Mr Bean ( British Leyland Mini 1000 ) 1976
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British sitcom television programme series of fourteen 25-minute episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Thirteen of the episodes were broadcast on ITV, from the pilot on 1 January 1990, until ‘Goodnight Mr. Bean’ on 31 October 1995. “Mr. Bean: The Trouble with Mr. Bean (1992),” 18.74 million viewings.
Theme Tune
Quotes
[opening theme]
Choir: [singing] Ecce homo qui est faba.
[Latin: “Behold the man who is a bean”]
Cast
Rowan Atkinson … Mr. Bean
Trivia
Due to the focus on visual jokes as opposed to verbal humor, the show was able to connect to a world-wide audience. In East-Asia, where it is not uncommon for people to also adopt a Western-sounding first name, the show was so popular that many boys adopted the name ‘Rowan’ in honor of Mr. Bean’s performer, Rowan Atkinson.
Mr. Bean’s car, a 1976 British Leyland Mini 1000, developed its own character of sorts over the series and was central to several antics, such as Mr. Bean getting dressed in it, driving while sitting in an armchair strapped to the roof, starting it with a number of locks and keys, or attempting to avoid a car park fee by driving out through the entrance.
At first, it was an orange 1969 BMC Mini MK II (registration RNT 996H), but this was destroyed in an off-screen crash at the end of the first episode. From then on, the car was a 1976 model (registration SLW 287R), Austin Citron Green in colour with a matte black bonnet.
The Mini also had a number of innovative security measures. For example, Bean uses a bolt-latch and padlock, rather than the lock fitted to the car, and removes the steering wheel instead of the key. These formed a running joke in several episodes, at one point deterring a car thief. However, after changing parking spaces with an identical car in ‘Back to School Mr. Bean’, his car is crushed by a tank. Fortunately for him, his padlock still remains, and he hurries off to ‘hijack’ another car with the same colour scheme.
Trivia
Two films featuring Bean have been released. The first, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, was directed by Mel Smith and released in 1997, with Atkinson reprising his title role. This broke from the program’s tradition by using a subplot with more developed characters – instead of being the sole centre of attention, Bean here interacted with a suburban Californian family he stayed with while overseeing the transfer of Whistler’s Mother to a Los Angeles art gallery. The film grossed more than US$250 million globally ($45 million in the USA) on a budget estimated at $22 million.
In February 2001, an unproduced script outline for a Mr. Bean movie set in Australia was rumored to have been developed by screenwriter Richard Curtis.
In March 2005, news broke out that a second Bean film, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, was in development, with Atkinson reprising his title role. The film had been through several changes of name during its development, including Bean 2 and French Bean. Filming began on 15 May 2006 and began post-production in October 2006. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 March 2007.
Trivia
The character (as represented by Atkinson) plays a single note on a synthesizer in the performance of “Chariots of Fire”, during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Instead of his usual brown tweed sports jacket, he wears white tie and tails like the other musicians around him.
Info
| Executive producer | Peter Bennett-Jones |
|---|---|
| Producers |
John Howard Davies (Episodes 1–3) Sue Vertue (Episodes 4–9, 12–15) Peter Bennett-Jones (Episodes 10–11 and 15) |
| Running time | 24–26 minutes |
| Production company | Tiger Aspect Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV:
Thames Television (1990–1992) Central Independent Television (1993–1995) |
| Audio format |
Stereo |
| Original release | 1 January 1990 – 15 December 1995 |
| Followed by | Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie |
Quote
Student: Done your revision?
Mr. Bean: Uh, oh, yes. I concentrated on trigonometry.
Student: I’ve done calculus, mainly.
Mr. Bean: Oh, I believe they concentrated on calculus last year.
Student: Oh! Oh dear.
[Mr. Bean sniggers]
QUIZ 1
What two things does Mr Bean get his girlfriend for Christmas ?
A. A picture of an engaged couple and a hook
B. Mistletoe and a dog biscuit
C. A teddy bear and a mood ring
D. A pudding and an engagement ring
Press for Answer
A. A picture of an engaged couple and a hook
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QUIZ 2
Rowan Atkinson, who Plays Mr Bean,is a keen car enthusiast. What did someone say to him when he was in a garage.
A. Is that your Mini parked outside
B. Could you take a picture of me with my friend
C. You look just like Mr Bean
D. I’ve never heard you talk before
Press for Answer
C. You look just like Mr Bean
Scroll Down for More
QUIZ 1
What two things does Mr Bean get his girlfriend for Christmas ?
A. A picture of an engaged couple and a hook
B. Mistletoe and a dog biscuit
C. A teddy bear and a mood ring
D. A pudding and an engagement ring
It is Christmas time and an excited Mr. Bean creates his usual havoc across the festive season. He brings new meaning to “dressing” the TURKEY, whilst his girlfriend, Irma, looks forward to a very special Christmas present. She looks longingly at an engagement ring in a jewelry shop window. Bean thinks she’s admiring the photograph behind it and so he gets it for her for Christmas. He gives her the photograph, sees she’s not happy, then hands her a ring box. The “ring” is a hook that hangs the picture to the wall. Hilarious!
QUIZ 2
Rowan Atkinson, who Plays Mr Bean,is a keen car enthusiast. What did someone say to him when he was in a garage.
A. Is that your Mini parked outside
B. Could you take a picture of me with my friend
C. You look just like Mr Bean
D. I’ve never heard you talk before
During an interview on The Grayham norton show Roan Atkinson – who starred in the iconic role as Mr Bean. for five years from 1990 to 1995 – also shared a hilarious story about a man who didn’t believe he was actually the lovable character.
Rowan laughed: “I get half recognised a lot. One man once said, ‘You are the spitting image of Mr. Bean.'”
“When I told him that I was the actor that played Mr. Bean, he laughed and said, ‘I bet you wish you were. The resemblance is so uncanny you could get lookalike work. You’d make an absolute fortune!'”
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