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Mr. Bean is the first episode of the live-action TV series. It originally aired over ITV on January 1, 1990.

Synopsis

Mr. Bean attends a maths exam, during which he tries to copy from a student (Paul Bown) under the nose of the invigilator (Rudolph Walker); he surreptitiously changes into his swimming trunks so as not to be noticed by someone nearby (Roger Sloman); and he struggles to stay awake during a church service, much to the annoyance of the man sitting next to him, Mr. Sprout (Richard Briers).

Plot

Mr

Mr. Bean during the exam.

Act One: The Exam

in Act One: Mr. Bean is late for an important mathematics exam and speeds past a Reliant Regal, running it off the road and nearly overturning it in the process. Once he reaches the college, he sits down looking awkward. A student sitting next to him asks if he did his revision and Mr. Bean replies that he concentrated on trigonometry, to which the student said he studied calculus. Bean adds that he believed they concentrated in calculus the previous year which worries the student. He then looks around scoffing while the invigilator says that the exam will commence in two minutes. Mr Bean then irritates the fellow candidate by getting out many spare pens when he takes out one along with a number of toys, including a Pink Panther doll.

The exam starts and Mr. Bean takes a green paper out of the envelope and freaks out (as he hadn't studied calculus). He gradually becomes frustrated as he does not know how to complete it, so he resorts to spending most of the exam time attempting to cheat off the other student's work (going as far as stealing the student's paper when he becomes distracted), but each attempt ends in failure. Eventually, Bean gives up and cries out "Oh, Mummy!" before putting his head on the desk and sleeping for the remainder of the exam.

Two minutes towards the end, the invigilator gives instructions on what to do with the papers once the exam finishes. From this, Bean realises that there were two papers in the envelope – a green calculus paper, and a white trigonometry paper, with each student given a choice as to which to do (although the invigilator logically should have stated this at the beginning). Bean takes out the paper and tries to complete it in a hurried fashion, but his pen won't write anything so he steals the pen off the other student (forgetting about the many spares he came prepared with). Unfortunately, the exam has already ended and the invigilator tells him to stop writing twice. But Bean is determined to finish the exam and continues, and he finally stops when the invigilator yells "WILL YOU STOP WRITING!". At this point, his alarm clock goes off, and the first act ends as Bean frantically tries to silence it.

Switch

Mr. Bean during his suit switch.

Act Two: The Beach

Mr. Bean goes to the beach and tries to change from his street trousers and underpants into his swimming trunks without ever becoming naked so a nearby man won't see him. After he succeeds, the man gets out of his patio seat and walks with a white cane, revealing that was actually blind all along, leaving Bean frustrated.

Act Three: Church

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Mr. Bean during the church ceremony.

After a parking altercation, once again involving the Reliant, Mr. Bean attends a church service. Unfortunately he doesn't know the words to the hymns, sneezes loudly and falls asleep out of boredom, much to the annoyance of Mr Sprout who is sitting next to him. Then he tries to put a sweetie in his mouth without being seen and puts it into a pocket which he has wiped his nose on.

Act Four: Driving Home

On the way back home, Mr. Bean takes a wrong turn and the sound of the Mini crashing is heard but he and one of the tires survived (a tire is seen bouncing into view), all the while the Reliant sits there, then drives off, not helping him, as a way to get back at him.

Cast

Trivia

  • Unlike all subsequent episodes, this episode's opening credits are displayed as subtitles over the beginning of the first act. Similarly, this is the only episode not to feature the "Ecce Homo" theme tune.
    • However, it is featured in the DVD called “Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean” (2003) and the Remastered Version of this Episode.
  • Mr. Bean makes his second longest conversation in the entire series, the first longest is in Mr. Bean: Ultimate Disaster Movie where he gives his speech about Whistler's Mother.
  • Mr Bean would have caused several accidents for pushing the Reliant Regal off its parking space into the road, due to cars travelling along and then crashing into the Reliant Regal and each other.
  • In 1991, it was announced 20th Century Fox had a feature film adaptation of Mr. Bean in development. They remade Act 1 into a short film: Mr. Bean Takes an Exam and attached it to their theatrical releases it was also included on the UK VHS rental release of Hot Shots! Part Deux.
  • The invigilator failed to mention in the beginning prior to the commencement of the examinations that there were two papers in the envelope, as well as give the description of the subjects' paper colours (green for calculus, white for trigonometry). In addition, after the invigilator tells the candidates that there are 2 minutes left, he calls "stop writing" after less than 1 minute. Both of these could allow Mr Bean to appeal against his exam result in most systems.
  • This is the only appearance of Mr. Bean's orange BMC Mini MK II, which was crashed at the end of the episode.
  • This episode contains more Reliant gags than any other.
  • The hymn that Mr. Bean sings along with in the church is All Creatures Of Our God And King; both the melody and lyrics (including the repeated "Hallelujah") are accurate.
  • The theme from this episode became the Reliant's leitmotif in "Tee Off, Mr. Bean".
  • Running Gag: Mr. Bean knocks down a sign while parking.
  • Rudolph Walker, who plays the invigilator, would later co--star with Rowan Atkinson in "The Thin Blue Line" in 1995.
  • Series composer, Howard Goodall, cameos as the Church Organist.
  • The episode used the street opening on the Nickelodeon UK airings and the remastered version.
  • This is the first episode to be shot entirely on video tape.
  • A Pink Panther toy appears during the exam.
  • This episode aired in January 1, 1990.
  • This is the first episode to have the most amount of reuploads on official YouTube channels of Mr. Bean alone.
  • This is the first episode to premiere on New Year's Day and the 90s decade.

Videos

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEjMK9DB4no (First Upload on September 14, 2010 on the official channel)
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUBvMV5XxHc (Second Upload on July 4, 2017 on the Classic Mr. Bean channel)
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Im2I6STbms (Third Upload on September 24, 2017 on the official channel) - Remastered Version
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOaVXJ1JYs (Fourth Upload on August 6, 2018 on the official channel) - Widescreen Version
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIaMLosX_kQ (Fifth Upload on September 4, 2018 on the official channel) - Original Version
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM_sm0A9m1w (Sixth Upload on November 7, 2018 on the Classic Mr. Bean channel) - Original Version
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxPvcpUI1cg&t (Seventh Upload on December 1, 2022 on the official channel)
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klesbziWheg (Eighth Upload on December 28, 2022 on Classic Mr. Bean channel)

Gallery

Mr. Bean
Episodes
Mr. BeanThe Return of Mr. BeanThe Curse of Mr. BeanMr. Bean Goes to TownThe Trouble with Mr. BeanMr. Bean Rides AgainMerry Christmas, Mr. BeanMr. Bean in Room 426Do-It-Yourself Mr. BeanMind the Baby, Mr. BeanBack to School, Mr. BeanTee Off, Mr. BeanGoodnight Mr. BeanHair by Mr. Bean of London
Compilation
The Best Bits of Mr. Bean
Unaired sketches
The LibraryThe Bus Stop
Deleted scenes
Turkey WeightArmchair SaleMarchingPlaying With Matches
Comic Reliefs
Mr. Bean's Red Nose DayBlind DateTorvill & BeanMr. Bean's WeddingFuneral
Remake sketches
Mr. Bean Takes an ExamMr. Bean Goes to a Première
Commercials
Rema 1000M&M'sPolyGram Filmed EntertainmentFujifilmNissan Tino SnickersEtisalat
Youtube specials
Mr. Bean's 25th AnniversaryBeans Gets Diamond Play Button
Films
BeanMr. Bean's Holiday
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