Where was Man vs Bee filmed, whose house is it and is the house real? Locations in the Rowan Atkinson Netflix series

Comedy legend Rowan Atkinson has returned in a brand new Netflix comedy. Featuring a beautiful manor house, fans want to know where Man vs Bee was filmed.  

Rowan Atkinson is well known to fans for his work on classic comedys such as Mr Bean and Blackadder. In his latest comedy offering for Netflix, Atkinson portrays the bumbling Trevor Bingley, who finds himself a job house sitting for a wealthy couple whose house is filled with priceless art. His wife has divorced him, and he’s facing life as a man recently fired from 2 jobs following a series of blunders. A peaceful job house sitting position appears the perfect role, with very little to go wrong. That is until a bee appears on the scene, and events start to spiral out of control with Trevor resorting to any means possible to get rid of it. 

Those appreciative of Man vs Bee's humour will enjoy laugh-a-minute Netflix series Snowflake Mountain, in addition to new BBC comedy show The Chris and Rosie Ramsey Show. And of course for those seeking further light relief and visions of warmer climates, Love Island 2022 is sure to tick all the boxes.   

 Where was Man vs Bee filmed? 

Man vs Bee was filmed across locations in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. Hearing assessment provider Halo Hearing Solutions - based in Hertfordshire - was one such filming location, which was transformed into the vet surgery shown in the hit Netflix show.

The business shared pictures of Man vs Bee filming on Instagram. The film crew could be seen outside the premises tending to a classic car.  They captioned the picture: "The Bovingdon shop was closed today so it could be used for filming a new Netflix series with Rowan Atkinson. They turned it into a vets. We were busy in the Berkhamsted shop and doing home visits so we didn’t get a chance to see Rowan. But we look forward to watching ‘Man Vs Bee’ on TV next spring". 

A local butchers on Bovingdon high street was also used for filming. Meanwhile in Buckinghamshire, filming took place in Aylesbury where the exterior of a local police station was used. 

Whose house does Trevor house-sit in Man vs Bee? 

The house belongs to wealthy couple Nina and Christian. They are going on holiday and decide they need a house sitter for their expensive possessions, and dog Cupcake. Hapless and newly unemployed Trevor applies to become a professional house sitter with agency House Sitter Deluxe.

His first assignment is Nina and Christian’s art filled mansion, and he lands himself the job despite catastrophe following in his wake. The first disaster to befall Trevor is when he takes the handy manual filled with codes and important information compiled by Nina and Christian, and burns it on the stove. 

Is the house in Man vs Bee real? 

No, the Man vs Bee house is not real, with the interior sets created specially at Bovingdon Studios in Hertfordshire. According to the Radio Times, the initial plan had been to use a real house, but the level of destruction required by the script meant that using a real house became unfeasible.

The idea was to create interior scenery that reflected Christian and Nina’s artful aesthetic. Whilst additionally having the awe inducing look of an opulent home owned by the wealthy.

Set designer Carly Reddin is quoted as saying: "We wanted them to have good taste. I was influenced a lot by American contemporary architecture, and Grant C Kirkpatrick in particular. He does a lot of Beverly Hills homes including Jennifer Aniston’s house – big, open spaces with a lot of light and huge glass doors. We needed to make it look classy, sophisticated and expensive."

When was Man vs Bee filmed? 

Pictures of Man vs Bee being filmed appeared across social media in August 2021. Pictures shared by the businesses used for external filming were also dated August 2021, confirming that filming took place during the summer of that year. 

One fan shared pictures of Atkinson and other cast members outside of the Aylesbury police station with the caption "Rowan Atkinson spotted filming his new Netflix comedy Man Vs. Bee."

Somebody who appears to be part of the filming crew also shared a video of the Man vs Bee trailer and said "I had an absolute blast filming this last summer. You are in for such a treat tomorrow when it lands on Netflix. Well done all!! Man Vs Bee". 

 How many episodes of Man vs Bee are there? 

There are 9 episodes in total, ranging in length from 10 - 19 minutes:

• 1. Chapter 1 – 19mins
• 2. Chapter 2 – 11mins
• 3. Chapter 3 – 12mins
• 4. Chapter 4  – 11mins
• 5. Chapter 5 – 10mins
• 6. Chapter 6 – 10mins
• 7. Chapter 7 – 11mins
• 8. Chapter 8 – 12mins
• 9. Chapter 9 – 12mins

 Could there be a Man vs Bee season 2? 

Currently, Netflix has not confirmed if Man vs Bee has been renewed for a second season. It hasn’t been billed as a limited series, suggesting the possibility of it returning is likely if it performs well. 

The critics have enjoyed it, with The Guardian giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Referring to Atkinson, they said "The actor is at his comic best as an accident-prone house sitter who goes on a rage spree and destroys a high-tech home in an epic battle". Meanwhile, The Independent also offered 4 out of 5 stars, asserting that "Rowan Atkinson’s Netflix comedy is a better Bean."

Fans across social media were generally positive too, with one fan on Twitter calling it "very fun" and awarding it "8/10".

Also making comparisons with Mr Bean and suggesting fans want to see more of the show, another viewer tweeted: "Only Rowan Atkinson can pull off a series like Man Vs Bee. Not sure why I spent 9 episodes watching him fight with a bee, but I did it with a silly smile on my face".

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