It’s official: the man who turned a bumbling bee into a global punchline is back, and this time, he’s facing an adversary far more unpredictable than any insect – a squirming, screaming infant. Netflix has dropped the first-look images and confirmed the premiere date for “Man vs. Baby,” the highly anticipated four-episode sequel to 2022’s hit comedy “Man vs. Bee.” Starring Rowan Atkinson as the perpetually hapless Trevor Bingley, the series promises a holiday-season cocktail of chaos, cuddles, and cringeworthy mishaps when it streams worldwide on December 11.

Created and co-written by Atkinson himself alongside screenwriter William Davies, and directed by David Kerr – the same team behind the original’s pint-sized pandemonium – “Man vs. Baby” picks up where Trevor left off. After his infamous showdown with a rogue bee left a high-tech mansion in ruins, the divorced dad and part-time house-sitter has sworn off such gigs. He’s traded luxury pads for the relative calm of a school caretaker job, dreaming of a quiet Christmas with his teenage daughter, Maddy. But when a plum opportunity arises to mind a swanky London penthouse over the holidays, Trevor’s resolve crumbles faster than a gingerbread house in a toddler’s grip.

The plot thickens – or rather, gets messier – on the last day of term. With the school nativity play wrapping up, no one claims the Baby Jesus prop. Feeling a pang of misplaced responsibility, Trevor scoops up the bundle… only to discover it’s not a doll, but a very real, very needy baby left behind in the festive frenzy. Cue the comedy gold: a single man in his 50s, armed with nothing but good intentions and zero parenting hacks, must now juggle penthouse security, holiday prep, and the endless demands of diaper duty. Will the yuletide tree topple? Will the turkey turn toxic? And can Trevor keep the chaos from spilling over into a full-blown family fiasco?

First-look photos released by Netflix on Wednesday offer a tantalizing tease of the treats in store. Atkinson, 70 and looking every bit the timeless funnyman, is captured in a flurry of holiday hijinks: force-feeding two infants at once with a look of pure bewilderment, carving a Christmas roast amid what appears to be mid-explosion debris, and posing dwarfed by an enormous twinkling tree that’s one wobbly step from domino disaster. One particularly cheeky promo shot superimposes Atkinson into scenes from Netflix’s baby-centric hits – think him awkwardly cradling a chick in “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” or navigating a nursery nightmare in “Sex Education.” It’s classic Atkinson: silent-era physicality meets modern mishaps, all wrapped in a bow of British understatement.

“This is Trevor at his most vulnerable and victorious,” Atkinson said in a rare interview clip shared by the streamer. “He’s not Mr. Bean – thank goodness – but there’s that same spark of the ordinary man thrust into extraordinary absurdity. The baby? She’s the real star. Unscripted, unrelenting, and utterly unforgiving.” Davies, who first pitched the bee battle years ago after Atkinson’s offhand remark about household pests, echoed the sentiment: “Rowan brings heart to the havoc. It’s not just falls and fumbles; it’s about stepping up when life hands you the unexpected – even if it’s covered in spit-up.”

Production kicked off earlier this year in London’s bustling studios and leafy suburbs, with executive producers Chris Clark and Davies overseeing a tight-knit shoot that wrapped principal photography in late September. The series clocks in at four half-hour episodes, perfect for a binge between eggnog refills. Returning from “Man vs. Bee” are key cast members, including Claudie Blakley as Trevor’s ex-wife and India Fowler (now recast with rising star Alanah Bloor as Maddy, Trevor’s sharp-witted daughter). New faces join the fray, though Netflix is playing coy on specifics – save for whispers of a cameo from a “Blackadder” alum to nod at Atkinson’s storied screen legacy.

For the uninitiated, “Man vs. Bee” was a surprise smash when it buzzed onto Netflix in June 2022. The five-episode special followed Trevor’s ill-fated house-sit in a smart-home mansion owned by a posh couple (Jing Lusi and Tom Basden), where a single escaped bee escalated into a war of wits involving exploding appliances, pet goldfish funerals, and a finale that had viewers howling at Trevor’s deadpan despair. It racked up 25.4 million viewing hours in its first week, topping charts in 77 countries and earning a respectable 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised Atkinson’s return to wordless wonder – a far cry from his verbose turns in “Blackadder” or “Johnny English” – calling it “a tonic for turbulent times” (The Guardian) and “slapstick with soul” (Variety).

But not everyone was abuzz. Some purists griped that it paled next to the anarchic purity of “Mr. Bean,” Atkinson’s 1990s icon who turned everyday errands into elastic-faced epics. “Bean wouldn’t negotiate with a bee; he’d weaponize the hoover,” one Reddit thread lamented, while others defended the evolution: “Trevor’s got layers – divorce, dad guilt, that quiet kindness. It’s Bean grown up, not gone soft.” Atkinson, ever the perfectionist, has long distanced Trevor from his rubbery predecessor, insisting in past chats that the new character is “sweeter, more relatable – a bloke you’d buy a pint for, not hide from.”

“Man vs. Baby” leans harder into that emotional core, blending belly laughs with bittersweet beats. Sources close to the production hint at arcs exploring Trevor’s strained bond with Maddy, who rolls her eyes at his overprotectiveness but secretly craves his approval. The baby – played by a trio of tots for varying “temper tantrum” intensities – serves as catalyst, forcing Trevor to confront his failures as a father while dodging domestic Armageddon. Expect sight gags galore: a high-chair hurling havoc through a marble-floored kitchen, a midnight bottle run gone gloriously wrong, and a Christmas dinner where the only thing cooked is Trevor’s patience.

Director David Kerr, whose resume includes “Man vs. Bee” and episodes of “Doctor Who,” brings his knack for kinetic comedy to the sequel. “Rowan’s a dream – he improvises like a surgeon with a scalpel, precise yet wildly inventive,” Kerr told BBC Radio this week. “The physicality is amped up: pratfalls on ice-slicked balconies, chases through tinsel-tangled halls. But it’s the quiet moments – a lullaby croaked off-key – that sneak up on you.” The festive setting adds seasonal sparkle, with production design nodding to London’s glittering elite: think floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Thames, automated blinds that betray Trevor’s every blunder, and a wine cellar raided in moments of midnight madness.

Netflix’s gamble on Atkinson pays dividends yet again. The platform, fresh off holiday juggernauts like “The Night Agent” spinoffs and “Squid Game” returns, sees “Man vs. Baby” as a family-friendly filler for December’s downtime – accessible enough for kids, sly enough for adults nursing hangovers. Marketing is in full swing: billboards mimicking the original’s bee-baiting stunts, but with pram-pushing perils; a Beano comic tie-in featuring Trevor vs. a nappy ninja; and even real-life “baby-proofing” workshops at select UK stores, complete with Atkinson-voiced voiceovers. “We’re not just dropping a show; we’re unleashing a tradition,” quipped Netflix UK content chief Larry Tanz in the announcement.

Atkinson’s comeback feels timely. The comedy legend, who semi-retired from spotlight after “Johnny English Reborn” in 2011, has been selective post-“Man vs. Bee.” A stage stint in “Quartermaine’s Terms” earned Olivier nods, and whispers of a “Mr. Bean” animated revival persist, but TV remains his sweet spot for subtle subversion. At 70, he’s sharper than ever, channeling real-life dad experiences (he has two daughters, Lily and the late Isla) into Trevor’s tender torments. “Parenting’s the great equalizer,” he mused. “Bee or baby, it’s all about surrendering to the small stuff that topples you.”

Fan frenzy is already fermenting online. Reddit’s r/television lit up with the news, threads buzzing from “Finally, something festive that’s funny, not forced” to “If this flops, blame the nappies.” X (formerly Twitter) timelines teem with memes: Atkinson Photoshopped into “Boss Baby” boardrooms or dueling with Daniel Day-Lewis’s diapered “There Will Be Milk.” International appeal is baked in – translations for 190 countries, dubs featuring local comic legends voicing Trevor’s inner monologues.

Of course, no Atkinson outing is without scrutiny. Child safety on set was paramount, with intimacy coordinators swapped for “infant wranglers” ensuring the tots’ comfort amid the comedy carnage. Environmental nods persist too: the original’s bee awareness campaign evolves here into “baby steps for sustainability,” with props sourced from recycled holiday waste. Critics’ early peeks – embargoed until November – are embargoed tight, but test screenings reportedly elicited “uncontrollable cackles and covert tears.”

As December dawns, “Man vs. Baby” positions itself as the antidote to awards-season somberness – a fizzy, feel-good frolic for fireplaces and families. Trevor Bingley may not conquer the crib, but he’ll capture hearts, one hilarious hurl at a time. Mark your calendars: December 11, when Netflix delivers the gift that keeps on giving – grief, giggles, and glorious incompetence.

Will it outbuzz its predecessor? Only the baby knows. Stream it, share it, and brace for the backlash: “Too cute? Never for Atkinson.”