Netflix’s festive comedy Man vs Baby has topped the streaming platform’s TV chart and is currently the number one series in the UK today. The four-parter, which is a sequel to the 2022 series Man vs. Bee, stars Rowan Atkinson as hapless school caretaker Trevor Bingley, who is offered the chance to house-sit for millionaires over the Christmas holiday.

The series unites the original Man vs Bee team and is penned by Rowan and his longtime collaborator Will Davies (Flushed Away, Johnny English), while David Kerr (Fresh Meat) returns to direct.

Rowan is joined by a star-studded cast, including Robert Bathurst (Downton Abbey) as Lionel, Nina Sosanya (W1A) as Diana, Ashley Jensen (Shetland) as Janet and Susannah Fielding (Who Is Erin Carter?) as Petra. Keep reading to find out more.

man feeding two babies© Courtesy of Netflixr

Rowan Atkinson stars in the series

Why watch Man vs Baby?

For viewers looking for a bit of light-hearted, festive family fun, then Man vs Baby is the perfect quick binge-watch, with only four episodes which are around 30 minutes long.

While Trevor Bingley is still naive, hapless and self-sabotaging, he is brilliant with the baby, who is never really in harm’s way. It’s also great to see sitcom icon Rowan showcase his classic physical comedy skills in this heartwarming festive delight.

man holding jars of baby food© Courtesy of Netflixr

The series follows the hapless Trevor Bingley

What is Man vs Baby about?

When we last saw Trevor Bingley, his job looking after a high-tech mansion ended in disaster thanks to an irritating bee. In the new series, Trevor has left the stressful world of housesitting for the quieter life of a school caretaker.

The synopsis continues: “That is, until a lucrative offer to look after a luxury London penthouse over Christmas proves too tempting to resist. But on the last day of term, when no one comes to collect the Baby Jesus from the school nativity, Trevor finds himself with another undersized and very unexpected companion. With a penthouse to protect and a baby to burp, will Trevor be able to have the calm Christmas he hopes for, or will festivities descend into chaos?”

Speaking about how his character has changed since Man vs Bee, Rowan said: “My character is definitely softer and nicer in this. In Man Versus Bee, he’s quite psychopathic, because the irritation of the bee drives him into that state. Whereas in Man vs Baby, we see a much nicer side to him.”

Comparing Trevor to his iconic roles in Blackadder and Mr Bean, Rowan said Trevor is “one of the nicest characters I’ve ever played”.

“Blackadder is a pretty relentlessly cynical, negative man,” explained the actor. “Mr Bean is a very selfish, self-centred, childish man. They’re not very nice people.

“Trevor perhaps represents the nicer side of me, while the other characters are perhaps the darker side of me,” he continued, adding: “I’m just pleased we have a character that works, because inventing a brand new character is not easy. Trevor is a worthy addition to the canon, definitely.”

man holding baby outdoors© Courtesy of Netflixr

Viewers have hailed the series as “amazing”

What have viewers said about the show?

It’s safe to say that viewers are loving this light-hearted, festive watch with one person describing the series as “amazing” in an online review, while another hailed the series as a “gem”.

Another person penned: “I watched this with the family, we were all laughing. It’s light entertainment, funny, heartwarming and charming,” while another added: “Watched the first 2 episodes of #ManVsBaby and it is absolutely brilliant!”

Rowan Atkinson at the special screening for Netflix Series Man Vs Baby at Curzon Bloomsbury on December 09, 2025© Getty Images for Netflix

The series has been met with mostly positive reviews

What have critics said about the series?

The series was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. While The Guardian awarded the series only two stars and described it as “nauseatingly schmaltzy and nonsensical”, commenting on the “ridiculous product placement”, The Times, on the other hand, hailed the show as “sweet, funny and Christmassy without being nauseating”.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph handed out four stars and described the series as “an unexpectedly heart-warming Christmas treat” and “fun for all the family”.

Man vs Baby is available to stream on Netflix now.