man vs bee© Photo: Netflix

Man vs Bee viewers saying same thing about new Rowan Atkinson series

The actor stars in the new show

TV and film writer
June 26, 2022

Netflix's new comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson, Man vs Bee, landed on the streaming platform over the weekend and viewers are all saying the same thing about it. 

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The nine-parter follows bumbling dad Trevor, played by Rowan, who lands a new job as a housesitter in a luxurious mansion filled with classic cars, expensive artwork and an adorable dog named Cupcake. 

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However, during his first day on the job, he is followed by a persistent bee and soon finds himself at war with the insect, prompting chaos to ensue. 

Viewers wasted no time getting stuck into the new series and took to Twitter soon after to praise the comedy, with many comparing Rowan's performance to his famous fictional character Mr Bean. 

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One person tweeted: "Man vs Bee is hilariously refreshing. Brings back that Mr. Bean feel from back in the day. If you're having a bad day this one could cheer you up. Totally loved it. An easy funny binge," while another added: "A must watch for every Mr Bean fan… I enjoyed binge-watching the short but funny series."

© Photo: Netflix

Rowan plays bumbling dad Trevor

A third commented: "This series is hilarious. Gave me such Mr Bean vibes. What a comic talent Rowan is."

At a recent virtual press conference, Rowan Atkinson told RadioTimes.com that the new series partly mirrors a Mr Bean sketch that the actor performed many years ago. 

"I actually did a Mr Bean sketch a long, long time ago where he takes a picnic basket to a park and he's very, very bothered by a bee.

"So, to a certain extent, I feel that some of this show feeds off... it's like an extension, an extrapolation from that old sketch that we did in the early nineties."

© Photo: Netflix

Viewers praised the comedy series

He also went on to explain why the show wouldn't have worked with Mr Bean as the main character. "The idea of a man stuck in a house with a bee - it's undoubtedly redolent of Mr Bean, it's got a hint of the Mr Bean world," he said. "But I knew that for this kind of thing, Mr Bean as a character wouldn't work at all. He would be too self-centred, too sort of unpleasant, or there's a risk of it being unpleasant.

"So we decided that we really needed just a nicer man. So Trevor Bingley, who's the hero of Man Vs Bee, he's just an ordinary bloke really, a pleasant guy who clearly hasn't been very successful in life."

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