Ted

I'm writing this review after watching the first season and I have to admit I loved it! I watched it not expecting much, given I didn't particularly enjoy the two Ted movies, but oh boy this series was a treat. The cgi of Ted was done so well that there wasn't a single moment that made me think "oh it's not really there". The humour was actually funny this time around, the kid protagonist sells it as a younger version of the movie protagonist. I appreciate very much how the mother is depicted, so many modern series have a mother who's alcholic or she's indipendent and strong. Not here, she is a loving mother that loves to be that, and that's fine. I also liked the father, and despite me don't minding the girl I still have no clue what she is supposed to be. Is she a cousin? Why is she living with them? In the movies there was like a flashback scene but she wasn't there, so is she a new character introduced in this prequel series? You know I'm looking too much into the lore, this is Ted not Futurama.

Anyway, would I reccomend it? Absolutely, go on and watch the bully episode.

As someone who loves just about everything Seth MacFarlane does it's not surprising that I absolutely loved this Ted series. MacFarlane is back as the voice of Ted and he's as funny as ever. This series takes place 20 years before the movie, back in 1993. Ted is just coming off all the fame and tries to live a normal life with his owner/best friend, John Bennett, who wished Ted to life. Max Burkholder does a good job as John Bennett. He even gets his voice to sound like a young Mark Wahlberg. While Ted is the star here and there are plenty of other funny people, the other stand out here is Scott Grimes as John's father. You might know Grimes from another MacFarlane series called The Orville (another good show). I loved the movies so I was hoping this wouldn't be a let down. It's not. It's as funny as the movies were. I can't wait to watch this all the way through again.

Season 1.

Based on the success of the original 2012 film and its sequel three years later, was initially surprised that this concept was adapted into a mini tv series. Now of course it takes place in the early 1990's with our lead character of John being a teenager. The series very much represents a lot of the 1990's with its clothing, video games, furnitures, and frequent pop culture references.

As seen in the films, the comedy is very much on par with a lot of crude jokes and witty dialogue. They don't water down the product as this series is very much for mature audiences as equivalent to an R rating.

Seth MacFarlane does great voice work as Ted. The actor portraying John certainly gets better as the show progresses. The actress portraying Blair may be the standout as she's the smart independent voice of reason and social conscience. The father is the more laid back occasionally aggressive drunk type while the mother is the more nice easy going pushover one.

Each episode has enough laughs but their stories do vary and do get serious at times. From the opening episode dealing with buying drugs, to the following episode with the bully and his absent father. A Halloween episode is in there which may be the highlight (ep. 4) mainly because it brings the pairing of Ted and Blair. To the final two episodes which felt more serious dealing with issues (Blair seemingly "coming out", John's prom wanting to lose it). Although they each of course have comedic moments but the laughs were less the final episodes.

Overall a very entertaining mini series with eye opener results with a nostalgic factor for people to enjoy. We are now anticipating the second series and it has been reported in the works.

I had no idea this was a thing until i stumble on it randomly. I enjoyed the 2 movies back then, so i was exited to watch this. This is when the first issue showed up for me. This is so short it can be watched in a few days and then you done. This is not an issue only related to Ted of course, but its something i am kinda getting tired of.

Back in the 90s or early 2000s the sitcoms (or even most shows) had a minimum of 22 episodes, sometimes even more. They managed to create tons of funny stories with limited ressources and cast, and you really felt you had entertainement for hours upon hours. I understand Ted is animated in CGI and he is the special effect, therefore it may cost more than a regular sitcom, but this show was not even 10 episodes...

I just started it a couple days ago and now im already done. Its like i just got to start knowing and liking these characters and now i have to wait to know if it will even be renew because quite often shows are not, as there is so much competition between TV, streaming services etc these days. I think a minimum of 13 episodes should be a requirement for a show.

Now that being said, what was the other point? Well the show is set in the 90s yet somehow seem to forget it is at times, using a little bit too much of current day wokeness words and situation. But that is minor and didn't bothered me "too much".

Now that the negative is behind, i can say i overall enjoyed the show. The Halloween episode was one of my favorite, probably because it gave us something "new" pairing Ted and Blair. Blair was the stand out character for me. There is just something with the actress that is charming, even if normally her character personality would not suit well for me (she is the wokest of the house). I can't even explain it well.

The actor who play John did a decent job. Obviously filling the shoes of Mark Wahlberg is a big task, and i didn't knew this actor at all before, but as the show went on he grew on me.

Like i said above, i would love more of this show. I hope its renew and i hope they get more episodes for a season 2.

The story arcs could use some work, but this series is hilarious and knows no bounds. As is the case with Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy, we are treated to an array of politically incorrect humor, sexually charged situations, drug use, and people being beaten to a pulp or bullied. The Boston accents are spot on and these characters are developed appropriately.

This is a prequel to the events of Ted and Ted 2, but I bet anyone can go into this series without having seen either film. People who have a fondness for the 1990s should also get a kick out of this show.

On a strictly personal note, I've been out of work for a few months and Ted has been a delightful distraction for me. I laugh and cringe, but also feel affection for the Bennett family. This has everything that I look for in a comedy series, and more.