The Ted (stylized as ted) franchise consists of American comedy installments, based on characters created by Seth MacFarlane. The plot centers around the titular teddy bear that magically comes to life, after the child he was gifted to wishes for it on a shooting star. Together, the pair form a friendship that lasts into their adulthood. The films star Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg as the two best friends, Ted and John Bennett, respectively.

The first film was met with generally positive critical reception,^[1][2] and was deemed a box office success based on a smaller production budget.^[3] The sequel was met with mixed critical reception,^[4][5] and less income from ticket sales.^[6]

The franchise continued with a television series set prior to the events of the films. It was released on the Peacock streaming service. MacFarlane reprised his role as Ted Clubber-Lang, in addition to being credited in various creative roles for the series.^[7][8]

In June 2021, it was announced that a television series centered around the titular character is in development and will be released as a Peacock exclusive. The show is intended to serve as a prequel to the film series, with Seth MacFarlane in negotiations to reprise the voice of the titular role. MacFarlane will serve as a writer for the project in addition to serving as an executive producer with Erica Huggins.^[8]

In April 2022, as principal photography approached, it was revealed that the series plot will be set in 1993 in the years where the "Thunder Buddies", Ted and John, grew through the pains of adolescence as a family. Ted and John live in a working-class home in Boston with the latter's parents, Matty and Susan, and cousin named Blaire. While Ted isn't the best influence, the pair learn that their friendship can overcome anything. Max Burkholder was cast as a young John Bennett. Additionally, Scott Grimes, Alanna Ubach, and Giorgia Whigham will appear in supporting roles as Matty Bennett, Susan Bennet, and Blaire Bennett, respectively.^[7][11] MacFarlane will serve in various roles for the series, reprising his role as the voice of Ted from the films, which he developed from an idea that originated in a conversation he had with NBCUniversal content chairwoman Susan Rovner. MacFarlane will also serve as creator, showrunner, writer, and director on the 10-episode series. Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh will serve as co-showrunners, additional screenwriters, and executive producers. Erica Huggins, Alana Kleiman, and Jason Clark also serve in executive producer roles for the series. The project will be a joint-venture production between Fuzzy Door Productions, Universal Content Productions, and MRC Television. The show is intended to be released as a Peacock Original Series, via streaming exclusively on Peacock.^{[7][12][13][14]} Macfarlane has stated that the tone of the show will be along the lines of the first movie, while stating that it's "a R-rated comedy".^[15]

Production was scheduled to begin in June 2022,^[16] with principal photography confirmed to have commenced by July of the same year.^[15]