History Series / MrBean

* ChorusOnlySong: In the first episode, Mr. Bean is in church when the congregation begins to sing the hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King". He doesn't know any of the lyrics save for the repeated "Alleluia" chorus, which he happily sings at the top of his lungs.

* {{Defictionalization}}: When the show became popular in the 'States, a company produced faithful (if larger than screen-accurate) replicas of Teddy.

* FunnyCharacterBoringActor: Atkinson doesn't regard himself spontaneously witty. A "making of" video of ''Mr. Bean's Holiday'' shows how meticulous Atkinson is in planning all of the gags.

* IAmNotSpock: Atkinson often grumbles about being associated with the character.

* PlayingAgainstType: Atkinson is otherwise renowned for his DeadpanSnarker roles, most notably {{Blackadder}}. Except in countries that don't know {{Blackadder}}. Brazil for example.

* StarMakingRole: For Atkinson in the States. He was already a star in the UK when this show came about.

* TooSoon: "Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean" was going to be aired on February 17th 1993. However, due to the much-publicized abduction and murder of 3-year-old James Bulger, "Mr. Bean in Room 426" took its place.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: According to rumour there were going to be references to a couple of Rowan Atkinson's previous roles: namely, the leader of the Mr Bean-aliens was going to be {{Blackadder}}, or at least resemble him. Also, Mr Bean passes a prominent red telephone box while following Irma and Mr Pod to the spaceship; if the show had got clearence, the telephone box would have been a [[Series/DoctorWho police box]] instead, and after Mr Bean would drive past, [[Recap/DoctorWhoTheCurseOfFatalDeath Rowan Atkinson's Doctor]] would have stepped out.

* SignatureTeamTransport: His apple green compact car, which keeps coming back despite being trashed every odd episode.

** The postie van kiddie ride in the episode "Mind The Baby, Mr. Bean" plays the PostmanPat theme.
** In "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" when Bean is playing with the Nativity figurines, he pulls out a group of toy drummers and starts humming "The British Grenadiers", which had been used in the intro to ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder Goes Forth]]''.
** In the same episode, when "fighting" a dinosaur threatening baby Jesus, he used tanks, and a [[{{DoctorWho}} Dalek.]]

** In "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" when Bean is playing with the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, etcl. Bean pulls out a group of drummers who are drumming to the theme song for {{Blackadder}}
*** The tune in question is actually The British Grenadier, which is played as an intro to the Blackadder theme in the title sequence of the fourth season.

** In [[TheMovie ''Bean'']] his passport has his surname as 'Bean' and his first name as just 'Mr'.
** However, in ''Mr. Bean's Holiday'', in which his passport reveals it to be [[spoiler:[[TheDanza Rowan]]]].

* CartoonConductor: Done in ''Merry Christmas, Mr Bean''.

-> Ecce homo qui est faba [[labelnote:translation:]]Behold the man who is a bean[[/labelnote]]

* BootStrappedTheme: The original theme song (used throughout the first episode) was reused as the Reliant Regal's {{leitmotif}} for its appearance in "Tee Off, Mr. Bean".

* BizarreAndImprobableGolfGame: Mr. Bean finds himself playing one in ''Tee Off, Mr. Bean'', in which he accidentally knocks a ball out of the miniture golf park, but continues to play the golden rule: "Always play the ball where it lies." And doesn't matter ''where'' the ball goes, even if it's down the sewers or into the dump truck, ''[[{{Determinator}} he will continue his game]]''.

* NakedPeopleTrappedOutside:
** He loses his trunks after diving into a swimming pool in "The Curse of Mr. Bean".
** He locks himself out of his hotel room in "Mr. Bean in Room 426".

* ManChild: Mr. Bean sleeps with a teddy bear. In the first episode, he puts two dolls on the table when he sits down to take an examination.

The show is about a very odd man about whom we know nothing except his last name, who basically wanders around, getting into trouble, finding unique solutions to predicaments, and wilfully causing mayhem. Mr. Bean is perhaps the ultimate example of NoSocialSkills. Not only does he seem to be unfamiliar with all social conventions and standard methods for doing anything, he never even demonstrates normal human thought processes -- witness his strategy for protecting his furniture and possessions when painting his flat, which is to wrap every single item in newspaper right down to individual grapes.

* DinnerOrderFlub: Mr Bean orders Steak tartare, believing it was just a fancy steak, and the rest of the episode revolved around him trying to get rid if all the raw beef.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: According to rumour there were going to be references to a couple of Rowan Atkinson's previous roles: namely, the leader of the Mr Bean-aliens was going to be {{Blackadder}}, or at least resemble him. Also, Mr Bean passes a prominent red telephone box while following Irma and Mr Pod to the spaceship; if the show had got clearence, the telephone box would have been a police box instead, and after Mr Bean would drive past, Rowan Atkinson's Doctor would have stepped out.

Followed by an [[AnimatedAdaptation animated series version]], which was obviously less well-received by the fans, as Mr. Bean's charm is that he is an actual person doing embarrassing things for real.

Most recently, and speaking greatly to the popularity of the character, Mr. Bean was part of the opening ceremony of the 2012 OlympicGames in London, via a skit in which he's part of the orchestra playing the theme from ''ChariotsOfFire''. That turned out to be Mr. Bean's farewell, as Atkinson said in November 2012 that he was retiring the character, citing among other reason the problem of playing a childlike man as he continues to age.

The entire series can be seen on [=YouTube=] [[http://www.youtube.com/show/mrbean?s=1 here]]. Has two film adaptations, ''Film/{{Bean}}'' (1997) and ''Film/MrBeansHoliday'' (2007)