Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean is a British comedy television series, starring Rowan Atkinson. The programme was produced by Tiger Television, later renamed Tiger Aspect productions (a company in which Atkinson has a stake), for Thames Television and originally shown on ITV. It is written by Atkinson, Robin Driscoll and Richard Curtis. The first episode was broadcast on 1 January 1990, with the final episode, "Goodnight, Mr. Bean", on 31 October 1995.

In the United States the show has been broadcast on PBS intermittently over the past few years and is now available on DVD.

In the show, Atkinson plays a selfish, sometimes ingenious, and generally likeable buffoon who frequently gets into hilarious situations due to his various schemes and contrivances.

The show relies upon physical comedy, with very little dialogue. It features Mr. Bean trying to undertake what would normally be considered simple tasks, such as going swimming, redecorating or taking an exam. One of his acts, most beloved by fans, is stuffing a turkey and getting it stuck on his head. The popular US sitcom Friends later re-used this same joke. The humour largely comes from his original solutions to any problems, and a total disregard for others when solving them.

Mr. Bean is the only significant character in the programme (save for Teddy, his lovable stuffed teddy bear). Other characters exist simply as foils for his various antics, and besides the star, there are only two recurring supporting characters; his sometime "girlfriend" Irma Gobb (played by Matilda Ziegler) and Mr. Sprout, who is often seen in a light blue Reliant Regal Supervan. However, Angus Deayton often appears alongside Atkinson in sketches as various one-off supporting characters.

The show's title sequence (used from the second episode onward) depicts Mr. Bean falling from the sky in a beam of light. Theories on the meaning of this have ranged from Mr. Bean's being an alien to his being an angel sent to Earth. More humourously, perhaps, as a character who is always having odd things happen to him, it could represent his return after an abduction. However, the producers of the show claim that it is intended to show his status as an ordinary man cast into the spotlight (but the animated series – see below – would take it in a more literal direction). Others simply regarded this as a spoof of a Terminator scene. Regardless of meaning, this is clear: Mr. Bean is alone in the world, is frequently childlike, and often seems unaware of basic aspects of the way the world works.

The theme tune was written by Howard Goodall and performed by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The words sung by the choir during the series credits are in Latin:

• Ecce homo qui est faba – "Behold the man who is a bean" (sung at beginning)
• Finis partis primae – "End of part one" (sung before the commercial break)
• Vale homo qui est faba – "Farewell, man who is a bean" (sung at end)

Contents

1 Episode list 1 Bean Movie Adaptations 2 Bean Animated Series 2.1 Animated series episode list 3 External links

Episode list

1. Mr. Bean
2. The Return of Mr. Bean
3. The Curse of Mr. Bean
4. Mr. Bean Goes to Town
5. The Trouble with Mr. Bean (the highest rated, drawing in 18.74 million viewers)
6. Mr. Bean Rides Again
7. Merry Christmas Mr. Bean
8. Mr. Bean in Room 426
9. Mind the Baby Mr. Bean
10. Do It Yourself Mr. Bean
11. Back to School Mr. Bean
12. Tee Off Mr. Bean
13. Good Night Mr. Bean
14. Hair by Mr. Bean of London

and two never-before-seen-on-TV sketches: "Bus Stop" and "Library"

Bean Movie Adaptations

A movie, Bean, was made based on the show in 1997, but this broke from the show's tradition by using a subplot with more developed characters. Instead of being the sole centre of attraction, Mr. Bean here played second fiddle to the travails of a typical suburban Californian family (after having been sent to the USA by his employers, who wanted a break from his constant messing up their lives). Many fans of the original series were quite disappointed with this americanisation and break from format.

As of March 2005, there are reports of a new Bean film, with Atkinson to return in the title role. Filming would commence later in the year.[1] (http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/article/29030502.php)

Bean Animated Series

The character was revived again in the 2002 animated series, Mr. Bean, again featuring little actual dialogue, with most being either little soundbites or mumbling. Some people have questioned the point of an animated Mr. Bean – although he is now capable of far stranger adventures (and facial expressions), they lack the interest generated when it was an actual person doing it. The series is notable, however, for following up on the "alien" origin theory for the character, with its final episode revealing a race of identical Beans who come to retrieve their lost friend, only to have him opt to stay on Earth with his girlfriend.

Animated series episode list

1. In the Wild / Missing Teddy
2. No Parking / Bean's Bounty
3. Artful Bean / The Fly
4. Mime Games / Spring Clean
5. No Pets / Ray of Sunshine
6. Roadworks / Sofa
7. Camping / Chocks Away
8. In the Pink / Dinner for Two
9. Treasure / Homeless
10. Super Trolley / Magpie
11. Hot Date / Wanted
12. The Ball / Toothache
13. Haircut / Neighbourly Bean
14. Art Thief / Scaredy Bean
15. A Royal Makeover / Super Marrow
16. Car Trouble / Resturant
17. Gadget Kid / Visitor
18. Nurse! / Dead Cat
19. Cat Sitting / The Bottle
20. Birthday Bear / The Mole
21. Royal Bean / Young Bean
22. Hopping Mad / A Grand Invitation
23. Big TV / Keyboard Capers
24. Goldfish / Inventor
25. A Running Battle / Egg and Bean
26. Bean in Love / Double Trouble

Mr Bean the animated series was first broadcast on ITV. It's now aired on Nickelodeon and NickToons TV, and appears every now and again on Canada's CBC.

External links

• Mr. Bean official site (http://www.mrbean.co.uk/)
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