Netflix has done it again and canceled a supposedly successful series. The 14th series of the streaming service ends early this year.
Since Netflix produces more originals than any streaming provider, the service also sells the most series compared to others. Now another production has been hit quietly. We’re talking about “Man vs Bee” with comedy icon Rowan Atkinson.
Man vs Bee is not getting a second season
There can be many reasons for being dropped from Netflix. The bottom line, however, is always a cost-benefit calculation. If a series is not profitable for the provider, it will not be continued. In all likelihood, the parameters for this are the number of hours streamed, how many users have streamed the series in its entirety and whether new subscriptions can be traced back to the production.
Apparently, “Man vs Bee” didn’t live up to the streaming service’s expectations. Like the portal “What’s On Netlix?reported, the comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson will not be continued, although it was widely discussed before release and there were hopes that it would create a Netflix-owned Mr. Bean. The series is currently on IMDb (as of May 2023) a rating from 6.7. At Rotten Tomatoes it looks similar with a score of 71, with only 58 percent of the user ratings being positive.
Netflix is dropping a lot of series
However, “Man vs Bee” is not alone in its early cancellation. According to our own count, the US streaming giant has already sold 14 series this year alone. Among them were expensive and quite successful productions such as “1899”, “Young Wallander” or “Sex/Life”.
Netflix rarely gives reasons for its decision; so also in this case. The streaming service also only gives limited insight into the general figures. After all, “Man vs Bee” lasted between one and three weeks in many countries top 10 held – apparently not long enough.
The frequent discontinuation of series that we have just come to love is also annoying for our author:
That’s what Rowan Atkinson’s Man vs Bee is all about
British comedian Rowan Atkinson, best known for his roles as the eccentric Mr Bean and clumsy secret agent Johnny Englisch, plays a house sitter in Man vs Bee. In the luxurious mansion in which he is supposed to look after things, everything runs smoothly at first. But when a rather resistant bee strays into the house, an almost epic conflict develops between Trevor (Atkinson) and the animal.
What begins with a few minor mishaps in the hunt for the bee ends in a real war. Shards and tennis rackets fly, expensive works of art are destroyed and entire rooms are set on fire. The matter even makes it to the court. Johnny English creator William Davies was also involved in Man vs Bee. The series consists of nine episodes and has been available on Netflix since June 2022.