New art imagines if Seth MacFarlane's live-action Ted series had been developed as an animated show. The series acts as a prequel to MacFarlane's film duology, which stars Mark Wahlberg and the voice of MacFarlane as the titular teddy bear come to life. The show is set in the early 1990s and features a leading cast including MacFarlane, Max Burkholder, Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes, and Giorgia Whigham. After a successful debut season, Ted season 2 was greenlit and has wrapped production.

Artist richietoons has imagined if Ted was done in MacFarlane's familiar art style seen in shows like Family Guy and American Dad! The art features the main characters from the Bennett family alongside Ted in front of their home with a new title, Ted and the Bennetts. It translates the cast from the TV series instead of regular MacFarlane collaborators Alex Borstein and Ralph Garman, who originally played the parental roles in the first Ted movie.

What This Means For Ted

The Series Is Not MacFarlane's Only Live-Action Show

MacFarlane's art style has become synonymous with adult animated comedies since 1999 when Family Guy debuted. Despite being cancelled after a few short years and then being picked up again after successful DVD sales, Family Guy season 23 is set to kick off on February 16, 2025 after airing two specials earlier on Hulu. American Dad! and the short-lived The Cleveland Show also utilize the same familiar style that stands out as MacFarlane's signature in animated sitcoms.

If the show had been animated, Ted would likely come off feeling too similar to other farcical cartoon sidekicks.

Aside from animated shows, MacFarlane also created and stars in the live-action sci-fi series The Orville, which has its own dedicated fan base. Despite The Orville season 4 having an uncertain future, the show proved that MacFarlane can deliver heartfelt and comedic shows outside of the animated world. Whether the show returns or not, it did lay the groundwork for MacFarlane to create new projects outside the world of animation.

Our Take On Ted As An Animated Series

It's Best Left To Live-Action

As Ted follows in the footsteps of the earlier movies, it makes sense for the series to be in live-action over another animated show. The absurd comedy of a foul-mouthed bear who enjoys smoking pot plays better with other actors, and occasionally a toy truck, interacting with him. If the show had been animated, Ted would likely come off feeling too similar to other farcical cartoon sidekicks like Brian from Family Guy, Roger from American Dad! or even Tim the Bear from The Cleveland Show.

Despite the art showing an interesting look at what could have been, the show in live-action continues the legacy of the previous installments. Without the throughline of a recognizable visual style, the show would feel disconnected from what came before. Ted ultimately is a unique comedy that has made its own impact on streaming.

Source: richietoons/Instagram