"Mr. Bean" (1990) TV series 1990-1995

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

1 January 1990 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Life is a difficult challenge for Mr Bean, who despite being a grown adult, has trouble completing even the simplest of tasks. Thankfully, his perseverence is usually rewarded, and he finds an ingenious way around the problem.

Plot Keywords:

Mr Bean | Teddy | Suit | Cult Favorite | British

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 1 of 13)

Rowan Atkinson

...

Mr. Bean (18 episodes, 1990-1995)

Runtime:

6 min (2 episodes) | 24 min (14 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Australia:G (video rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | UK:U (video rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Tiger Aspect Productions

Trivia:

In the episode "The Return of Mr. Bean" it is alluded that his first name is actually "Mr." as when he writes his birthday card at the restaurant, he writes "Mr." on the front of the envelope.

Quotes:

[opening theme]
Choir: [singing] Ecce homo que est faba. (Latin: "Behold the man who is a bean")

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#4.69)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Ecce homo

Mr. Bean Takes You Away

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.