This is a spoiler free advance preview of the show's first two episodes.
Story :
The prequel comedy-drama tv series is set in 1993 after the opening sequence of the 2012 Ted movie. The series depicts the life of a teenage John Bennett and his sentient teddy bear Ted as John lives with his family (completed by his two parents and cousin) in the 90’s. Whilst the show is primarily centered on the two best friends shenanigans and the plots arising from their misadventures, the supporting cast get a lot of story and development too. The show has the heart of the 2012 movie which I love, it's more than just a story about a outrageous sentient teddy bear.
Performances :
The show features the return of Seth MacFarlane from the movies as the voice of Ted, Alanna Ubach as Susan Bennett John's mother(previously named Helen and portrayed by Alex Borstein in the Ted film ), Scott Grimes as Matty Bennett John's father (previously named Steve and portrayed by Ralph Garman in the Ted film ), Max Burkholder as John Bennett and Giorgia Whigham as Blaire John's cousin (The Orville fans will recognise her from her recurring appearances on that show). The entire cast settled into their individual roles really well and work together as a unit , I enjoyed the whole cast.
Production :
The CGI for Ted’s teddy bear is just as good as it was in the movies. Seth has progressively not only improved his skills as an animator in his work but also his television writing. If you compare how good The Orville became across it's first three seasons (fingers crossed we get more), this prequel series maintains that growth and quality. In our day in age a lot of streaming television shows feel like extended movies and not the sort of episodic tv we used to get from the golden age of television. Seth avoids this because he understands how to write for television with this tv series having some self-contained episodic storylines and minimal serialized threads that pop in here and there throughout the show which make the show feel serialized and also episodic at the same time. Visually this show also feels like a live-action version of a Family guy sitcom whilst being a tribute to 90’s sitcoms. If you enjoy Seth’s other comedic work you will probably love this show.
Verdict :
The show has the heart that made the original Ted 2012 film a hit, with a strong focus on our main duo’s friendship and a strong supporting cast to boot this show has signs of being something truly special if its given the time to spread it's wings and fly with hopefully more seasons to come. If the show maintains the trajectory set by its first two episodes fans of the Ted franchise are in for a treat from Seth MacFarlane, I'm happy to say I plan to watch the rest of the season.
Rating:
1. Story: 8/10
2.Production: 8/10
3.Sound: 8/10
4.Performances: 8/10
5.Overall: 8/10
Watch all seven episodes of the first season of the Ted tv series premiering on the 11th of January 2024 on the Peacock streaming service.
"Will you be watching ?"
"What are your hopes for the show's first season ?"
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