Since the long-awaited premiere of Stranger Things‘ Season 5 on November 26, 2025, the record-breaking sci-fi series has been topping the streaming charts on Netflix. After all, with a three-year gap between Seasons 4 and 5, the show knew how to raise up anticipation. But while viewers across the world tuned in to the new season, premiering to a whopping 59.6 million views,the Duffer Brothers-created series has just recently lost the top spot on Netflix’s TV charts. According to FlixPatrol, the series has now been overtaken by Man Vs Baby, comedy legend Rowan Atkinson‘s latest holiday series.
What Is ‘Man Vs Baby’ About?
To understand what happens in Man Vs Baby, let’s go back to the series’ prequel, Man Vs Bee. In the first series, which was released in 2022, Atkinson is introduced as Trevor Bingley, a recent divorcé who is struggling to make ends meet. In Episode 1, however, he’s in high spirits as he accepts a new job as a housesitter in a high-tech mansion. There, things quickly take a turn because of a mischievous and unrelenting bee. By the end of their all-out war, Trevor ends up in court facing a total of 14 counts, including dangerous driving, arson, destruction of priceless artwork, and much more.
Fast-forward a few years to the events of Man Vs Baby, Trevor has pressed pause on the stressful world of housesitting and opted for a quieter life as a school caretaker. That is, however, untila baby is left behind at his school when no one comes to collect the Baby Jesus from the school nativity scene. As he takes the baby in, and tries to look for answers about who he belongs to, Trevor gets offered a housesitting job in a luxury London penthouse during Christmas that he simply can’t refuse. With no clue about what to do with the missing baby, he brings the baby along on his housesitting mission as a very cute yet unexpected plus one.
Once again, Trevor is in a priceless home with a companion who, without knowing any better, will likely wreak havoc. Will he be able to keep the apartment intact or will his babysitting adventures land him in hot water once again? In addition to starring in the series, Atkinson wrote and created Man Vs Baby with William Davies. The series was directed by David Kerr.
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The run-up to Christmas can be very entertaining.
‘Man Vs Baby’ Streaming Win Suggests a Major Viewing Shift
While Man Vs Baby reaching #1 on Netflix’s global streaming charts can be partly explained because Stranger Things‘ Season 5 has now been out for a few weeks, it’s also indicating a major shift with viewers. After all, as we approach the holiday season, watching TV goes from an activity you can devote time to, all about your own personal preferences, to quick watches between travel, family obligations, as background noise during a get-together, or as a group watching activity that needs to please everyone. Decidedly, an episode of Stranger Things isn’t the first thing you think of putting on for the whole family, and definitely not one you should watch halfway through before boarding a flight. Man Vs Baby, however, which is split up into four 30-minute episodes, is perfectly casual, manageable, and a definite crowd-pleaser.
The same goes for the show’s content. While Stranger Things has a complete mythological world around it, and four seasons of the show to refer back to, Man Vs Baby, despite being a prequel, doesn’t need much context or undivided attention. It is, after all, a funny story about a man trying to take care of a baby and the chaos that ensues around them. The series doesn’t demand much emotional investment, lore recall, or narrative homework, and that’s exactly why it’s a hit this holiday season.
But while that may be true, Man Vs Baby‘s reign as the #1 spot in Netflix’s global streaming charts might not last that long. Notably, Stranger Things Season 5 has only been partly released so far. With four episodes currently out, the season will continue to air throughout the month of December, with three new episodes on December 25, and the long-awaited finale episode on December 31. With such a dedicated fanbase behind it, Stranger Things will likely take the #1 spot right back from Man Vs Baby by the end of the month.
With that said, seeing another title topping the Netflix TV charts this week is certainly refreshing. With Stranger Things‘ tight grip since its Season 5 release, Man Vs Baby‘s victory is not only a major accomplishment, but shows that viewers are getting in the holiday spirit, and are tuning in to new titles to find some Christmas spirit. After all, who wouldn’t want to celebrate the holidays with Mr. Bean?
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
