The Bear has already earned a great many accolades over its first two seasons, but the fact that it has won in the comedy genre has confused some. Although The Bear has been nominated in other categories, such as drama, an overwhelming number of occasions have led to the show being put forward for comedy awards. This has led to a great many people familiar with The Bear questioning the logic of the show's nomination strategy, and whether it's even allowed. Both the show as a show and individual actors have been nominated.

The Bear season 1 made its debut in 2022 with an eight-episode run, and it was received well by critics and fans. The show returned in 2023, with The Bear season 3's release date has been officially confirmed to be June 27, 2025. The current 2 seasons have already earned the show many comedy awards. While some may question the show's unusual decision to submit the show in comedy categories, there could be a clever logic behind their reasoning.

The Bear Is More Of A Drama Than A Comedy

One of the show's sub-genres dominates the other

Although The Bear does have moments that are included for comedic purposes, the laughs are largely in place to augment the drama. The themes in the show are much more consistent with dramatic productions rather than comedies. The Bear takes a deep dive into hard-hitting subject matters such as coping with grief, the traumatic past of the Berzatto family, financial distress, and addiction. These topics can certainly be addressed in true comedies, but The Bear uses the themes to bring about darker laughs than a classic sitcom or other shows from the comedy genre.

Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto and company are in a negative place in the show more often than they are in a negative one.

The balance between comedy and drama in the show is much more weighted toward the latter, with almost every scene showcasing one of The Bear's main characters attempting to overcome some form of emotional trauma. Even the vast majority of the scenes that provoke laughter tend to do so out of a sense of making the best of a bad situation. In short, Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto and company are in a negative place in the show more often than they are in a negative one. While this doesn't necessarily exclude The Bear from the comedy genre, the show's serious approach makes it clear the laughs are there mainly for moments of comic relief.

Why The Bear Is Submitted As A Comedy For Awards

The strategy of the Hulu show's submissions is very clever

The presence of the lighter, funnier moments in The Bear means the show isn't completely out of place among the nominations for comedy awards. The Bear is witty, clever, and full of quips. The sarcastic exchanges between Carmy and Richie, for example, are genuinely funny. However, there's still a very gritty undertone running through the show that would also be at home in a purely dramatic production. The Bear isn't the first show to make such heavy use of comedy in what's essentially a drama, but its unorthodox nomination strategy has certainly drawn more attention than most.

The battle for awards can be a closely fought affair, and there are a great many dramas put up for nomination each season. As such, The Bear would be in a category with many shows that more accurately fit the description of what constitutes a drama if they took the conventional route when submitting it for consideration. Opting to focus on their secondary genre increases the chances of The Bear's success. Not only could the competition be a little thinner in the comedy pool, but The Bear's dramatic edge gives it an even greater advantage regarding how much it stands out from its competitors.

The Bear season 1 set an impressive record in the comedy genre at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning ten.

The Bear season 1 set an impressive record in the comedy genre at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning ten. The Bear season 2 has received a stunning 23 nominations for the 2024 Primetime Emmys, which sets a record for the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year. The Bear season 2 is up against a mix of similar competition as well as rival comedy shows that perhaps fit more into the genre. For instance, the sitcom Abbot Elementary has also been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but so have the comedy-dramas Palm Royale and Reservation Dogs.

The Bear Being A Comedy Still Isn't Misleading

The show still has a place within the genre

Despite comedy not being The Bear's primary label, it's not incorrect to say it's also a comedy. The show has a complex identity, but part of what makes it so compelling is how it has blended its dramatic moments with its more lighthearted and comedic scenes. If the funny parts of The Bear were to be taken from the equation, it would be a vastly different show, and crushingly dramatic. The interactions between the characters in the show are, at times, more informed by the less serious elements than they are by the grittier parts of the formula.

A true drama would be more likely to blast past any of the jokier exchanges, but The Bear lets those moments breathe, almost highlighting their importance to the story and character dynamics.

A true drama would be more likely to blast past any of the jokier exchanges, but The Bear lets those moments breathe, almost highlighting their importance to the story and character dynamics. While the lighter moments may not come from the same place as a true comedy, the fact that they're there in such great quantities confirms the fact that The Bear is not an average drama. An interesting way to view the formula would be to reverse it. If a show's primary goal was to instill laughter in its audience, then the ubiquity of dramatic moments in the same show wouldn't negate the comedy label it so obviously possesses.

The Bear's Comedy Is What Makes Episodes Like "Fishes" So Much More Poignant

"Fishes" shows how vital jokes are to The Bear's structure

Sometimes it takes removing something completely to demonstrate how vital it is. This is what happened in The Bear season 2, episode 6, "Fishes." The Bear's Christmas episode takes on a unique atmosphere, and the main reason is the noticeable shortage of levity. The entire runtime of "Fishes" focuses on a Berzatto family Christmas, and all the emotional turmoil that comes with it. The Bear has featured deeply uncomfortable moments before "Fishes," but they've almost always been immediately swept aside by a joke. "Fishes" doesn't allow for the same crutch, letting each awkward exchange and tense outburst build to breaking point with no comedic release.

Although The Bear may not be a comedy in the traditional sense, it would be unfair and incorrect to say it doesn't brilliantly utilize elements of the genre.

Stripping away the comedy from a show like The Bear transforms it into a story that would more commonly be referred to as a drama. Without the jokes, all the characters' buried issues start to boil over, showing that their sense of humor is their way of processing the complex emotions they're harboring regarding so many things. When the show returns to its regular formula after "Fishes," it becomes far more noticeable how often everyone makes use of humor as a coping mechanism. So, although The Bear may not be a comedy in the traditional sense, it would be unfair and incorrect to say it doesn't brilliantly utilize elements of the genre.

What The Bear's Cast & Crew Have Said About The Show Being A Comedy

The team behind The Bear has raised some interesting points about the show's genre debate

Backstage at the 75th Primetime Emmys, Jeremy Allen White simply replied, "Yes!" to the question of whether he would consider The Bear a comedy. His answer was short but decisive. Thankfully, executive producer Josh Senior was much more articulate in his appraisal of the show's genre debate. Speaking with Deadline, Senior said the show was sometimes funny, but "Sometimes it's real." The summary of his explanation was essentially that The Bear is trying to, "Tell a real story." In other words, just because something is grounded in reality's emotional moments, that doesn't mean it can't also be a comedy.

Richie actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach accused the ideas of comedy and drama of being, "A little outdated." He also stated that all The Bear wants to do is, "Tell the truth and make people feel things." Moss-Bachrach raises a very salient point that the term "comedy" may indeed be a little restrictive in the modern age of media, and also that making someone laugh needn't be a show's primary concern to earn the title either. Sure, The Bear isn't a traditional comedy, but its commitment to authenticity only elevates the funny moments.

Source: Deadline