Review of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

Bravo and kudos to Rowan Atkinson and the makers of this cartoon for both its undertaking and a job well-done. This is "the real Mr. Bean" making his noises and reading lines for the character while the animators caught his most signature expressions and movements, even down to splendid little nuances -- a real must-see for fans of the original show. The original Mr. Bean series (the real actor on film) can actually be devoured and completed in one or two moderate binges, as the extent of this incredibly unique and addictive work is not as voluminous as one may wish, leaving us pining for more. While the target audience may be slightly different (if not overlapping) and there's a brief adjustment period for some (esp. those who are limited in their contemporary cartoon appreciation) even this skeptical and often cynical viewer caved in and had to have every episode. If one don't do it for you, make sure to watch several, because most of them are very well-done and capture (and even add to) the nature of all things Bean. Even the concerns and reservations Rowan Atkinson has about continuing playing the role on film, as he gets older, are moot in this arena. Here, Bean can forever be someone having only just recently reached pseudo-adulthood which is even indicated by the fact that the landlord's cat is still alive and well (one which he "gave" to her as a little boy, and one which was already no kitten and had seen better days). In fact, while each episode appears to have custom lines mumbled characteristically by Atkinson to fit the episode, the series could live on even with less per-episode involvement from Atkinson if he so chose (without shutting its doors forever) -- by way of leaving a thorough library of his genuine utterances which can be re-used time and time again. Perhaps even "Master Bean" (English title for a youngster, as has been touched upon in a flashback episode or two). There's something very unique about Mr. Bean (they key to his success is not just some simple love of slapstick by a gargantuan, sub-intelligent, worldwide fan base), and so it will be sad the day any new material from any incarnation of him is surely gone forever. He is almost a kind of archetype hidden within the best of us, waiting to be uncovered en masse when he came along. So many roles can be played by so many people, but Mr. Bean being played by anyone else would likely go over as well as anyone but Peter Sellers playing Inspector Clouseau. His distinctive character is tied to the exclusive skills in Atkinson's toolbox, for better or for worse.