‘Ted: The Animated Series’ sets release date as the troublesome duo tackle parenthood
Ted and John are heading into family life together in ‘Ted: The Animated Series.’ Peacock has announced a premiere date and released the first teaser for the comedy. The show reunites Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg as longtime friends. This time, their bad ideas extend to marriage, parenting, and work.
The series premieres Thursday, December 17, 2026, on Peacock. The first eight episodes will arrive together. Additional episodes will stream in 2027, although dates for those installments have not been announced. The animated continuation picks up 12 years after the conclusion of the 2015 movie ‘Ted 2.’
The official logline reads, “Picking up twelve years after the conclusion of the last movie, John (Wahlberg) and his thunder-buddy Ted (MacFarlane) are neighbors, both with families of their own and dead-end jobs. Follow these two lovable stoners as they enable each other’s bad ideas about marriage, parenting and the challenges of adult life.” Peacock released the teaser as part of its announcement. It introduces the franchise’s move into animation.
MacFarlane returns as the voice of Ted, while Wahlberg reprises John. Amanda Seyfried voices Sam, now John’s wife, and Jessica Barth returns as Ted’s wife, Tami-Lynn. The cast also adds Kyle Mooney as Apollo. Liz Richman joins him as Ruth, completing the announced voice ensemble.
The series continues the story of the two movies rather than the timeline of Peacock’s live-action ‘Ted’ prequel. That show takes place during John’s high school years and has aired for two seasons. Its cast includes Max Burkholder, Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes and Giorgia Whigham, alongside MacFarlane. Variety reports that MacFarlane has said there are no plans for a third season because of the production’s cost.
MacFarlane created the animated series with Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh, who also worked on the prequel. Corrigan and Walsh serve as co-showrunners, with animation provided by Rough Draft Studios. Universal Global Television, Fuzzy Door, and MRC produce the show. First announced in May 2025, the project brings the movie cast back together more than a decade after the last film. The original ‘Ted’ grossed nearly $550 million on a $65 million budget in 2012. Its 2015 sequel earned more than $215 million.
