Better Off Ted

Did You Know?

• In 2020, the cast virtually reunited for a table read of an episode and a moderated discussion to raise money for Feeding America.
• Two episodes that went unaired in the United States were broadcast in international markets and are available on Hulu, digital stores, and home video.

Plot

Better Off Ted is a satirical workplace comedy centered on the employees of Veridian Dynamics, a stereotypically evil megacorporation. The company experiments on its workers, distorts the truth, and pursues its goals without restraint. It has been mentioned that Veridian has influenced presidential elections, created killer pandas and robots, weaponized pumpkins, and is more powerful than all but three governments. Though not promoted as such, the show's frequent references to futuristic technologies, killer robots, and sentient computers place it partly in the futuristic comedy genre. Most characters are aware of Veridian's nature and often manipulate the system to prevent harm to themselves or mitigate the company's evil projects. They are also tempted by the company's rewards despite consequences, such as hiring Lem's mother or introducing flawed scented light bulbs. The comedy arises from their navigation of moral ambiguity. Jay Harrington's Ted Crisp serves as both main character and on-camera narrator, breaking the fourth wall to offer observations. Mock commercials for Veridian Dynamics, thematically tied to episodes, appear at the start or end of commercial breaks.

Cast

Jay Harrington portrays Theodore Margaret "Ted" Crisp, the senior vice-president of Research and Development at Veridian Dynamics. He is well respected by employees and upper management, balancing his desire to keep his job with his need to demonstrate a moral center to his daughter. He has had sexual relations with his supervisor, who remains emotionally distant, and shows interest in Linda. Portia de Rossi plays Veronica Palmer, Ted's immediate supervisor, who maintains a fierce, unapproachable demeanor that instills fear in many employees. Though cold and calculating, she respects Ted and often recognizes the need for moral action. An ongoing subplot sees Veronica becoming a mentor to Linda and, to a lesser degree, Rose. Andrea Anders plays Linda Katherine Zwordling, a tester in one of Veridian's departments. She is attracted to Ted but maintains other relationships and reminds him he rejected a workplace romance. She feels like an outsider to corporate culture and often demands Ted consider the horrible ramifications of company policies. Her relationship with the scientists is strained by her rejection of their strange experiments. Jonathan Slavin plays Dr. Philip "Phil" Myman, a laboratory scientist who works with Lem on almost every project. He seeks acceptance and avoids conflicts, and is married to a woman who seems to hate him; in season 2, episode 6, it is revealed she was a member of Mossad.

Production

Victor Fresco, the show's creator, cited becoming a new parent as inspiration. In an interview, he discussed how having a child sparked interest in the disconnection between public and personal lives, such as parents teaching morality while working for giant corporations. Fresco said Ted Crisp is a single father whose daughter serves as his moral compass. He did not base Veridian Dynamics on any specific corporation, having worked for several large companies. The show's title came from the idea that a person is better off if they are Ted, meaning the average person wants to be Ted. Fresco stated he was not a fan of the title but had not spoken of changing it. Casting was done quickly; Fresco said good casting can transcend mediocre material but the best material cannot overcome mediocre casting. He approached Jonathan Slavin, with whom he had worked on Andy Richter Controls the Universe, for the role of Phil. Andrea Anders, whom Fresco enjoyed on The Class, and Malcolm Barrett were cast as Linda and Lem respectively. Portia de Rossi met with Fresco about Veronica; Fresco assessed she was convinced the role was perfect for her and thought she nailed it. De Rossi said she was attracted to strong women and had to convince Fresco she could play the character. Jay Harrington was the first person Fresco met for Ted; after five weeks, Harrington was cast.

Reception

Critics praised Better Off Ted for its witty and satirical humor and its cast. On Metacritic, the first season holds a score of 68 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews" based on 21 reviews. Misha Davenport of the Chicago Sun-Times compared its characters to those of Arrested Development. Linda Stasi of the New York Post gave the show three-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "a very funny comedy." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+, stating it is "the most original sitcom to come along in a while." Robert Bianco of USA Today called it "well-cast and reasonably entertaining." The second season received even more acclaim, with a Metacritic score of 84 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim" based on 11 reviews. Linda Stasi gave it a perfect score, calling it "hilarious and even funnier this year than last." Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle also gave a perfect score, saying its return "means there's finally something good (and funny) on Tuesday nights." Ken Tucker gave the return an A−, praising the show's critiques of corporate capitalism. The pilot averaged 5.64 million viewers, ABC's lowest-rated comedy debut since 2005. The first season finale drew 2.41 million. The second season premiered to 3.82 million. The show was nominated for an EWwy Award for Best Comedy Series in 2009.