In the streaming era, it’s not uncommon for viewers to wait a year or more for a new season of a popular show, but FX and Hulu look like they’re aiming to remedy that by filming two seasons of Emmy-winning restaurant dramedy “The Bear” back to back.
While "The Bear" season 3 was officially announced back in November and is currently in production, Variety recently reported that a fourth season of the popular Chicago-set series has been quietly ordered as well, and will be filmed immediately following production on the third season.
There’s no episode count yet for the new seasons, although the third season is set to premiere in June and will likely consist of 8-10 episodes, in line with the first two seasons. There’s also no official word on whether “The Bear” will wrap up after its fourth season, which seems like a strong possibility despite its overwhelming popularity, since even the most successful streaming series rarely last beyond four seasons anymore. Whether or not the show continues into further seasons, it seems that FX and Hulu are giving creator Christopher Storer and the writing team a chance to plan ahead.
“The Bear” has been a huge hit thus far, ranked as one of the most-streamed series in the U.S. on various charts for both of the first two seasons. At the recent strike-delayed Emmys honoring the 2022-23 TV season, “The Bear” picked up 10 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting awards for stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. White and Edebiri were also winners at the recent Golden Globes, where “The Bear” won for Best Musical or Comedy Television Series.
The second season of “The Bear” followed chef and restaurant owner Carmy (White) as he worked on a complete overhaul of his family’s sandwich shop, in order to create a new upscale restaurant in its place, which seems poised to open to the public in the third season. Befitting its status as a major hit, the show brought in high-profile guest stars like Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Mulaney and Olivia Colman, along with the Emmy-nominated Jon Bernthal and Oliver Platt.
"The Bear" is one of the best shows on Hulu, and TG's own Kelly Woo called the second season “one of the best TV shows of the year.” She’s clearly not alone in that assessment, and now fans of “The Bear” will have even more of the show to look forward to.
