Drama
Spartacus: House of Ashur
After defeating Spartacus and the rebellion, Ashur rises to power in STARZ’s gory and sexually graphic series, Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but for Trevor Bingley, it’s bringing nothing but problems.
It started when his ex-wife, Jess, decided to take their teenage daughter, Maddy, to Barcelona, which kept her from joining Trevor for the holidays. Then there’s Maddy’s college tuition and his dwindling bank account. At least he has his job as a school caretaker—until he’s let go right before Christmas.
But Christmas is also a time of miracles, and one comes for Trevor in the form of a lucrative housesitting job. All he has to do is get down to London to interview for the position, and the holidays are saved.
And then comes the baby.
On Trevor’s last day at the school, the students put on their annual Nativity play, complete with a real-live baby playing the infant Jesus. But when the play ends and everyone leaves for break, no one comes to pick up baby Jesus. After exhausting all attempts to find the parents for this mystery infant, Trevor is left with no choice but to bring him along to London — and he learns very quickly that this little passenger is annoyingly adventurous.
Trevor isn’t going down without a fight, though. If this baby thinks he can ruin Christmas, he’s got another thing coming.
In 2022, Trevor Bingley went head-to-head with his six-legged nemesis in Man vs. Bee. The four-part miniseries Man vs. Baby brings the same family-friendly chaos, all wrapped up in a holiday bow.
In typical Rowan Atkinson style, most of the show’s comedy comes from Trevor’s misfortunes, both social and physical. It’s hard not to think about his most famous character, Mr. Bean, when he falls off a ladder while hanging Christmas lights or chases the baby around the house. But Trevor also has a lot of heart, which shines throughout Man vs. Baby. The kid may cause plenty of problems, but despite himself, Trevor can’t help but care deeply for him. It’s sure to cause plenty of “awwww”s.
There are a few sticky patches to navigate, mainly Trevor’s divorce. He and ex-wife Jess are on good terms, but parents may still want to keep it in mind if watching with young kids. Since the show relies heavily on slapstick comedy, Trevor often gets himself and the baby into some perilous situations, but neither of them is ever really hurt.
All in all, Man vs. Baby is a fun, heartwarming romp, and with only four 20-minute episodes, it’s a quick watch to enjoy with kids — preferably under a mountain of blankets with hot cocoa in hand.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )
On his last day as a school caretaker, Trevor Bingley gets stuck with a baby from the school’s Nativity play, and he must find the baby’s parents before leaving for London to secure a housesitting job.
Trevor is divorced, and while he and his ex-wife (Jess) are on good terms, Jess has a new boyfriend whom Trevor resents. Trevor drinks champagne with the school principal to celebrate his last day. The young students put on a Nativity play telling the story of Jesus’ birth, and Trevor sometimes refers to the baby as “Jesus.”
Much of the show’s entertainment comes from slapstick comedy, resulting in some perilous situations. Trevor accidentally drops the Nativity star during the play; it shatters and the students scream, but no one is hurt. The baby crawls around the house and comes dangerously close to falling down the stairs before Trevor catches him. While hanging Christmas lights, Trevor loses his balance and falls off the ladder.
Lauren Cook is serving as a 2021 summer intern for the Parenting and Youth department at Focus on the Family. She is studying film and screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. You can get her talking for hours about anything from Star Wars to her family to how Inception was the best movie of the 2010s. But more than anything, she’s passionate about showing how every form of art in some way reflects the Gospel. Coffee is a close second.
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