secretly passing it on to someone. As a series, if the next season finds a tighter format, it might work even better. Still, “Ted” the show has brief charms that will at least provide naughty background noise with a few scenes that can truly be funny.

“Ted” season one begins streaming Jan. 11 on Peacock.