VeridianDynamics

(S02E01) Great. Now I'm gonna be picturing Ted as "Aquated" for the next few days. (Surprise! He looks good in aquatights!)

Phil and Lem's hilarious superhero fantasy was only a tiny throwaway gag in a premiere full of wonderfully weird moments and plotlines. There was Ted's fake obsession with Utah, Veronica's real obsession with Utah, and Taye Diggs' obsession with dressing up like a bear and terrorizing innocent park dwellers. What's say we start off by discussing that last one?

At this point, I'm convinced that Diggs' contract with ABC says that he gets to appear on all of the network's shows. (I can't wait to see him on General Hospital.) I'm not complaining, though. The guy really knows how to deliver the funny (and the crazy). At first I thought his character was going to end up being Ted's bland and handsome rival for Linda's affections. Thankfully, the writers had something far more insane in mind. Hearing Diggs confess his secret to Linda – on their first date! – reminded me of why I love this show so much: It's just so damn bizarre! But Better Off Ted rarely feels like it's actually trying to be weird. Like Diggs, the show makes crazy look easy.

When Andy Richter left Late Night With Conan O'Brien to establish his own career in acting, nobody knew that he'd come full circle and rejoin O'Brien years later. At the same time, nobody knew that creator Victor Fresco would do much the same thing.

Andy Richter Controls the Universe was one of those quirky shows that most people, who enjoy a dash of nonsense in their comedy, really dug. It was a very playful show about a guy working in a massive company. It featured a small ensemble with great chemistry on-screen, and had a unique look at big corporations.

A few years later, Fresco tapped that well again, and we got Better Off Ted, another comedy with absurdist tendencies set in a massive corporation with a small cast. Like Andy, it eked out a second season based more on critical acclaim than ratings. As someone who enjoys both shows, I find myself worrying that Ted will share Andy's ultimate fate, cancellation after the second season.