# Black Adder or Bean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615 "2001-06-29T13:44:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/1 "2001-06-29T13:44:51Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/2 "2001-06-29T14:01:06Z")
Definitely Black Adder. (Rather fond of the Elizabethan series, meself.) [Anyone know where I can get the words to the theme song and the end song?] ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/3 "2001-06-29T14:01:11Z")
Black Adder ---
**Author:** ![Skijumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Skijumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skijumper)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/4 "2001-06-29T14:01:25Z")
Bean has its merits, but I’ve always preferred Black Adder -evil wit and a great ensemble cast. (I love Stephen Fry!) ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/5 "2001-06-29T14:06:34Z")
Screech owl go to [http://www.gazmac.freeserve.co.uk/blackadderfront.htm](http://www.gazmac.freeserve.co.uk/blackadderfront.htm) my favorite song was from the episode “Bells” “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” WOOF WOOF ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/6 "2001-06-29T14:10:17Z")
Black Adder. And Black Adder’s Christmas Carol is an annual event in our household The best line of Stephen Fry’s was in the World War I episodes of Adder when he said, “I don’t care if he was buggering the Duke of York with a prize winning leek!” fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/7 "2001-06-29T14:18:05Z")
What no Bean fans?? My favorite is the third series, and another great Stephen Fry quote (as Lord Wellington) “By Napolean’s Balls” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/8 "2001-06-29T14:20:29Z")
Omigoodness, that’s like asking, “which would you prefer, an ice cream sundae, or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick?” “Black Adder” is, with a few moments’ exception, brilliant. “Mr. Bean” is one step above mime. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/9 "2001-06-29T14:28:31Z")
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). S. Norman ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/10 "2001-06-29T15:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > “Black Adder” is, with a few moments’ exception, brilliant. “Mr. Bean” is one step above mime But very good mime 🙂 My vote is with BlackAdder tho 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/11 "2001-06-29T15:45:30Z")
Oh, no contest. Black Adder. I think Eve was being generous about Mr. Bean. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/12 "2001-06-29T16:45:39Z")
Black Adder, of course. Although I have some fond childhood memories of watching Bean, Black Adder wins hands down. And my favorite Stephen Fry is “Nurse Mary? A spy? Well, bugger me with a fishfork!” ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/13 "2001-06-29T17:19:16Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/14 "2001-06-29T17:21:15Z")
Most definitely Black Adder. I usually laughed so hard I was crying. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_from\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Man\_from\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_from_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/15 "2001-06-29T17:25:08Z")
Black Adder here too. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/16 "2001-06-29T17:35:21Z")
Well, I like _Mr. Bean_ but of course I’m a big fan of slapstick, physical humour. If I had to choose between the two, though, I’d have to go with _Blackadder_, pretty much everytime. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/17 "2001-06-29T17:47:51Z")
I’m going to have to go with the majority here – Blackadder rocks! I especially liked the Elizabethan series (of course). “To you, Baldrick, the Renaissance is just something that happened to other people, isn’t it?” ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/18 "2001-06-29T18:50:01Z")
Blackadder without question. My favorite line was about Nursie where she is referred to as “an insane woman with an udder fetish.” ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/19 "2001-06-29T19:23:09Z")
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](http://dailywav.com/0601/ohdamn.wav) (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](http://www.dailywav.com), if yer into that. (Not an ad! I just love that site for sound effects.) ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615/20 "2001-06-29T19:42:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tygr \* > **[this](http://dailywav.com/0601/ohdamn.wav)** Bad link there, Tygrbud. * * * 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”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-adder-or-bean/70615.md?page=2)