Bear and Friends

***Bear and Friends*** is an American comedy drama series created by Gabriel Combs which premiered on YouTube for four seasons from June 2020 to April 2021. The series follows three friends - Bear, Dog, and Unicorn - as they go on adventures or just live their daily life. The antagonist, Principal Steinbeck, also appears often as either an ally or enemy of the characters.

In late May 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Combs announced the series on his YouTube channel, creating the series to provide "some fun" during the pandemic. Kadence Lovett was cast as Unicorn the same day and filming began on June 4, 2020. Each episode was filmed the day before they were released. In the first season, Kamden Lovett was cast as Jillary and Sam, roles she would reprise throughout the series, while in the third season, Niko Lovett was cast as Fred the Flamingo, a role he would reprise throughout the series. He also portrays himself throughout the series, respectively.

The first season premiered on YouTube on June 5, 2020, and concluded on June 13, 2020. The second season began on August 11, 2020, and concluded on September 6, 2020. The third season began on October 4, 2020, and concluded on October 31, 2020. The fourth season began on March 23, 2021, and concluded on April 7, 2021. The series' popularity spawned four films and two short films, spawning a franchise.

## Premise

The series follows the adventures of Bear, Dog, and Unicorn, three friends who live together. The episodes follow their daily lives and adventures. Sam, who would later become an important character to the series, was introduced mid-first season, with Jillary and Niko Lovett appearing as cameo characters throughout the series and films. Fred the Flamingo, who would also become an important character, was introduced early in the third season, while series antagonist Principal Steinbeck was introduced early in the second season. The third season's antagonist, Kylo Ren, only appears in the third season and was introduced early in said season.

## Episodes

 1 | 8
 2 | August 11, 2020
 3 | October 4, 2020
 4 | March 23, 2021

## Other media

### Films

In August 2020, the cast of *Bear and Friends* filmed a movie with no announcement. The first film in the franchise, *Bear and Friends: The Movie*, was announced in November with a teaser. The film follows Bear, Dog, and Unicorn as they are caught in a battle against Principal Steinbeck, who plots to kill them and overthrow the world. It was released on December 4, 2020 to a mixed response from fans, with praise for the performances, humor, and faithfulness to the series, but with criticism for "not having a plot".

In January 2021, a second film was announced, serving as a spin-off focusing on Unicorn. The film, *Unicorn: A Bear and Friends Story*, follows Unicorn as she attempts to uncover her past with the help of her cousin Josh while avoiding her ex-boyfriend Mario, who tries to kill her family with the help of Master Goat. It was released on February 10, 2021 to generally positive reviews, with praise for the plot, performances, casting, humor, and heart, with some calling it the “best Bear and Friends movie”.

Shortly after the release of the first film, a sequel was announced, set to be released in December 2021 and under the working title "*The Search for Sam*". It was set to be filmed in Hawaii and follow Bear, Dog, and Unicorn as they search for Sam when she mysteriously goes missing. However, the film was scrapped and renamed to *Bear and Friends: A New Adventure*, with a new release date of August 2021. The film follows Bear, Dog, and Unicorn as they are once again caught in a battle against Steinbeck, who this time plots to hypnotize them to his will. It was released on August 6, 2021 to a generally positive response, with fans praising the plot, casting, performances, humor, representation, and emotional weight.

On January 1, 2023, it was announced that *Bear and Friends: The Movie* and *A New Adventure* would no longer be considered canon. It was also announced that a soft reboot was in the works, under the title *The Bear and Friends Movie*. The cast is set to reprise their roles for the film.

### Shorts

In September 2020, Combs announced that a series of short films, titled BAF Shorts, was in the works. Two shorts, titled *Ungrateful Bear* and *Dog the Rapper*, were released on September 9 and September 26. However, the series received a negative response from fans, leading to its cancellation.

### Canceled Crossover

In July 2020, the series was set to receive a crossover with *Mike the Meerkat*, also starring Combs. However, following *Mike the Meerkat*'s cancellation, the crossover was cancelled.