‘Man vs. Baby’ Review: Rowan Atkinson’s Christmas Chaos Is Leaner and Surprisingly Sweet

Man Vs Baby. (L to R) Rowan Atkinson as Trevor Bingley, Baby Jesus, in Man Vs Baby. Cr. Courtesy of Ana Blumenkron/Netflix © 2025 You have to go back three years, when Rowan Atkinson first teamed up with Netflix for its Man vs. Bee series. That series was announced not to be returning for a second season, which seemed to mean we wouldn’t be getting any more Trevor Bingley. It’s a Christmas miracle, then, that the character is back this year for a four-episode mini-series, facing a new set of troubles. The Christmas season is here, and Trevor Bingley has long since left his role as a housekeeper, now working at a primary school as the caretaker and odd-job man. He isn’t having the best time, with money tight and his family having moved on with new partners and new challenges. The prospect of spending Christmas alone this year feels very real. After being told he’s been let go from the school, Bingley is offered an unexpected chance to return to his former role as a housekeeper for a wealthy oligarch family in a lavish central London penthouse over the Christmas period. He reluctantly agrees, but not before he’s saddled with the unknown baby who had a starring role in the nativity play, who threatens to derail his ability to do the job properly and potentially get him fired before he’s even hired. He tries his best to hand him over to the authorities early on (and indeed throughout the show), but given the time of year, finding someone to come collect him, or even stay once they arrive considering Bingley keeps losing the child, becomes a task of its own. Bingley eventually gets the job and quickly falls into several days of disasters, attempting the most trivial tasks while trying to keep an eye on the baby, who behaves like a runaway chattering-teeth toy that cannot be contained for long. Other issues beyond the baby mostly involve Bingley getting tied up in messy problems of his own making once again, with the stickiness of his predicaments often cascading to the point of pure chaos. Most issues are believable, but a few will leave you wondering how he manages to tie his own shoes and function in society, let alone reach the point of having children of his own. The series runs at a much shorter episode count, with only four compared to the nine in the first season, but that absolutely works in its favor. It’s a much leaner show and benefits significantly from the tighter structure. The stakes aren’t quite as high as the original, which doesn’t create the urgency the creators hoped for. While some gags are repeated, they never feel drawn out the way they sometimes did in season one. In fact, one recurring gag becomes funnier each time it appears. Without giving anything away, it involves a bag of something and an elevator, and the facial reactions from Trevor and whoever happens to be riding with him are priceless. It’s the kind of physical comedy Atkinson built a career on, and while it’s not quite as on show here as his prior works, there’s still enough to get a kick out of it. Cr. Courtesy of Ana Blumenkron/Netflix © 2025 The assortment of side characters is mostly additive and creates fun dynamics with Bingley. The only subplot that feels entirely implausible and cringeworthy is the young family squatting in the building’s basement, but it isn’t worth overanalyzing. You’ll also need to suspend disbelief over the idea that so many strangers, especially since they’re British, would agree to an impromptu Christmas dinner without finding an excuse to escape. Still, by the end, every subplot is tied up sweetly enough that nothing feels left hanging. Baby Jesus, as the baby is dubbed after his starring role in the school play early in the series, is a fantastic on-screen presence and proves to be a far more effective pain in the backside and eventual buddy for Bingley than the bee in the first season. Watch Man vs. Baby If You Like Man vs. Bee Mr. Bean Fawlty Towers MVP of Man vs Baby Rowan Atkinson as Trevor Bingley After decades on our screens, Atkinson remains a force of nature. This role may never reach the iconic heights of Blackadder, Johnny English, or Mr. Bean, but his presence elevates any project he touches, and that’s true of this series as well. 3.5/5Above Average★★★½☆ Leaner and more polished than Man vs. Bee, this is easily Netflix’s strongest Christmas offering in 2025 for anyone who isn’t drawn to romantic comedies. Is it better than Man vs. Bee? Opinions will vary, of course, but I think it absolutely is. The four episodes fly by, and although there are moments that may make your eyes roll to the back of your head, the series remains harmless, funny, and a welcome throwback to a style of comedy that isn’t extinct yet, but is becoming increasingly rare.