Better Off Ted

Ted, a successful but morally conscious man, runs a research and development department at a morally questionable corporation, Veridian Dynamics. No achievement is too far fetched and no invention too unorthodox for Veridian. Ted loves his seemingly perfect job; he loves his superhuman boss, Veronica, and colleagues Lem, Phil and Linda, but he's starting to take a closer look at the company's extremely questionable practices... especially when they try to cryogenically freeze one of Ted's scientists for testing purposes.

Better Off Ted (2009-2010) is an American network sitcom created by Victor Fresco for ABC. Jay Harrington plays Ted Crisp, a successful but morally conscientious head of research and development at Veridian Dynamics, a corporation whose experiments grow stranger and more ethically dubious by the week. Portia De Rossi is his superhuman, coldly ambitious boss Veronica Palmer, while Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin and Malcolm Barrett play the colleagues Linda, Phil and Lem who orbit his lab. Ted is also a single father raising his daughter Rose, played by Isabella Acres, so his days are split between the lab and home. The engine of the show is simple: Ted loves his job and wants to keep it, yet keeps noticing the company's questionable practices and must decide how much he will tolerate. Each twenty-two-minute episode is built around a new corporate scheme that sends the team into escalating trouble. The show runs for two seasons, twenty-six episodes in total, with a brisk, dry, deadpan register and a bright, office-set atmosphere. Fans of The Office and Party Down will find resonance in its satirical edge and its ensemble of well-meaning, slightly unhinged colleagues.

Audiences rated the series acclaimed, valuing its sharp satire of a morally compromised corporation and its warm, well-written workplace ensemble.

• The Office (US)satirical workplace comedy skewering a corporation's amorality, deadpan ensemble
• Dilbertcorporate satire with a morally conscious lead inside an absurd company
• Party Downsingle-camera workplace sitcom with absurd corporate science and ensemble banter

Created by

Victor Fresco

Release Date

2009-03-18

Episode runtime

22 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (249)

What is Better Off Ted about?

A morally conscious R&D chief at a shady corporation tries to keep his integrity while raising his daughter and dodging his company's absurd experiments.

What is Better Off Ted like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Better Off Ted as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Better Off Ted violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Better Off Ted.

What did critics think of Better Off Ted?

Audiences rated the series acclaimed, valuing its sharp satire of a morally compromised corporation and its warm, well-written workplace ensemble.

Which shows are like Better Off Ted?

Shows with a similar feel include The Office (US), Dilbert, and Party Down.

How long is Better Off Ted?

Better Off Ted: 2 seasons, 26 episodes.

Is Better Off Ted still running?

No, Better Off Ted has ended.

Where can I watch Better Off Ted?

In United States, Better Off Ted is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.