Of all the IPs to see a return in the 2020s, “Ted” ranks at the bottom of any person’s prediction list. So imagine the shock audiences felt when Peacock dropped the first season of a “Ted” prequel series in early January. “Ted” follows a young John Bennett (Max Burkholder) and his stuffed buddy Ted (Seth MacFarlane) after Ted finds himself living with the Bennett family once his time in the limelight fades.

Impressively enough, the “Ted” TV series retains many of the same elements of what made it so charming back in the 2012 original film. The series’ humor proves inappropriate and doesn’t hold back for hilarious scenes of Seth MacFarlane mumbling to himself as a bear. When Ted rips into a popular girl for being impolite to a teacher, audiences can’t help but laugh at the idea of Seth MacFarlane talking to himself in a recording booth for days to accomplish the hilarious scene in just 30 seconds. 

Burkholder takes on the character of John Bennett extraordinarily, considering the franchise as a whole. Burkholder excels at the tricky task of playing a young version of a character Mark Wahlberg played back in the early 2010s, making the young version of John Bennett believable while still separating him from just being a Mark Wahlberg impersonator.

MacFarlane stands out in the industry as a talented and comedic individual. While not all his films become hits, he proves one of the best in business, proving his comedic chops especially well in “Ted”. His voice acting and witty sense of humor never fail to make audiences laugh and as a result, the series manages to balance on its own two legs.

“Ted” fails to do anything remarkable as a TV show, but it stands out as a solid comedic watch that keeps audiences engaged all the way through due to its sheer insanity. In a time where returning to classic IPs appears as a cash grab, “Ted” provides a fun way to fill up an evening — almost worthy of a second season. 

3 out of 5.