Man vs. Baby has become a No. 1 hit on Netflix’s global charts. Released on December 11, Netflix’s new British comedy series serves as a follow-up to Man vs. Bee (2022) and features the return of Trevor Bingley, played by Rowan Atkinson, a comedy legend best known for his roles as Mr. Bean and Johnny English.
Now, Man vs. Baby ranks first on Netflix‘s Global Top 10 shows for the week of December 8–14 with 19.1 million views and 37.6 million hours viewed. It finished above Sean Combs: The Reckoning season 1, Stranger Things season 5, The Abandons season 1, Stranger Things season 3, Stranger Things season 4, Stranger Things season 1, Stranger Things season 2, The Beast in Me, and Raw 2025 (December 8).
Co-created by Rowan Atkinson and William Davies (the Johnny English franchise), Man vs. Baby finds Trevor Bingley settling into a quieter job as a school caretaker, but when no one collects the Baby Jesus from the school nativity, he finds himself with an unexpected companion over the holidays as he looks after a luxurious Christmas penthouse in London.
Other than Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as Trevor Bingley, Claudie Blakley returns as Jess, Trevor’s ex-wife. The cast also includes Alanah Bloor, Nina Sosanya, Rosie Cavaliero, Sunil Patel, Susannah Fielding, Sunetra Sarker, Robert Bathurst, Ivana Bašić, Susy Kane, Ellie White, Angus Imrie, Ashley Jensen, and Steve Edge.
Like Man vs. Bee (74%), Man vs. Baby has received generally favorable reviews from critics, resulting in a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its audience score is lower at 55%, suggesting that audiences are disappointed with certain aspects of the series, especially compared to its predecessor, which has a slightly stronger 62% score.
Man Vs Baby on NetflixAna Blumenkron/Netflix © 2025
Critics consider Man vs. Baby to be lighthearted comfort comedy, bolstered by Rowan Atkinson’s physical comedy. Some find it warm and charming, while others complain that it’s predictable, slight, overstuffed with schmaltz and product placement, and never reaches the inventive heights of Atkinson’s best work.
Audiences are also split, but louder, as many enjoy the cozy Christmas romp and Atkinson’s familiar chaos. Others find it irritating and predictable – criticizing its forced stupidity, dodgy CGI, product placement, and preferring the overall sharper fun of Man vs. Bee.
The holiday-themed Man vs. Baby has arrived on Netflix at the perfect time, which is undoubtedly driving its surge to the top of the streaming service’s global charts, where it could remain next week leading up to the Christmas holiday on December 25.
Release Date
2025 – 2025-00-00
Network
Netflix
Writers
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Trevor Bingley
