Which is Rown Atkinson’s funnier series Mr. Bean or Black Adder?
My vote goes to Black Adder
“People may say I’m stark raving mad and say the word Pengvin after each sentence, but I believe that we two
can make Britain Great - you as the Prince Regent and I as King Pengvin.”
“So Flash Heart tweaked the Adders beard,
from now he always shall be single.
To fall in love with boys is weird,
especially boys without a tingle.
Blackadder, Blackadder. His taste is rather odd.
Blackadder, Blackadder a randy little sod.
Lord Flash Heart, Lord Flash Heart, I wish you were the star.
Lord Flash Heart, Lord Flash Heart, you’re sexier by far”
The Elizabethean series has its merits and is probably the best series overall, but the best single episode, IMHO, is “Private Plane” from “Black Adder goes Forth” (the WWI series).
Black Adder definitely. The writing on all the series’ was stunning.
Mr. Bean suffers in comparison, as it’s not an ensemble cast performing. It does show off just how creative Rowan Atkinson can be in a role with limitations built in. Very little speech, always the center of focus, and almost completely composed of physical humor. It’s great watching Mr. Bean with young children though.
Well, I too appreciate physical comedy when it’s done well, and I think R.A. does it quite well in on “Mr. Bean”. I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as the series, possibly something to do with Peter McNichol…
During R.A.'s stage show “Not Just Another Pretty Face” he did a sketch about Mr. Bean in church which still makes me laugh out loud. (There were other even funnier bits in that show.)
But that all said, there’s a reason why this (from Blackadder) is the alert sound on our computer.*
And, dammit, a friend loaned us the entire series on tape and we’ve STILL not got past the first series.
*This and quite a few other Blackadder soundbites are at http://www.dailywav.com, if yer into that. (Not an ad! I just love that site for sound effects.)
Black Adder: Right Baldrick, let’s try again shall we? This is called adding. If I have two beans, and then I add two more beans, what do I have?
Baldrick: Some beans.
BA: Yes…and no. Let’s try again shall we? I have two beans, then I add two more beans. What does that make?
B: A very small casserole.
And the classic “Jane ‘bury-me-in-a-Y-shaped-coffin’ Harrington”.