Mr. Bean is a British situation comedy television programme series of fourteen 25-minute episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was started transmission on ITV on 1 June 1989 until final television episode’s “Hair by Mr. Bean of London” was ceased transmission on ITV on 15 November 1995.

Based on a character originally developed by Atkinson while he was studying for his master’s degree at Oxford University, the series follows the exploits of Mr. Bean, described by Atkinson as “a child in a grown man’s body”, in solving various problems presented by everyday tasks and often causing disruption in the process. Bean rarely speaks, and the largely physical humour of the series is derived from his interactions with other people and his unusual solutions to situations. The series was influenced by physical performers such as Jacques Tati and comic actors from silent films.

During its five-year run, the series gained large UK audience figures, including 18.74 million for the 1991 episode “The Trouble with Mr. Bean”. The series has been the recipient of a number of international awards, including the Rose d’Or. The show has been sold in 245 territories worldwide, and has inspired an animated cartoon spin-off, two feature films, and an appearance at the London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

Director Ron Howard tracks the fan phenomena that was Beatlemania from its zenith – 1963 to 1966 – to its end when the Fab Four withdrew from live performance. Landmarks from their US breakthrough in 1964 with I Want to Hold Your Hand to the controversy prompted by John Lennon’s flippant “more popular than Jesus” remark are chronicled in a documentary that includes among its interviewees Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello and Eddie Izzard.