Seth MacFarlane has revealed that there are currently no plans for a third season of the 'Ted' prequel series, citing high production costs as a major obstacle. In an interview with TheWrap, MacFarlane explained that conversations with Peacock and Universal highlighted the show's expense, leading to the decision to conclude the story in a way that leads directly into the original film.
MacFarlane stated: 'What I kept hearing [from Peacock and Universal] was, “Listen, the show is really expensive to produce and there’s no way to do it at a lower cost.” So I said, “All right, I hear you loud and clear.”' He noted that the final scene of season two was written to show Max Burkholder's character walking into a gym, implying his transformation into the adult John portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the 2012 film. MacFarlane added that while a third season might be possible with 'narrative acrobatics', there is currently no plan for it.
TheWrap reports that Peacock has not yet made a final decision on the show's future. Universal did not respond to Variety's request for comment. The series, based on the comedy film, follows teenage John navigating adolescence with his foul-mouthed teddy bear Ted. The cast includes Max Burkholder, Giorgia Whigham, Alanna Ulbach, Scott Grimes and Ara Hollyday.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the live-action series, Peacock announced an animated series in May 2025, with Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Barth reprising their roles from the original film. MacFarlane praised his production team for managing the extensive CGI required, comparing the workload to 'doing an “Avengers” movie every 22 minutes'. He credited the experience gained from the two films for making the series possible.
