Mr. Bean

What exciting television adventure to England wouldn't be the same without a quick glimpse of the hysterical Mr. Bean? Superbly played by comedian Rowan Atkinson, Mr. Bean takes us into the doldrums of day to day life to show us that even the smallest gesture can be the funniest. He whirlwinds us through England in the most unconventional way, either in his sporty yellow car (with lock), or in his dentist office, or his doctor's office, or around the countryside stopping at several childish playgrounds. No matter where he takes you, the laughs are sure to follow and remain with you for a very long time.

Atkinson has mastered the ability to bring this verbally challenged character to life in ways that comedians today falter. Atkinson weaves this richly developed character into simple settings where he transforms into part social satirist and part MacGyver of the common man. His ability to take any common item and transform it into a new bit of comedy is rare today. The fact that you never knew what Mr. Bean was going to grab next on the set always allowed endless moments of joy. Now, I can watch him over and over again thanks to A&E and the power of DVD. Released as a set, I can see Mr. Bean morning, evening, and late afternoon whenever I have the urge to laugh at life.

This series is enjoyable for the newest Bean follower to even those of us that have been following him around for years. While some novice viewers may be disappointed to see the cuts that A&E made to some of the episodes, the packaging and supplemental features should suffice. It is packed full of fun information about Bean, especially a very informative feature on how Bean was created by Atkinson himself. It also allows us to see some of Comic Relief UK that showcased the talent of Mr. Bean right next to Alan Cummings himself. The extras are just more icing on an already sugar-packed cake.

Overall, this collection is amazing. I love Mr. Bean and the style of humor that he brings to each episode and situation. He is funny without being crass or vulgar, allowing us to build so many new dimensions on this simple character. Atkinson is a master in his trade and has created a character that will be remembered for years to come. So, if you are a fan of slapstick humor with intellectual stimulation, than Mr. Bean is right up your alley. The set is not expensive, so I say go ahead and splurge on a DVD that you will never regret purchasing. You are definitely in for a hysterical treat! Mr. Bean is a role model for all and the true face of comedy!

Grade: ***** out of *****

"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.

"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."

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.

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.