Seth MacFarlane Sets Cast for ‘Ted’ Prequel Series at Peacock

Seth MacFarlane has assembled the cast for his live-action Ted series at Peacock.

The writer and director of the franchise has closed a deal to return to voice the foul-mouthed fuzzy bear in addition to serving as co-showrunner of the prequel series. Parenthood alum Max Burkholder, frequent MacFarlane collaborator Scott Grimes and Giorgia Whigham (13 Reasons Why) will also star in the comedy.

Picked up straight to series last June with a 10-episode order, Peacock’s Ted is set in 1993 and Ted the bear’s moment of fame has passed, leaving him living with his best friend, 16-year-old John Bennett, who lives in a working-class Boston home with his parents and cousin. Ted may not be the best influence on John, but when it comes right down to it, Ted’s willing to go out on a limb to help his friend and his family.

Burkholder will play John, the character portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the 2012 feature and its 2015 sequel. Whigham will play Blaire Bennett, a smart and politically correct college student who is living with her Uncle Matty, Aunt Susan and younger cousin, John. She’s not afraid to be outspoken and frequently clashes with her traditionalist family.

Grimes, who also stars in MacFarlane’s Fox-turned-Hulu series The Orville and voices multiple roles on Family Guy, will play Matty, a blue-collar Bostonian who thinks he’s the boss in the family and doesn’t like anyone challenging him, particularly his liberal niece, Blaire.

MacFarlane created the series, which stemmed from a conversation MacFarlane had with NBCUniversal content chair Susan Rovner. MacFarlane will also write, direct and exec produce all 10 episodes. Modern Family alums Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh will also write and serve as co-showrunners and exec producers. MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door topper Erica Huggins exec produces alongside Alana Kleiman and Jason Clark. The series is produced by Universal Content Productions and MRC Television.