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Released by: A&E Home Video
Released on: 4/29/20036
Director: Various
Cast: Rowan Atkinson
Year: Various
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The Series:
Comprised of fourteen episodes that run about twenty-four minutes each, The Whole Bean is a great compilation of Rowan Atkinson's classic character, Mr. Bean. Originally shot and broadcast for a British audience, Mr. Bean was eventually shown a few years later on HBO in the U.S. and immediately won over quite a popular following, eventually leading to the character getting his own feature film.
The fourteen episodes included on the set are: Mr. Bean, The Return of Mr. Bean, The Curse of Mr. Bean, Mr. Bean Goes to Town, The Trouble with Mr. Bean, Mr. Bean Rides Again, Merry Christmas Mr. Bean, Mr. Bean in Room 426, Mind the Baby Mr. Bean, Do It Yourself Mr. Bean, Back to School Mr. Bean, Tee Off Mr. Bean, Good Night Mr. Bean, and Hair by Mr. Bean of London.
Within the fourteen episodes are too many classic moments to really mention, but let it suffice to say that there is a goldmine of great comedy contained in the sets three hundred minute running time. Atkinson perfectly brings a sense of childish and mischievous glee to his character and even when he's being an absolute bastard, you can't help but love him anyway.
What makes Atkinson's performances even more incredible is the fact that he does them all more or less silent. Mr. Bean doesn't talk much at all, and on the rare occasion that he does, what he says is usually made up of grumbles and strange noises and expressions, rather than actual dialogue. It's because of this that the sketches and episodes rely more on Atkinson's abilities as a physical comic and his amazing facial expressions than witty dialogue or banter, making Mr. Bean an accessible form of comedy that almost extends international boundaries.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Each episode is presented fullframe, as it should be. For the most part, they all have a grainier look to them than you might first expect from a fairly recent television show, but this is common for British TV series and doesn't really take anything away from the presentation. Colors are decent; blacks look ok but not great, and there aren't really any edge enhancement or compression issues to report. It's a good but not great transfer on A&E's part.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track sounds pretty good. Very little hiss or distortion to mention and the dialogue and effects are mixed quite nicely without any level problems creeping up.
The main extra on the set is The Story of Bean, which is aforty-minute documentary that chronicles Rowan Atkinson's career and is made up of interview clips from Rowan and those who know him and have worked with him. Next up are a series of four sketches entitled "Bus Stop," "Library," "Blind Date" and "Torvill & Bean." The later two are taken from Comic Relief while the first two have never been shown on TV. There is also a "Mr. Bean: The Animated Series" trailer, a photo gallery, and a Rowan Atkinson biography and filmography included that rounds out the set.
The Final Word:
This set is a great example of Rowan Atkinson's most famous character with some great extras and a decent audio/video presentation.