Yes chef, “The Bear” is a comedy.
But is it really?
The debate around the genre of the hit FX on Hulu series created by Christopher Storer is looming large at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, where the show is up for the most awards of any comedy program.
In fact, “The Bear” set the record this year for the most Emmy nominations for a comedy series in a single year, with 23.
The first season of the show won an astounding 10 Emmys earlier this year. Season 2, which was critically acclaimed upon its release last year, is poised to win big as well.
Emmys 2024 hosts Eugene and Dan Levy poked fun at “The Bear” during their opening monologue.
“Now, I love the show, I love the show, and I know some of you will be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy — but in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes,” said Eugene.
As the Levys alluded to, there’s a continued discourse over whether or not the series is truly a comedy.
In terms of Emmys rules, “The Bear” competes in all the comedy categories against laugh-out-loud shows like “Hacks,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “Abbott Elementary.”
But many watchers of the show believe it’s more of a drama because of its stress-filled storylines.
Jeremy Allen White stars in the series as Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his dead brother’s sandwich shop.
Across the first three seasons, a grieving Carmy transforms the sandwich shop into a high-end restaurant with the help of his sister Sugar (Abby Elliott), friend Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and staff members Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Marcus (Lionel Boyce) and Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas).
If we’re being technical, “The Bear” doesn’t have as many funny moments as most other comedy shows do. The series is filled with adrenaline-inducing scenes that are at times heavy, traumatic, stressful and depressing.
The characters’ individual stories aren’t something to chuckle at, either.
Carmy is dealing with his brother’s death. Sydney is low on money and struggling to gain her father’s support. Richie is moving on from his divorce. Sugar has mommy issues (enter Jamie Lee Curtis).
But where the show does get its comedy lick in is with its celebrated satire. It contrasts its dark moments with awkward character interactions and out-of-pocket comments.
By Season 3, goofy restaurant handyman Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) and his brother Teddy (Ricky Staffieri) are basically the vessels for the show’s comedy.
So, “The Bear” is a series with moments of comedy, but many feel it isn’t a comedy show.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Laraine Newman went to bat for her daughter Hannah Einbender’s comedy series “Hacks,” another Emmys favorite, by advocating against “The Bear” being a comedy.
“Voting on Emmy nominations is very painful. There are so many deserving actors and shows that have to be eliminated because you can only pick 5 or 7. Also, for f-ck sake The Bear is NOT a comedy!! There. I said it,” the comedian wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in June.
Niles Abston, a comedian and writer for the FX sitcom “Dave,” also weighed in on the debate after “The Bear” made history with its 23 Emmy noms.
“The industry letting a show that’s clearly a drama do this would probably be a 30 Rock bit,” she tweeted in July.
Ashley Ray, another TV comedy writer, said on X over the summer that “one episode of 30 rock has more jokes than all of the bear.”
Regardless, the famous faces of “The Bear” have stood up for the show throughout the discourse.
In the press room at the 75th Primetime Emmys in January, the cast was asked if the show is actually a comedy.
“Yes!” White, 33, told reporters.
Bachrach, 47, elaborated, “I feel like these ideas about comedy and drama are a bit outdated. We’re all just trying to reflect the mess of being human, which is deeply hilarious, and we’re all suffering.”
As the debate rages on, “The Bear” isn’t going anywhere. Season 4 is expected to premiere next year.