Man vs Bee arrived on Netflix in 2022, got rave reviews, and saw Rowan Atkinson return to his trademark slapstick comedy genre. But will there be a Man vs Bee season 2? Here’s what you need to know…
Man vs Bee is a bit of a strange concept. It concerns a man, tasked with house-sitting for an insufferable posh couple, and, of course, a bee. I saw the trailer for Man vs Bee as soon as it arrived on Netflix and knew immediately that I would be watching it later that night – I love Mr Bean and Rowan Atkinson’s style of comedy. Always have.
The show didn’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of Mr. Bean, Man vs Bee kind of feels like a more modern version of the character for an entirely new generation of fans. It has all the same elements that made Mr Bean work – it’s funny, it is suitable for the entire family, and it will make you both cringe and wince at the same time. One scene in particular, involving a rare, vintage Jaguar, had me watching through my fingers.
The pacing of the show, each episode is just 10 minutes long, is odd; no other Netflix show runs in this format. There are 9 episodes in total, so the entire first season of Man vs Bee runs just 90 minutes – basically, the length of most films. This means you can sit down and watch the entire thing in one go – or, binge it, as the kids say. I did exactly this, on a lazy Sunday evening, and it was a brilliant way to wrap up the weekend.
Man vs Bee has sat comfortably inside Netflix’s Top 10 most popular shows since its release. The show is massively popular, and rightly so too, so the next obvious question is this: is Man vs Bee a one-off special or will there be a second season of Man vs Bee? Let’s find out, shall we?
Man vs Bee Season 2 Release Date
As of right now, there is no news regarding a second season of Man vs Bee. But given the show’s popularity – it has sat inside Netflix’s Top 10 ever since it first launched – I would assume that there will almost certainly be a second season. When could we expect the second season of Man vs Bee? It probably won’t be until at least 2024 – writing and shooting and editing take time.
Netflix isn’t having a great time at the moment; the company’s stock is down massively and it is struggling to maintain growth with its user base, after stiff competition for Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and other, newer streaming platforms like HBO+. Producing more popular shows like Squid Game and Man vs Bee, however, will play a key role in driving growth between now and 2024 – although new shows mean more investment, and Netflix’s earnings are suffering at the moment.
The good news is that Netflix hasn’t canceled Man vs Bee, nor has it confirmed anything about a second season either. But given what we just discussed above, Netflix is now a lot more cautious about what gets green-lighted and what doesn’t – it likes to mull over the data first, and establish whether a show has legs before it confirms new seasons. Still, Man vs Bee’s success and overall streams should secure it a second season. The next question is whether the show’s creators even have a plan for a second season?
Man vs Bee Season 2 – What To Expect…
Rowan Atkinson co-created and wrote Man vs Bee with long-time collaborator William Davies – Davies wrote Atkinson’s Johnny English films. The first season of Man vs Bee was directed by David Kerr, another of Atkinson’s long-standing partners. Kerr also helmed the awesome Inside Number 9 too, so he has plenty of pedigree in the comedy genre. But do any of Man vs Bee’s show leads have plans for a second season?
Man vs Bee Season 2 Plot
Given the success of Man vs Bee, as well as the financial incentive of having a popular franchise on their hands, I’d expect plans for the second season of Man vs Bee are happening right now. Atkinson’s character in the show, Trevor Bingley, had a wonderful backstory that was fleshed out in exacting detail. The first season also highlighted that Bingley’s trouble with the bee wasn’t his first rodeo either – there was talk of an evil Asda shopping trolley and a possessed printer.
Bingley is a man plagued by odd, almost supernatural happenings – happenings that no one else seems to see or believe. This concept will give the writers plenty of freedom when coming up with the next season and the season after that – should Man vs Bee become a franchise (which I expect it will). We could have a prequel, for instance, that goes back to Bingley’s days working at Asda or the time he worked in an office with a printer that conspired to ruin him. The sky’s the limit really.
Man vs Bee Season 2 Probably Won’t Be Called “Man vs Bee”
If Man vs Bee is turned into a multi-series franchise, as I expect it will be, the second season likely won’t be called Man vs Bee. Instead, it’ll be Man vs whatever Trevor Bingley is going up against in the second season which could be literally anything from an evil Asda shopping trolley to a stray cat or even a dog or evil toddler. As I said before, with this kind of concept, the sky’s the limit.
Plus, with the lack of supporting cast, the single location set, and a fairly spartan amount of special FX, I’m going to assume that shooting Man vs Bee was fairly inexpensive compared to other Netflix shows. If this is indeed the case, Netflix will likely be all over doing more Man vs Bee seasons. Spending less and making more money is basically the holy grail of business models, so I’m sure Netflix execs love what Atkinson, Kerr, and Williamson have created with Man vs Bee.
Who knows, perhaps Man vs Bee could go on to become one of Netflix’s major new franchises inside the next five to ten years? Initial reviews of the show and the general reactions from audiences indicate there is a massive hunger for more stories focused around Atkinson’s Trevor Bingley character. I know I’d like to see more…
