Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean

First unleashed in 1989, this British sketch series was embraced by PBS viewers in the United States. In the tradition of the great silent clowns, Rowan Atkinson created in Mr. Bean a character with universal and multi-generational appeal (the sketches have little dialogue and are driven by often ingenious physical comedy). Like Bart Simpson, the resourceful, mischievous, and sometimes malevolent Bean is the inner child incarnate who acts on the impulses polite society normally represses. Atkinson has described Bean as "a nine-year-old boy, with an apparent lack of worldly experience, but an ingenuity that is quite clever in dealing with problems presented to him." These problems include not knowing a single answer on an exam, discretely changing into his swimsuit at the beach, and hilariously, getting a turkey stuck on his head (a classic bit reprised in the ill-conceived 1997 feature film). Atkinson, perhaps most popularly known as the voice of Zazu in The Lion King, or for his appearance in Rat Race, enjoys cult status among British comedy aficionados as the star of The Black Adder series, but Bean is his crowning creation. In addition to all 14 episodes, this generous boxed set contains previously unaired sketches, Comic Relief appearances, and a segment about Bean's history, which serves as a nifty introduction for the uninitiated. It also contains a preview for the new Mr. Bean cartoon series, which seems redundant; as this collection hilariously demonstrates, Bean is already animated enough. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)