The second season of critically acclaimed series The Bear is being lapped up by viewers, following its release in the US last week.
One year after Christopher Stoner’s comedy-drama show – starring Jeremy Allen White as an embattled chef trying to save his father’s debt-ridden sandwich shop – became a sleeper hit for Hulu, all 10 episodes of the new season premiered on the subscription service on 23 June.
But those hoping to watch the new episodes in the UK have been left feeling confused and disappointed, as they learnt that the series has yet to be made available to them.
“Why the hell is season two of The Bear not available in the UK yet?!” presenter Jamie East asked on Twitter, with user @WillChich calling the delay “crazy and really frustrating”.
@DapperDan commented: ”It genuinely blows my mind that in the year of our lord 2023 you have studios/streamers who still operate under this archaic international territories distribution model that simply doesn’t exist anymore. It’s incompetence or incredible naivety. Probably both.”
There isn’t too long to wait, though, as season two of The Bear will be added to Star on Disney+ on 19 July.
The Bear follows Carmy (White), an award-winning young chef from the world of fine dining, who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s debt-ridden sandwich shop after the death of his older brother.
Also starring in the series are Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri, with Molly Gordon joining the series for season two. Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk will also appear in a guest role, along with stars Will Poulter, Sarah Paulson and Olivia Colman.
The synopsis for season two says: “As they strip the restaurant down to its bones, the crew undertakes transformational journeys of their own, each forced to confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“Of course, it turns out the only thing harder than running a restaurant is opening a newone, and the team must juggle the insane bureaucracy of permits and contractors with the beauty and creative agony of menu planning.
“The transition brings a newfound focus onhospitality as well. As the entire staff is forced to come together in new ways, pushing the boundaries of their abilities and relationships, they also learn what it means to be in service, both to diners and each other.”
‘The Bear’ stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edibiri— (Hulu)
The Bear is currently one of the most acclaimed shows of 2023, with a 100 per cent Rotten Romatoes score after 48 reviews.
Its delayed release in the UK is due to exclusive licencing rights in different territories, which prevent certain titles from being made available simultaneously. For example, Netflix has only just added a certain film to its UK service six months after being made available in the US.
