Bumbling, childlike Mr. Bean has trouble completing the simplest of day-to-day tasks, but his perseverance and resourcefulness frequently allow him to find ingenious ways around problems.Bumbling, childlike Mr. Bean has trouble completing the simplest of day-to-day tasks, but his perseverance and resourcefulness frequently allow him to find ingenious ways around problems.Bumbling, childlike Mr. Bean has trouble completing the simplest of day-to-day tasks, but his perseverance and resourcefulness frequently allow him to find ingenious ways around problems.
- Nominated for 5 BAFTA Awards
- 4 wins & 8 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'Mr. Bean' is celebrated for its unique, physical comedy and minimal dialogue. Its humor is often deemed timeless and universally accessible, appealing across ages and backgrounds. Some praise its simplicity and innocence, while others critique its lack of sophistication compared to more complex narratives. Nonetheless, Mr. Bean's knack for transforming everyday situations into comedy is widely lauded, securing its place as a cherished comedy classic.
Featured reviews
I can understand why Rowan Atkinson doesn't make more Bean TV shows--he's probably rich as can be (based on his car collection) and the movies (which are far inferior) make a ton of money. I still wish they'd make more of these delightful shows, as they are possibly the funniest show ever made--it's THAT good.
One of the reasons I enjoy Bean so much is because my daughter is deaf and we can both equally enjoy the shows, as you really don't need closed captions for it. And, importantly, this makes the show amazingly easy to export abroad. It's so amazing how the show is able to make you laugh even without the use of much language--just wacky situations and terrific pantomime by Atkinson.
The bottom line is that if you don't like this show, you are either dead or have absolutely no sense of humor! I have not only watched the episodes repeatedly but have shown them to my students and they never fail to elicit tons of laughs--and the teens want to see them again and again. And who can blame them? The show is so clever and well made.
One of the reasons I enjoy Bean so much is because my daughter is deaf and we can both equally enjoy the shows, as you really don't need closed captions for it. And, importantly, this makes the show amazingly easy to export abroad. It's so amazing how the show is able to make you laugh even without the use of much language--just wacky situations and terrific pantomime by Atkinson.
The bottom line is that if you don't like this show, you are either dead or have absolutely no sense of humor! I have not only watched the episodes repeatedly but have shown them to my students and they never fail to elicit tons of laughs--and the teens want to see them again and again. And who can blame them? The show is so clever and well made.
"Mr. Bean" is one of the funniest shows ever created. American shows need to be more like the British ones. Rowan Atkinson is a very creative actor and this is the role that he was made to do. Whenever I see a car similar to his' now, I'll just remember it as the best supporting object that's never won an Emmy (sadly).
But anyways, everybody should watch this show no matter what. Because of this show, I now have new ways of doing things and such.
And last, but not least, is the teddy bear Mr. Bean always carries around. He's another one that should win an Emmy for his performance.
So for anybody reading this, go to the nearest video store and buy "Mr. Bean."
But anyways, everybody should watch this show no matter what. Because of this show, I now have new ways of doing things and such.
And last, but not least, is the teddy bear Mr. Bean always carries around. He's another one that should win an Emmy for his performance.
So for anybody reading this, go to the nearest video store and buy "Mr. Bean."
Many reviewers here compare the Mr. Bean TV series to "The Simpsons", "King of the Hill", and other comedy shows. Though many shows at times employ slapstick, "Mr. Bean" is very different from the majority of these shows and their characters. The most glaring contrast is between what constitutes as humor in "The Simpsons" and "Mr. Bean". "The Simpsons" can sometime present gory themes in an offhanded way (eg, Itchy & Scratchy), making ethically questionable images and situations funny to the audience. The humor in part lies in the blase way in which the characters treat something like murder, torture, etc. However, I don't find that very enjoyable. That is why I applaud Rowan Atkinson for proving that slapstick humor can still be funny without turning murder and torture into light-hearted entertainment. Mr. Bean maintains an innocence that, for me, is a welcomed relief from the harshness of the TV landscape in general. From reality TV shows where participants backstab each other for money to shows like "South Park" and "The Simpsons" that fuel their comedy with questionable material, TV land can be a harsh place thesedays.
Many people may feel that Mr. Bean is childish and foolish, but his is by far a gentler character than many you would meet on TV nowadays. I don't wax nostalgic for shows like "Leave It to Beaver" or any of those black and white TV shows where everyone is super cheery and pretend death and homosexuality don't exist. But need we go to the other extreme and portray the world as treacherous, dangerous, and continuously in conflict? Maybe what some people want when they get home from work is to sit down on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and forget all their problems as they indulge in the foolish yet heartwarming character that is Mr. Bean.
Mr. Bean takes you away from your divorcing parents, your backstabbing co-worker, your bills piling up on the table, your annoying household chores, the clogged drain in the kitchen, your sister's frantic wedding plans, and all the depressing murders and robberies on the nightly news. Mr. Bean takes you away from all this for 25 glorious minutes and into his simple-yet-complicated little world where the biggest problem is learning how not to bite off more than you can chew.
It is nice to go to a simpler place where problems don't get more complicated than a stuck fly while trying to impress the queen.
Many people may feel that Mr. Bean is childish and foolish, but his is by far a gentler character than many you would meet on TV nowadays. I don't wax nostalgic for shows like "Leave It to Beaver" or any of those black and white TV shows where everyone is super cheery and pretend death and homosexuality don't exist. But need we go to the other extreme and portray the world as treacherous, dangerous, and continuously in conflict? Maybe what some people want when they get home from work is to sit down on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and forget all their problems as they indulge in the foolish yet heartwarming character that is Mr. Bean.
Mr. Bean takes you away from your divorcing parents, your backstabbing co-worker, your bills piling up on the table, your annoying household chores, the clogged drain in the kitchen, your sister's frantic wedding plans, and all the depressing murders and robberies on the nightly news. Mr. Bean takes you away from all this for 25 glorious minutes and into his simple-yet-complicated little world where the biggest problem is learning how not to bite off more than you can chew.
It is nice to go to a simpler place where problems don't get more complicated than a stuck fly while trying to impress the queen.
"Mr. Bean" is one of those shows that you couldn't forget even if you tried (not that you'd want to try). The title character (Rowan Atkinson) is a perfectly ordinary man who either never seems to do anything right, or always finds the hardest and most inefficient way to do it. Rarely speaking, he gets himself into all sorts of wacky situations.
One of the funniest predicaments was at a hotel. Mr. Bean was following a man in the restaurant, taking twice as much as the other man. Sitting down at a table, Mr. Bean began wolfing everything down, only to learn that the food had gone bad. Feeling ill, he goes back to his room and falls asleep. He wakes up a few hours later and accidentally locks himself out of his room. Now he has to wander around the hotel naked.
Actually, he ends up naked a lot, and usually there are other people around. But the point is, Mr. Bean is completely cracked. Whether going swimming, trying to tend to a baby, going to the beach, or hosting a New Year's party, he always manages to do everything in a way that most people would never imagine, and most often ends up embarrassing himself.
As the British say, smashing.
One of the funniest predicaments was at a hotel. Mr. Bean was following a man in the restaurant, taking twice as much as the other man. Sitting down at a table, Mr. Bean began wolfing everything down, only to learn that the food had gone bad. Feeling ill, he goes back to his room and falls asleep. He wakes up a few hours later and accidentally locks himself out of his room. Now he has to wander around the hotel naked.
Actually, he ends up naked a lot, and usually there are other people around. But the point is, Mr. Bean is completely cracked. Whether going swimming, trying to tend to a baby, going to the beach, or hosting a New Year's party, he always manages to do everything in a way that most people would never imagine, and most often ends up embarrassing himself.
As the British say, smashing.
Most Britcom imports that I have seen over the years have always brought laughter. It the mid 90's PBS began running episodes of Mr. Bean.
Rowin Atkinson, far better known in the UK and Europe then here in the States, is one of the most talented actors and comedians anywhere. He has to be. To take a character that is normally mute, always plotting mischief, and goes on more hair brained schemes and adventures then the entire Monty Python crew is,as Mr. Bean would put it," Absolutely Brilliant".
Even the most hardened sceptic will find this series so overwhelming funny that they would scream for more. Alas, there were only 13 episodes filmed. Rowin Atkinson has stated that he felt there was nothing more for Mr. Bean to do. Too bad. I can see a series, such as this going on for hundreds of episodes.
If you want to have a really good time with a wonderfully lovable goof ball, Watch this BBC classic!
Rowin Atkinson, far better known in the UK and Europe then here in the States, is one of the most talented actors and comedians anywhere. He has to be. To take a character that is normally mute, always plotting mischief, and goes on more hair brained schemes and adventures then the entire Monty Python crew is,as Mr. Bean would put it," Absolutely Brilliant".
Even the most hardened sceptic will find this series so overwhelming funny that they would scream for more. Alas, there were only 13 episodes filmed. Rowin Atkinson has stated that he felt there was nothing more for Mr. Bean to do. Too bad. I can see a series, such as this going on for hundreds of episodes.
If you want to have a really good time with a wonderfully lovable goof ball, Watch this BBC classic!
Did you know
- TriviaThe original proposed name for the character was Mr. White. Names of vegetables were next, including Mr. Cauliflower, ending with the choice of Mr. Bean.
- Quotes
[opening theme]
Choir: [singing] Ecce homo qui est faba.
[Latin: "Behold the man who is a bean"]
- Crazy creditsThe words of the song played in the titles and credits, "Ecce homo" ("ecce homo qui est faba. Vale homo qui est faba") translate to "behold the man who is a bean. Farewell the man who is a bean".
- Alternate versionsThe UK/Australian DVD release is cut as well as the American DVD release. The chair sabotage from "Do it yourself Mr.Bean" is still missing, and some segments of "Back to school Mr.Bean" are cut, the box set includes the Turkey weighing scene though.
- ConnectionsEdited into Ohh, Nooo! Mr. Bill Presents (1998)
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