Mr Bean: Episodes, Films, Cast and Rowan Atkinson's Legacy

Mr Bean first appeared on ITV on 1 January 1990, and more than 35 years later the man in the tweed jacket is still one of Britain's most famous comedy exports. As recently as December 2025, Rowan Atkinson told The Graham Norton Show that strangers sometimes tell him he looks like Mr Bean without realising he plays him.

Here is the story of the series, the films and the man behind the character. Browse more classics in our TV series collection.

Mr Bean Fact File

Title	Mr. Bean
Years aired	1990-1995
Creators	Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis
Network	ITV
Production company	Tiger Aspect Productions
Episodes	14, plus a clip special
Star	Rowan Atkinson
Setting	Flat 2, 12 Arbour Road, Highbury, London
Signature items	The green Mini and Teddy
Films	Bean (1997), Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)

Episodes and Films

Year	Title	Format
1990-1995	Mr. Bean	Live-action ITV series, 14 episodes
1997	Bean	Feature film, directed by Mel Smith
2002-2004	Mr. Bean: The Animated Series	52 episodes on ITV1
2007	Mr. Bean's Holiday	Feature film, directed by Steve Bendelack
2012	London Olympics opening ceremony	Live sketch with the London Symphony Orchestra
2015	Animated series revival	78 new episodes commissioned by CITV

Episode counts exclude clip specials; the final ITV broadcast episode aired on 31 October 1995.

How Mr Bean Began

Rowan Atkinson developed the character while studying for a master's degree in electrical engineering at The Queen's College, Oxford. Together with Richard Curtis he shaped Mr Bean into a near-silent figure whose comedy relied on physical humour rather than words.

Ben Elton co-wrote the pilot, which aired on ITV on New Year's Day 1990, and Robin Driscoll later joined as a co-writer.

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The Series and Its Icons

Across 14 episodes, Mr Bean battled everyday situations from exams to dentist visits, with two co-stars almost as famous as he was. His citron-green 1977 Mini with its matte black bonnet became a star in its own right, as did Teddy, the knitted brown bear with button eyes.

The pilot won the Golden Rose and two other prizes at the 1991 Rose d'Or festival in Montreux, and the show earned several BAFTA nominations.

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Films, Cartoons and the Olympics

Bean (1997) grossed more than $250 million worldwide, and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007) took nearly $230 million. An animated series followed from 2002, with Atkinson voicing the character, and CITV commissioned 78 more episodes in 2015.

In 2012 Atkinson performed during the London Olympics opening ceremony, playing synthesiser with the London Symphony Orchestra during "Chariots of Fire" in a sketch watched around the world.

Awards

Series Awards

Golden Rose, Rose d'Or Festival, Montreux (1991)
BAFTA nominations for Best Light Entertainment Programme and Best Comedy (1991)

Rowan Atkinson Honours

CBE for services to drama and charity (2013)
BAFTA TV Award, Best Light Entertainment Performance (1981 and 1990)

Behind the Scenes

Rowan Atkinson was born on 6 January 1955 in the North East of England and studied electrical engineering at Newcastle University before Oxford, which helps explain his lifelong love of cars. The Mini from the first film sold for $70,000 in 2018, while Teddy was donated to a teddy bear museum in Stratford-upon-Avon.