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Now That The Bear Season 4 Is Out, I’m Flashing Back To Sitcom Icons David Alan Grier And Wendi McLendon-Covey Debating Whether It’s Really A Comedy

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The beloved series, “The Bear,” has made its grand comeback for Season 4 in the 2025 TV lineup, sticking to its strategy of releasing a new season annually rather than having lengthy gaps between installments. If you’re a Hulu subscriber, you can now enjoy the full season at your leisure, and with enough time having passed, it’s perfect for a binge-watching session. However, I won’t be revealing any spoilers as we’re not here to discuss Jeremy Allen White’s character Carmy’s recent challenges. Instead, let’s focus on the intriguing debate that arises each awards season: is “The Bear” truly a comedy? Veteran sitcom actors Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier, who also starred in “St. Denis Medical,” share their thoughts on this question.

At the 2023 Emmys, the show “The Bear” made a strong impact by dominating various categories. It won for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy (Jeremy Allen White), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Ayo Edebiri), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy (Christopher Storer), and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy (also Christopher Storer).

It’s no surprise that people talk about controversy when The Bear, a series that can leave even devoted fans feeling emotional due to the struggles of Carmy and his team, often wins in comedy categories over traditional sitcoms. This was a point brought up by Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier during our conversation at the press junket for NBC’s humorous St. Denis Medical mockumentary.

Following the success of their freshman sitcom earning two Critics Choice nominations after only four episodes, I commented on how refreshing it was to see a network TV show receiving recognition instead of predominantly streaming or cable nominees. In response, they highlighted the series The Bear as another example of this trend.

  • David Alan Grier: “It’s a big marketplace. I mean, there’s so much great TV. I spend a lot of time going, ‘What’s a comedy, what’s a drama?’ [To Wendi] Like White Lotus is a comedy, you were telling me, right? And then say, Saturday Night Live is like a drama.”
  • Wendi McLendon-Covey: [laughs] “Yeah, if we’re running this as, you know, ‘Oh, 30 minutes are all considered comedies?’ I don’t know. I’ve never cried harder than I have when watching The Bear. Are we still calling that a comedy.”
  • David Alan Grier: “: I gotta look it up. I do have to look it up sometimes. What is it described as?”

The two actors didn’t display any bitterness about The Bear’s success, but it’s telling that they jokingly challenged its comedic value. Wendy McLendon-Covey had just completed over 200 episodes on ABC’s The Goldbergs when she moved to NBC’s St. Denis Medical, a shift that followed more than 100 episodes of Reno 911 in a distinct type of mockumentary.

David Alan Grier has made quite an impact in TV comedy throughout his career. He’s been seen in shows like “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!” on Netflix alongside Jamie Foxx, “The Cool Kids”, “The Carmichael Show”, and not to forget over a hundred episodes of “In Living Color”. These two certainly know how to deliver jokes that resonate on network television.

McLendon-Covey expressed a more thoughtful perspective on the potential resurgence of network TV, considering the recent recognition received by St. Denis Medical, with two Critics Choice nominations for ‘Best Comedy Series’ and David Alan Grier for ‘Best Actor in a Comedy Series’. She stated:

It appears to me that television networks are making a significant comeback, which is wonderful news! This is particularly exciting because it offers opportunities to actors who have been out of work for quite some time due to the industry-wide struggles caused by the pandemic. I wholeheartedly support bringing more network shows back onto our screens so we can secure larger production orders and help people earn a living again.

As a movie enthusiast, if you’re in the mood for an undeniably hilarious series, I would highly recommend giving “St. Denis Medical,” starring Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier, a watch. You can catch it streaming exclusively with a Peacock subscription right now! On a different note, while the classification of “The Bear” as a comedy might be debatable, I can confirm that you can stream all four seasons available so far on Hulu. Enjoy your laughter-filled journey!

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2025-07-01 07:07

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