Home  •  About  •  Contact  •  Twitter  •  Google+  •  Facebook  •  Tumblr  •  Youtube  •  RSS Feed
Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean

Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean

By Patrick Samuel • December 8th, 2012
Static Mass Rating: 5/5
MR BEAN: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (DVD)
Thames Television

Original airdate: December 25th, 1992
Running time: 26 minutes

Created by: Rowan Atkinson & Richard Curtis
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Teddy

Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean

Christmas mornings are unlike any other mornings during the whole year. You go to bed the night before either excited or exhausted (or both) after all that planning and hard work. Barely able to get any sleep at all you wake wide-eyed and leap out of bed, jumping for joy that the world’s best day has finally arrived! Yes, I still do that and I can’t imagine a Christmas Day in my life where I wouldn’t do that. Neither could someone like Mr. Bean for that matter.

22 years have now passed since he first bungled his way onto our TV screens. The first episode was broadcast on January 1st 1990 and saw him fumbling his way through a Maths exam without realising there were 2 papers to get through. I remember it was one of the few occasions my entire family sat down together over the Christmas period and didn’t annoy each other. Mr. Bean’s innocent but yet mischievous nature made him a curious and utterly watchable character. A mixture of Charlie Chaplin’s silent humour with a bit of Dennis the Menace was a dangerous combination and you never knew for sure what would happen next, but your guesses wouldn’t be far off. As the series developed we got see more of Mr Bean and Teddy’s exploits.

All 14 episodes made Mr. Bean a welcomed fixture in our household and it wasn’t long before we had them all on VHS. As a home collection they were great for whipping out during the holidays along with Only Fools and Horses, Steptoe & Son and ‘Allo ‘Allo! One of my favourite episodes is of course Merry Christmas Mr. Bean. It opens with him driving up to Harrods during the festive period. After picking up a few decorations and using a T-Rex to frighten the bejesus of out of…well, Jesus, he then visits the Christmas market where further havoc ensues as he tries to conduct an orchestra.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean

His girlfriend drops some pretty big hints about what she wants for Christmas, but whether or not Mr. Bean picks up on those hints is left to be seen. Back at his apartment on Christmas Eve night, he puts the finishing touches on his tree and settles down to watch telly. When morning comes, Mr. Bean is all a-flutter with excitement, there’s so much to do; including preparing a bird that’s so big it might’ve been literally plucked from Sesame Street.

While I might have a few things in common with Mr. Bean, I’ve certainly never gotten my head stuck inside a turkey, but you never know, it’s still early days yet! The episode never fails to raise a smile and a few chuckles and Christmas is never complete without sitting down to watch one of this unusual and memorable character’s exploits.

Even though there haven’t been any new episodes for quite some years, the magic of these old ones never fades. There’s something truly unique and special with every episode and a nostalgic feeling washes over me when I watch them and remember times gone.

Patrick Samuel

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

© 2022 STATIC MASS EMPORIUM . All Rights Reserved. Powered by METATEMPUS | creative.timeless.personal.   |   DISCLAIMER, TERMS & CONDITIONS

HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | FACEBOOK | TUMBLR | YOUTUBE | RSS FEED

CINEMA REVIEWS | BLU-RAY & DVD | THE EMPORIUM | DOCUMENTARIES | WORLD CINEMA | CULT MOVIES | INDIAN CINEMA | EARLY CINEMA

MOVIE CLASSICS | DECONSTRUCTING CINEMA | SOUNDTRACKS | INTERVIEWS | THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR | JAPANESE CINEMA