“Every day, something we make makes your life better. Usually. Veridian Dynamics. Life. Better.” These are the last words in a commercial extolling the works of megacorporation Veridian Dynamics, reminding everyone of all the things they’ve created we use every day (“Cows. Well, no. We don’t make cows. Although we have made a sheep”). Surely this isn’t serious, you might be thinking, and it’s not. It’s the lead in to the very first episode of Better Off Ted, a witty and satirical sitcom that doesn’t lay off the humor for a single minute over the course of two seasons. It’s what you might get if you mixed The Office, Arrested Development, Office Space, and Police Squad!, only to come up with something wholly unique.
‘Better Off Ted’ Puts the Fun in Dysfunctional Workplace
Veridian Dynamics is part Apple, part Dr. Evil‘s Virtucon Industries, an entity so dominant that only three governments in the world are more powerful. The series centers on Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington), the senior VP of Research and Development, and the eccentric staff that works to mitigate Veridian’s evils. While remaining employed and reaping the rewards that come with working there, of course. The series is a pitch-perfect commentary on companies that value profit over people, their sky-high expectations of employees, and the ridiculousness of office politics and policies.
For example, when they want to test out their cryogenic freezer, they push Phil (Jonathan Slavin), one of the scientists on the research team, to agree to be frozen for a year. The outlandish expectations, which Ted is privy to, include developing weaponized pumpkins; creating an edible metal that’s as hard as steel, but can bounce like rubber; and committing to an extra fun macaroni and cheese because the boxes are already made (he just needs to get the team to find a solution to the fact it causes blindness if eaten more than twice a week, and doesn’t get hot… ever). The policy of putting on hazmat suits when there’s a contamination alarm is questioned because it takes too long to do, and it’s suggested to scrap it altogether.
‘Better Off Ted’ Succeeds Through Various Comic Methods and a Cast That Pulls It Off
Better Off Ted uses every weapon available in the sitcom arsenal, hitting every target. There are throwaway jokes, a series of running gags (Phil’s time in the freezing chamber leads to him letting out an ear-piercing scream at random times in sequential episodes), sight gags, and exaggerations, to name a few. Rather amusingly, a plot element in one episode, meant to be funny, turned out to be eerily prophetic as well, with the team tasked with making beef without cows.
Two elements, though, are consistent, and consistently funny, throughout Better Off Ted: Ted’s fourth-wall breaking and the fake Veridian Dynamics ads. Ted provides narration throughout each episode, breaking the fourth wall to add exposition and quips, brief in-character assessments of the moment that add to the absurdity of it all. Then there are the fake commercials, like the one that opened the series’ first episode, with beautiful images of nature, families, and tranquility accompanied by a deadpan voice-over of ludicrous claims, like:
“Our Veridian Dynamic family works for every member of your family. Even the dead ones. And we’re working to bring them back, and copy them in case you lose them again.”
It all works on the strength of its brilliant cast. At the center of it all, Harrington shines as someone with a persistent awareness of the absurdity around him.. Slavin and Barrett’s chemistry as lab scientists carry on a sitcom tradition in the vein of Laverne and Shirley‘s Lenny and Squiggy and The Simpsons‘ Lenny and Carl. The criminally underrated Andrea Anders is excellent as love interest/coworker Linda, and the role arguably showcases her excellent comic talents best. But it’s Portia de Rossi who steals the show as Veronica, Ted’s boss. De Rossi nails the pompousness of the narcissistic executive, making her a caricature of upper management without falling into camp, a natural progression from her role as Lindsay Bluth in Arrested Development.
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The series was a critical hit, but despite pleas from the likes of Entertainment Weekly for people to watch it, Better Off Ted simply didn’t bring in the viewers and was cancelled after two seasons. It’s easy to draw a parallel with shows like Arrested Development and Police Squad! as to why viewership wasn’t there, with all three sharing that rapid-fire humor that was smarter than others in the genre, all shows that were ahead of their time. So take the time to check out one of the funniest, most underrated comedies of the 21st century. You’ll be better off… Ted.
Better Off Ted
- Release Date
-
March 18, 2009
- Cast
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jay harrington
, Portia de Rossi
, Andrea Anders
, Jonathan Slavin
, Malcolm Barrett
, Isabella Acres
, Terry Rhoads
, Maz Jobrani
, Rizwan Manji
, Bill Stevenson
, Merrin Dungey
, Carla Jimenez
, Jonna Kae Volz
, Mark Deklin
, Patricia Belcher
, Gary Rubenstein
, Chip Chinery
, Vivian Bang
, Jake Dogias
, Martha Boles - Seasons
-
2
Better Off Ted is available to stream in the U.S. on Prime Video.
