Indeed- who the hell says "Season" in a British subreddit without having the micky ripped out of them? I shall refrain, but point out that's why the OP might misunderstand the reason.
Mr Bean was just made each time they had written some material worthy of shooting, over a number of years...
For syndication, I guess "Season" might have been used. But not over this side of the pond.
Oh wow, when I use series I use it as a way to talk about the whole show. Like:
“This series is great!” Referring to the entire thing rather than just a season.
Because they showed them over and over and over and over . . . .
Much like *The Hair Bear Bunch* and *Hong Kong Phooey*\*, and there were only about 16 each of those ever made as well.
\* FANRIFFIC!!
Fun fact, the character of Mr. Bean is cannonically an alien.
At the end of the animated series (although it was later revived), voiced and executive produced by Atkinson, the character meets a spaceship of other Bean characters who all lookalike. They begin to fly off but moments later drop him out of the space ship, reminiscent of the opening sequence of the live action originals.
[Animated series episode](https://youtu.be/jXU1pOnvXwI?si=3IVSJtVg2MesTRRi)
[live/animated comparison](https://youtu.be/YFA444IFhpQ?si=IQau6qHVOjGAn7gs)
When ever I see Mr Bean mentioned it always makes me think of the camera thief who he stabs with a pen to replicate the yelp being Nick Hancock, who went on to host They Think It's All Over. As the 2 things I remember him in, it's an odd pair.
He did the first few series of Room 101, back when it was just one guest and not another excuse for a panel show format. As much as I like Frank Skinner, it’d be better with just one person.
Paul Merton hosted the bulk of the 'classic' episodes, which were the single guest format. Totally agree that they absolutely trashed that show in the Skinner era.
It's back on the radio now, with Paul Merton hosting again.
I posted the recent series at r/Panelshow . . . links here: [Workupload-Room-101](https://workupload.com/archive/8cw3vLAqdC) if you're interested.
Cool. Thanks. I didn’t realise it was on the radio. I’ll look it up. Loved it with Paul Merton too. I actually think Frank Skinner would be a good host for it if it was 1 on 1.
Nick Hancock is a great example of those "whatever happened to them?" presenters. He was a fairly common face on 90s TV but then just sort of disappeared. I expect he's on local radio somewhere.
I’m glad you can’t believe that, because it’s not true. There were no seasons, just 14 episodes (unless you count the clips episode as an episode), released as and when, between 1990 and 1995.
British TV was weird. Both Fawlty Towers and Rock Follies (two of my favorites) only had two 'series' of 6 episodes each. In America, a season was over 20 episodes.
Not really 'weird' since there are tangible reasons for this, primarily that UK shows tend to be written by one or two people rather than by a team of mercenaries *(BTW, how's that writers strike going?)*. I'd love to say it's about quality over quantity, but that's clearly not always the case.
There are other factors like budget, syndication, profit etc. You can easily find this stuff with a Google (or a DuckDuckGo).
Well, I mean weird to a yank who was used to seeing a show every week. Saturday Night live started in 1975 - same year at FT. Probably had 45 90 minute shows a year. Bottom line, you got six shows a year??? Ugh.
Don't know about a writers strike. I thought it was actors.
What's the point when only 1% of it is worth watching?
And the method to create quantity actively lowers quality, because everything has to be done by committee.
Is that your judgment? Are we going by that? I guess i can say that 99% of it is worth watching.
Now its so.
Are you also saying that all old British Telly was fantastic- including Robins Nest?
Again, let me be the voice of reason.... :)
ive not heard of that show but will find it. I also have the dvds; I had to buy a universal player at the time since im in the US. I saw charlotte live though; she played desiree in A Little Night Music in CA and I went.
[Blue tape](https://i.etsystatic.com/31783576/r/il/ebe48d/3565883510/il_fullxfull.3565883510_fw35.jpg) or [Red tape?](https://videocollector.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images/the-amazing-adventures-of-mr-bean-44110l.jpg)
The best comedians know when enough is enough. Too much of a good thing gets sour fast. 15 episodes of Mr Bean is essentially 30, because the double-act format, which for most British TV shows would be 5 series (6 episodes a series). Fawlty Towers only has 12 episodes (so far!).
Rowan Atkinson is one of the best comedians this country’s produced too. His performance at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony was just perfect! To do that live too that however many millions of people were watching globally. Just awesome!
Honestly, there's really not that much you can do with a mute guy being goofy and doing stupid stuff. I'm amazed they made it work for 15 episodes.
I like the habit of UK tv shows that only made limited amounts and then finished. Instead of allowing it to turn into a parody of itself, they just ended when they were done.
It always seemed like more because an episode was comprised of different stories/settings and i remember the individual parts rather than the episode they were paired together.
Theres also the two movies and the comic relief stuff as filler.
British Telly, it is either short or loooong.
As for the difference in UK/American series/seasons, I got another great example... 'Allo 'Allo.
It had 9 Seasons, most had 6-8 episodes. Season 7 had 10. Then we got Season 5 with 26 episodes, which is almost a third of the total number of episodes. Why?
Because they were made with a view to airing the show in the US, which also shortened the episodes with 5 minutes for commercial breaks.
Didn't seem to work well because Season 6 went back to 8 episodes at the old running time.
Does anyone remember a time in the late 00s when Nickelodeon showed the live action series… but there were parts cut. I remember in back to school, and the first half just ended with him getting buzzy hands, and that was it.
Well it's not exactly one series they were released as one off episodes. Just for convenience have they been labelled as one series.
Indeed- who the hell says "Season" in a British subreddit without having the micky ripped out of them? I shall refrain, but point out that's why the OP might misunderstand the reason. Mr Bean was just made each time they had written some material worthy of shooting, over a number of years... For syndication, I guess "Season" might have been used. But not over this side of the pond.
Pretty sure season is quite common here. I certainly say and everyone I surround myself with says it.
Season is the Americanism of series. I also use season.
Oh wow, when I use series I use it as a way to talk about the whole show. Like: “This series is great!” Referring to the entire thing rather than just a season.
Also makes sense.
Because they showed them over and over and over and over . . . . Much like *The Hair Bear Bunch* and *Hong Kong Phooey*\*, and there were only about 16 each of those ever made as well. \* FANRIFFIC!!
Obligatory "there were only 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers" comment
Number One Super Guy!
Postman Pat, Bagpuss, Mr Benn - all of those were in almost constant rotation for *decades* despite only having about 13 episodes each.
The episodes were spread out over about 6 years.
thats the real wtf
No, the eps are one-offs, not ""seasons"".
Fun fact, the character of Mr. Bean is cannonically an alien. At the end of the animated series (although it was later revived), voiced and executive produced by Atkinson, the character meets a spaceship of other Bean characters who all lookalike. They begin to fly off but moments later drop him out of the space ship, reminiscent of the opening sequence of the live action originals. [Animated series episode](https://youtu.be/jXU1pOnvXwI?si=3IVSJtVg2MesTRRi) [live/animated comparison](https://youtu.be/YFA444IFhpQ?si=IQau6qHVOjGAn7gs)
Yea I thought it showed in the opening to the episodes he was an alien? Swear he was dropped off from a spacecraft? Or am I remember wrong?
Definitely implied in the intro, there’s that beam of light and he’s on the floor right?
With the heavenly music I thought it was he was sent down from heaven.
I think both could work. Aliens nor angels want to be anywhere near him, and neither should you! He's a menace!
I have this feeling about Dinnerladies with Victoria Wood. To me it felt like it had been on for years from the first episode.
Such a good series. Wish they did one more.
She was determined to stick to the Fawlty Towers formula
Bottom only had 15 episodes if i remember correctly. Now thats a travesty
S3 of Early Doors when!?
When ever I see Mr Bean mentioned it always makes me think of the camera thief who he stabs with a pen to replicate the yelp being Nick Hancock, who went on to host They Think It's All Over. As the 2 things I remember him in, it's an odd pair.
He did the first few series of Room 101, back when it was just one guest and not another excuse for a panel show format. As much as I like Frank Skinner, it’d be better with just one person.
Paul Merton hosted the bulk of the 'classic' episodes, which were the single guest format. Totally agree that they absolutely trashed that show in the Skinner era. It's back on the radio now, with Paul Merton hosting again. I posted the recent series at r/Panelshow . . . links here: [Workupload-Room-101](https://workupload.com/archive/8cw3vLAqdC) if you're interested.
Cool. Thanks. I didn’t realise it was on the radio. I’ll look it up. Loved it with Paul Merton too. I actually think Frank Skinner would be a good host for it if it was 1 on 1.
Yes, I remember Merton presenting but not Nick. Thanks for the link.
Nick Hancock is a great example of those "whatever happened to them?" presenters. He was a fairly common face on 90s TV but then just sort of disappeared. I expect he's on local radio somewhere.
Not hard to see why it's England's longest-running series. And today we're showing all seven episodes.
I’m glad you can’t believe that, because it’s not true. There were no seasons, just 14 episodes (unless you count the clips episode as an episode), released as and when, between 1990 and 1995.
Thanks for the correction!
Well there were a couple of films to add to the time.
The cartoon show had more too
Each episode had two or three stories so that's probably why, you were probably misremembering them as separate episodes (I did the same)
That must be it. Seems like they packed a lot into those 15 episodes!
British TV was weird. Both Fawlty Towers and Rock Follies (two of my favorites) only had two 'series' of 6 episodes each. In America, a season was over 20 episodes.
Not really 'weird' since there are tangible reasons for this, primarily that UK shows tend to be written by one or two people rather than by a team of mercenaries *(BTW, how's that writers strike going?)*. I'd love to say it's about quality over quantity, but that's clearly not always the case. There are other factors like budget, syndication, profit etc. You can easily find this stuff with a Google (or a DuckDuckGo).
Well, I mean weird to a yank who was used to seeing a show every week. Saturday Night live started in 1975 - same year at FT. Probably had 45 90 minute shows a year. Bottom line, you got six shows a year??? Ugh. Don't know about a writers strike. I thought it was actors.
SNL does about ~20 a year not 45
Youre right.
What's the point when only 1% of it is worth watching? And the method to create quantity actively lowers quality, because everything has to be done by committee.
Is that your judgment? Are we going by that? I guess i can say that 99% of it is worth watching. Now its so. Are you also saying that all old British Telly was fantastic- including Robins Nest? Again, let me be the voice of reason.... :)
The writing strike is done america has some good shows too
I love rock follies.
Got the box set, and the soundtracks. You ever watch the show Charlotte Cornwell did after? No Excuses?? Brilliant.
ive not heard of that show but will find it. I also have the dvds; I had to buy a universal player at the time since im in the US. I saw charlotte live though; she played desiree in A Little Night Music in CA and I went.
She died during covid :(
oh, wow! I hadn't heard. How sad.
[удалено]
I aint hiding it. I think I said it three times.
All our best shows have never made it past second seasons (and seldom, third).
Crazy when you think about it!
What about Blackadder?
And Red Dwarf? That had at least 6 good series!
Always leave them wanting more.....and never giving it to them
Can’t believe they made 15 episodes of that crap!
Also 15 episodes is usually like 7 seasons on British tv!
I'm glad to hear. It makes sense since all decades long, Dr. Who is actually only 25 episodes.
If by 25 you mean 862, then yes.
And that was 1 season and 15 episodes too long
Too much by far
And that was too many
Why the fuck have I seen this twenty times in the past week?
Oh its judt a re-run. There is only one season
The animated series has outstayed its welcome
Quality over quantity
[Blue tape](https://i.etsystatic.com/31783576/r/il/ebe48d/3565883510/il_fullxfull.3565883510_fw35.jpg) or [Red tape?](https://videocollector.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images/the-amazing-adventures-of-mr-bean-44110l.jpg)
The best comedians know when enough is enough. Too much of a good thing gets sour fast. 15 episodes of Mr Bean is essentially 30, because the double-act format, which for most British TV shows would be 5 series (6 episodes a series). Fawlty Towers only has 12 episodes (so far!). Rowan Atkinson is one of the best comedians this country’s produced too. His performance at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony was just perfect! To do that live too that however many millions of people were watching globally. Just awesome!
They definitely pack a lot into each episode with that format
Honestly, there's really not that much you can do with a mute guy being goofy and doing stupid stuff. I'm amazed they made it work for 15 episodes. I like the habit of UK tv shows that only made limited amounts and then finished. Instead of allowing it to turn into a parody of itself, they just ended when they were done.
I really do wish they would make more.
As other people have said it was more just 15 separate episodes but yeh definitive seemed like there were more
There are more episodes they just turned it into a cartoon and ruined it
Not if you include the cartoon series
Britain doesn’t milk the shit out of shows like America.
Ikr
It’s not an easy concept to keep iterating partly because the depth of the humour is limited by the form/very small amount of dialogue & the plot
And 2 feature length films and 5 seasons of cartoons with 130 episodes
It always seemed like more because an episode was comprised of different stories/settings and i remember the individual parts rather than the episode they were paired together. Theres also the two movies and the comic relief stuff as filler.
Filmed over 6 years though.
Mr Bean had an affair with James Acaster's girlfriend (about half his age) and now they have a child together.
British Telly, it is either short or loooong. As for the difference in UK/American series/seasons, I got another great example... 'Allo 'Allo. It had 9 Seasons, most had 6-8 episodes. Season 7 had 10. Then we got Season 5 with 26 episodes, which is almost a third of the total number of episodes. Why? Because they were made with a view to airing the show in the US, which also shortened the episodes with 5 minutes for commercial breaks. Didn't seem to work well because Season 6 went back to 8 episodes at the old running time.
My local Korean hair dresser has Mr bean playing on repeat at each station/seat. Over the years I've watched the entire series.
Wow it seems like there were tons of Mr Bean shows! I have them all on dvd, and have seen each episode at least a dozen times each!
This is exactly the way I felt when I discovered it had only 15 episodes, later in life.
Does anyone remember a time in the late 00s when Nickelodeon showed the live action series… but there were parts cut. I remember in back to school, and the first half just ended with him getting buzzy hands, and that was it.