Seth MacFarlane has been one of Hollywood’s most comedic performers for over two decades. He’s known for creating shows like Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show, not to mention more stand-up performances and hosting gigs than a person can keep track of. With characters like Peter and Stewie Griffin being household names since 1999, no matter where MacFarlane goes, he’s sure to get recognized by a fan who could pick out one of his voices or impressions a mile away.

MacFarlane has been on the air for well over 20 years, and though Family Guy may be his most popular project, his other shows and movies have become instant cult classics with his fan base. One such franchise that is among MacFarlane’s best is Ted, the film series about a teddy bear named Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) that was brought to life by his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) when he was a kid and how the two of them are still together twenty-five years later. Some critics found the movies vulgar and childish, but that didn’t stop MacFarlane’s loyal fans from lining up to watch. The sequel, Ted 2, came out only three years after the original premiered in 2012, so why has it taken so long for Ted 3 to come out?

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There have been some difficulties and criticisms that have followed the movie. Because the show takes the image of a cute childhood toy and presents you with the unexpected F-bombs and potty humor you wouldn’t see in a kid’s show, critics and TV censors have been upset by it. But that’s exactly why we love Ted. And now it looks like we’ll be getting everything we want from the bear and more. With MacFarlane recently announcing that he will be turning the movie into a prequel series to premiere on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock, fans can rejoice. The near-decade wait for Ted 3 is finally over.

Updated August 2022 by Ted Bajer: If you’re looking for info on new Ted projects, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with facts about Seth MacFarlane’s new deal with Peacock.

     Universal Pictures

While fans might have worried that critics kept Ted 3 from being produced, or perhaps that the COVID pandemic slowed the process, it turns out that none of that is the case. The real issue was MacFarlane’s legal battle over the Ted franchise. MacFarlane was sued back in 2014 for alleged copyright infringement by Bengal Mangle, the creator of the web series Acting School Academy, who claimed that MacFarlane’s living teddy bear had too many similarities with a character on his show.

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The web series, airing back in 2009, was released on YouTube, Vimeo, FunnyorDie, iTunes, and Facebook and featured a teddy bear that also enjoys profanity and drugs. To quote the actual lawsuit, the creator claimed MacFarlane’s bear “is a generally vulgar, yet humorous character” and sought compensatory and statutory damages, costs, an injunction, and a disgorgement of profits.

Thankfully, the lawsuit was eventually dismissed. The web series creator withdrew their claim in 2015. Even though the legal battle occurred after Ted 2 was finished but before it came out, the ordeal created difficulties for the intellectual property. When Mangle requested an injunction, which would have stopped MacFarlane from using a living teddy bear in his movies, there were worries that even Ted 2 would have been halted in its release. But a lot has happened since 2015, and now it looks like there is some light at the end of the tunnel for fans hoping to see Ted 3.

Ted 3 Will Be an R-Rated TV Series

Finally, after nearly a decade, Ted is returning to life on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock. Seth MacFarlane was happy to announce that he was bringing the character back not in a movie but in a TV series. He gave Collider some details on the show:

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“It’s a prequel that takes place in 1993 and embraces that era, embraces the nineties and tracks what is essentially Ted’s adolescence, I guess. Ted and John’s adolescence. And, growing up in a Boston suburb. Look, as somebody who grew up in that part of the country, it’s a fun thing to try and recreate. The sets themselves are oddly nostalgic. But it’s going great.

Tonally we’re sticking pretty close to the first movie. I think people who’ve enjoyed the first movie and enjoyed that tone are going to be pretty happy with what we’re doing here. We’re going with what worked. But we’re at the same time, exploring some new ground and kind of building up a past for John and Ted that we hadn’t really delved into in the film. But I think fans of ‘Ted’ are going to be very happy with this show.”

And if you’re worrying that you might not get all the vulgar comedy and F-bombs you love, don’t. MacFarlane says this show will definitely be an R-rated comedy and that even the streamer has agreed.

The Talent Behind the Series

     Universal Pictures 

Some fans had wondered for years if they would ever see Ted again. But now, we’ll be getting a whole season of him. The series has already started production, and MacFarlane has brought some amazing talent.

“Oh yeah. It’s like a movie. There’s no broadcast standards there. It’s an R rated comedy. So our guidelines are the same as they were for the movie. It’s no different. You can say ‘f**k’, you can say whatever you want. The challenges for something like ‘Ted’ are more external. You’re dealing with a climate that is maybe a little less friendly to comedy than it has been in the past. That’s certainly something that we’re mindful of because we do want to keep Ted, Ted. We do want to make sure that it’s not altered. So, but as far as Peacock itself, no, Peacock’s been great. They acknowledge that this was an R rated comedy and the show is going to be an R rated comedy too. So it’s that none of that’s changed.”

He’s co-writing and co-showrunning with Modern Family’s Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh. Since the series is a prequel, Mark Wahlberg’s role as John will be filled by the much younger Max Burkholder from Parenthood. Scott Grimes from American Dad! and The Orville will play John’s father, Matt, and Alanna Ubach from Euphoria will be John’s mother, Susan.