The Ted Cinematic Universe (TCU?) is not something most fans had on their bingo cards. However, the foul-mouthed bear is heading into new territory as a cartoon character. Peacock has ordered Ted: The Animated Series from creator Seth MacFarlane.
The Family Guy creator will reprise the voice of Ted, the vulgar teddy bear from MacFarlane’s movies and live-action TV show. The original stars from the movies return as series regulars to voice their roles, including Mark Wahlberg as John, Ted’s best friend; Amanda Seyfried as Sam, a lawyer and John’s love interest; and Jessica Barth as Tami-Lynn, Ted’s wife.
Additional series regulars include Kyle Mooney as Apollo and Liz Richman as Ruth.
MacFarlane will executive produce all episodes with Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh. This trio were executive producers on the live-action Peacock series.
The franchise’s first installment, Ted, introduced John Bennett (Wahlberg) and his special friendship with his talking teddy bear, Ted (MacFarlane). The movie explored John’s childlike behavior with Ted and how it hampered his personal life, especially in his romantic relationships. Released in 2012, Ted was the highest-grossing comedy of the year, with a gross of $549 million worldwide. Ted even received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Ted 2 arrived in the theater three years later. Though it failed to match the heights of its predecessor, the sequel still grossed $215 million worldwide.
The biggest surprise of the franchise came with the launch of Ted, the prequel live-action series at Peacock. Released in January 2024, Ted became the streamer’s most-watched original title to date and Nielsen’s No. 1 Original Streaming Comedy in the United States for more than two consecutive months. Peacock renewed Ted for a second season.
Ted and Ted 2 are streaming on Netflix. Ted, the TV show, is on Peacock.