Seth McFarlane’s new NSFW Ted television show on Peacock gets rave reviews for its anti-woke humor set in 1990s Boston
Seth McFarlane’s new television show Ted has received rave reviews from fans amused by its anti-woke humor, eleven years after the original film premiered in 2012.
Ted, a seven-episode prequel series set in the 1990s, has received praise from critics and audiences alike for its absurdity, randomness and honest portrayal of ordinary people in Framingham, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts.
The show received 75 percent approval among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but reached a 93 percent audience rating within hours of its premiere on Peacock Thursday.
Nick Schager, an entertainment critic at the daily beastwrote: ‘The foul-mouthed, bigoted, horny talking teddy bear that first made audiences laugh in 2012 is back in a new series that, even in this climate, somehow manages to work.’
The story follows the childhood of John Bennett (Max Burkholder), who was played by Mark Wahlberg in the 2012 comedy film, which became a major box office hit and grossed nearly $550 million worldwide.
Seth McFarlane’s new Ted television show has received rave reviews from fans amused by its anti-woke humor, eleven years after the original film premiered in 2012.
A seven-episode prequel series set in the 1990s, Ted has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its absurdity, randomness and honest portrayal of ordinary people in suburban Boston’s Framingham.
The story follows the childhood of John Bennett (Max Burkholder), who was played by Mark Wahlberg in the 2012 comedy film, which became a major box office hit, grossing nearly $550 million worldwide.
One critic wrote: ‘The foul-mouthed, bigoted, horny talking teddy bear who first made audiences laugh in 2012 is back in a new series that, even in this climate, somehow manages to work’
Schager characterized the series as ‘scattershot as they come’, in which Ted and John made all the politically incorrect jokes about African-Americans, Jewish people and ‘anyone who happens to fall into their crosshairs’.
The 16-year-old boy and his best friend, a furry stuffed bear, are joined by John’s father Matty Bennet, played by Scott Grimes, and mother Susan, played by Alanna Ubach.
The Vietnam War veteran, known for his homophobic views and distaste for Bill and Hillary Clinton, is strangely paired with the seemingly naive working-class housewife.
The prequel series “deserves quite a few more chuckles than its big-screen counterparts,” Schager wrote.
Schager characterized the series as ‘scattershot as they come’, in which Ted and John made all the politically incorrect jokes about African-Americans, Jewish people and ‘anyone who happens to fall into their crosshairs’.
The 16-year-old boy and his best friend, a furry stuffed bear, are joined by John’s father Matty Bennet, played by Scott Grimes, and mother Susan, played by Alanna Ubach.
The Vietnam War veteran, known for his homophobic views and distaste for Bill and Hillary Clinton, is strangely paired with the seemingly naive working-class housewife.
Social media users also flooded the platforms with praise for the show, with many calling Ted on small screens “the funniest thing ever.”
One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The new #Ted series is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a LONG time.”
They added: “Capturing the tricks from the films and filtering them into a teen lens… The family dynamics are perfect, each weird in their own way, with heavy ’90s nostalgia.”
Another user simply said: ‘I expected the Ted TV show to be funny. I didn’t expect it to be *this* damn funny.’
One IMDb user compared the show favorably to Ted2 and Family Guy, saying, “If you weren’t a big fan of those, it’s probably safe to say this show isn’t for you.”
They added, “Hiring Max Burkholder to play the character of John Bennett was a completely genius move and he played the role to perfection.
“He sounds exactly like a young Mark Wahlberg would have sounded with the Boston accent and quick wit.
Indeed, the cast of Ted has received the approval of both the wide critics and the audience, who were deeply entertained by their performance
One social media user praised: ‘The whole cast has really strong chemistry and it doesn’t hurt that they are all naturally funny people’
Indeed, the cast of Ted has received the approval of both the wide critics and the audience, who were deeply entertained by their performance.
Ethan Anderton with Slash movie wrote, “Max Burkholder… manages to capture the same natural connection to MacFarlane that Ted does, and he’s just fantastic.”
The Hollywood ReporterAngie Han wrote, “Giorgia Whigham imbues John’s liberal cousin Blaire with a cunning that saves her from being completely reduced to a self-righteous punching bag.”
“So does Alanna Ubach, who plays John’s mother Susan with such genuine sincerity that she almost transcends the assigned woman type in Kevin Can F**k Himself. And when the dumb jokes hit, they hit,” she added.
One social media user praised: “The entire cast has really strong chemistry and it doesn’t hurt that they are all naturally funny people.”
Peacock, the NBCUniversal-backed streaming service, announced its plan to produce the prequel in 2021.
NBCUniversal Entertainment Content Chairman Susan Rovner said at the time, “Seth has a superpower in creating fandoms and Ted is a shining example of his ability to create beloved characters that we can’t get enough of.”
After the original film premiered in 2012, Ted became the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time that wasn’t a sequel or based on existing intellectual property.