NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
Like most things one might not consider it "terrible" if it was the first thing of the Mr Bean series that you saw. Even if you only saw the films and didn't see anything of the live-action or animated series, you might consider the films are the best of the lot. Those of us who are old enough to have seen Mr Bean when it was brand new on ITV in the 1990s will almost always gravitate towards them.
Of course the animated series was easier for Rowan Atkinson to do, since you're just providing a voice. I know he has more input into it than just providing the voice, since its a small amount of acting it out for the benefit of the animators as well. That and I suppose being a general consultant on the show. I don't think Atkinson writes for it, but Robin Driscoll has, and he also had input into the live action shows and the films.
Of course the animated series was easier for Rowan Atkinson to do, since you're just providing a voice. I know he has more input into it than just providing the voice, since its a small amount of acting it out for the benefit of the animators as well. That and I suppose being a general consultant on the show. I don't think Atkinson writes for it, but Robin Driscoll has, and he also had input into the live action shows and the films.
VM
It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. I liked watching the ones they showed on ITV (haven’t seen any of it since it was brought back a few years ago)
I did like how they kept the setting very British for the animated series, compared to most cartoons being American now.
Let's be honest, the animated series is terrible.
It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. I liked watching the ones they showed on ITV (haven’t seen any of it since it was brought back a few years ago)
I did like how they kept the setting very British for the animated series, compared to most cartoons being American now.
SP
The animated series always takes me back to holidays in Spain. It's shown on one of the Spanish kids channels at about 1am so I'd often end up watching it while eating an ill-advised takeaway after leaving the bars.
RI
It was only with the new ITV logo 5th October 1998 (sorry, I do remember that) that they allowed indies to broadcast without an ITV company “presenting” it. The first series of WWTBAM in 1997 was presented by Carlton. I think that the presenting company did the compliance, so if that practise had continued then all the indies would have been Channel Television presentations during the following decade.
As well as “production” and “presentation” on end-caps there was also “programme”. Not sure what the difference between “presentation” and “production” was - maybe something to do with the level of the region’s involvement?
Mr Bean was presented initially to the network by Thames and was later presented by Central. Which would explain the Carlton end-cap above if there was a networked repeat run at some point (which there probably would have been). IIRC this was back in the days when Indies could only get their programmes on air through an ITV company "presenting" it, which was just code for playing it out. I'm sure this changed to an extent but I think it was long after 1993.
It was only with the new ITV logo 5th October 1998 (sorry, I do remember that) that they allowed indies to broadcast without an ITV company “presenting” it. The first series of WWTBAM in 1997 was presented by Carlton. I think that the presenting company did the compliance, so if that practise had continued then all the indies would have been Channel Television presentations during the following decade.
As well as “production” and “presentation” on end-caps there was also “programme”. Not sure what the difference between “presentation” and “production” was - maybe something to do with the level of the region’s involvement?
VM
Sounds like the documentary will be quite interesting.
The 'Happy Birthday Mr Bean' documentary (Sunday 10th Jan at 8pm on ITV) is a cut above your standard comedy retrospective. Atkinson, Curtis and Robin Driscoll provide some actual insight into their creative process. It's interesting.
— Paul Whitelaw (@paulwhitelaw) January 8, 2021
LL
London Lite
Founding member
Coming back to England on the ferry from Dieppe in the early 90s and Mr Bean was on a loop.
Like some of the other older members, I gravitate to the live action tv series which even today still works well, but I also like Mr Bean's Holiday which I preferred to the Hollywood film Bean.
Like some of the other older members, I gravitate to the live action tv series which even today still works well, but I also like Mr Bean's Holiday which I preferred to the Hollywood film Bean.
NJ
Holiday is probably closer to the original TV character and series than the 1997 film, which although had the same writers as the TV show (bar Atkinson), they couldn't make it quite work on the big screen. Indeed the fact they recycled a load of the jokes from the TV series and then had to chop most of the other typical Bean type skits out (driving through a department store for example) left them with something that was relatively reminiscent of what happened when the decision was taken to make big screen versions of other TV shows in the 1970s which also didn't quite work out - the first Dad's Army movie for example, didn't offer anything new and the cast and crew didn't really like it as there was too much studio interference.
Neil Jones
Founding member
Coming back to England on the ferry from Dieppe in the early 90s and Mr Bean was on a loop.
Like some of the other older members, I gravitate to the live action tv series which even today still works well, but I also like Mr Bean's Holiday which I preferred to the Hollywood film Bean.
Like some of the other older members, I gravitate to the live action tv series which even today still works well, but I also like Mr Bean's Holiday which I preferred to the Hollywood film Bean.
Holiday is probably closer to the original TV character and series than the 1997 film, which although had the same writers as the TV show (bar Atkinson), they couldn't make it quite work on the big screen. Indeed the fact they recycled a load of the jokes from the TV series and then had to chop most of the other typical Bean type skits out (driving through a department store for example) left them with something that was relatively reminiscent of what happened when the decision was taken to make big screen versions of other TV shows in the 1970s which also didn't quite work out - the first Dad's Army movie for example, didn't offer anything new and the cast and crew didn't really like it as there was too much studio interference.