The Complete Mr. Bean 4/29 - not so complete after all? (1 Viewer)

[JohnS]

ANOTHER PROBLEM

This time with the packaging and pressing of the discs

on Disc #1 it says that episode "Trouble with Mr. Bean" is on there and its not, it's on disc #2

and on Disc #2 in says that "Mr. Bean Rides again" is on there and it's not, it's on disc #1

 

[Hank_P]

I was really looking forward to purchasing this... now I will hold off until these issues are addressed. I'm a huge Bean fan, and this is something I really wanted, but now, it's a "wait and see" what my options are. If A&E are going to address these idenfied issues of cut scenes.. I can wait another month or so.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Since I'm writing about The Whole Bean tomorrow and wanted to address this topic, I asked for an official response. It came from the British source of the set, not A&E:

Peter Bennett-Jones, executive producer of the series and Atkinson's manager, said through a spokesman, "This is the complete, definitive version of the series as approved by Rowan Atkinson and the producers."

I'm sure this will appease no one, but there you have it.

Do note the caveat--as approved by Rowan Atkinson and the producers. When I noted to the spokesman that it's a fact, based on responses here, that material is missing, the statement was repeated. From that, I infer that the few missing scenes, which people know from taped U.S. broadcasts, might have been added to U.S. airings without their approval.

Clarification might or might not be forthcoming. This was all done through several phone calls via spokespeople to and fro over the Atlantic.

It would be interesting to note whether the disputed scenes were shown in the original British airings.

 

[Malcolm R]

When I noted to the spokesman that it's a fact, based on responses here, that material is missing, the statement was repeated.

Ah, corporate filibustering. Gotta love it when they repeat the same non-answer no matter what question is asked.

Material is missing that was originally broadcast. Therefore my $50 or whatever will also be missing from A&E's coffers.

 

[JohnS]

So all the US PBS airings, VHS and R2 & R4 DVD's were ALL UNapproved???

and Mr. Bean himself wants this footage removed??

This is the complete, definitive version of the series

Complete??? I don't think so!
Definitive??? Are they George Lucas now???

 

[Rick P]

and people ask me why I have region-free players...

bwahahah..

 

[JohnS]

are the R2/R4 Mr. Beans any good quality wise and where would the best place be to order these??

Really upsets me that, I opened this up and found this out.
Now I can't even return it, w/o having to get the same title in return, imstead of my money back.

The only thing worth keeping is Disc #3 for the extras

 

[Rick P]

www.ezydvd.com.au has it in stock for $58AU, about $37US. Quite reasonable shipping and execellent service. If you've never ordered from them before, in the comments make note you know it's a R2/R4 DVD and have the equipment to play it, else they will email verify you know what you're doing having it sent to the US.

Curiously enough, neither Amazon UK, HMV or Benson's World have it.. the only other source I know of is Amazon Germany and shipping there is hideous.

addendum...

it's also showing at Amazon.JP, but for 9800 yen... ouch..

 

[James Reader]

I don't think it's been released in the UK, although I think we did get a "best of" disc at one point.

Anyway, there's no way the UK set would be as cheap as the Australian set.

 

[DeathStar1]

Do note the caveat--as approved by Rowan Atkinson and the producers.>>>>

I'd only beleive this one if the man himself comes out and says it. Why would he film these scenes himself, and then call it un-authorized? Let alone have it deleted? Makes no real sense..

 

[Rick P]

Do note the caveat--as approved by Rowan Atkinson and the producers

I believe that is a proper example of advanced posterior envlopment for potential protection from consumer wrath until suitable time is expended to find the proper explanation or hope we won't notice.

 

[Curtis T]

Below is some contact information for A&E :

If you don't find the answer you're looking for, or if you have questions about the status of an order, you can contact our customer service representatives by e-mail at
[email protected] or by phone at 888-423-1212, 7 days a week, 7am-4am EST.

My next step is to phone if I don't get any replies to my emails.

 

[Rick P]

well.. I"m going to stir the pot somemore... apparently they (A&E) are going to do the ANIMATED Mr Bean series later this year. For those that have the 'Not-So' Whole Bean, is the trailer 4:3 or 16:9??? Why do I ask??? Behold...



on the LEFT are some frame grabs when the ANI-Bean aired on CBC earlier this year (and as airing on PBS stations now) ... on the RIGHT are frame grabs when ANI-Bean aired originally in the UK (from a tape I had sent over)...

I believe the pictures speak for themselves.

 

[Brenton]

It appears to me that the 4:3's are a little cropped, and the 16:9's are a little bit stretched out.

 

[Curtis T]

JohnS

Any word back from A&E yet ???????????

 

[JohnS]

NOTTA, not even an e-mail.
Maybe the contact is still trying to get info on this b4 calling me, so there would be a reason to call me, instead of giving me not much of an answer

 

[Randy A Salas]

I'd only beleive this one if the man himself comes out and says it. Why would he film these scenes himself, and then call it un-authorized? Let alone have it deleted? Makes no real sense..

Whatever. Peter Bennett-Jones owns the company whose logo appears at the end of each Bean (and Black Adder) episode, Tiger Aspect. He's also Rowan Atkinson's manager and agent.

As far as filming scenes and deleting them, directors do that all the time. Sometimes studios restore them, to the directors' dismay; sometimes the studios cut them, to the director's dismay. (The director's cut of Last of the Mohicans, for example, is shorter than the original version. Meanwhile, the producer's cut of Babylon 5: The Gathering is more highly regarded by some than the director's cut.) Who knows what the real story here is?

Also, there's still a question--at least for me, based on Bennett-Jones' response--of whether those scenes were truly deleted from the existing original episodes, or added by an unauthorized source later in the interest of completeness or padding them out for time purposes. I have no idea and have no further information.

One thing's for sure: No one has answered my question about whether the missing scenes were part of the series when it originally aired in Britain. Everyone is pointing to later-run episodes from different countries.

There are a lot of questions here. But the answer appears to be with Tiger Aspect, which owns the material, more than A&E, which is distributing it.

 

[Rick P]

Randy... if you get back in touch, prempt on the Animated Bean (I fear them because the CBC airings had Fremantle Media on then end slates, and Fremantle screwed up the R2 release of Rik Mayhal's 'Believe Nothing'... as broadcast in lovely 16:9, on the DVD as 4:3, but the smegging outtakes are in 16:9 ). I would rather see the Animated Bean as it was originally animated...

 

[James Reader]

Whatever. Peter Bennett-Jones owns the company whose logo appears at the end of each Bean (and Black Adder) episode, Tiger Aspect. He's also Rowan Atkinson's manager and agent.

Er. No. BlackAdder was whole made and owned by the BBC. However, Tiger Aspect, as well as making the Mr Bean episodes, also made the Rowen Atkinson starring "Thin Blue Line" as well as lots of other UK comedy (and lately drama) series.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Er. No. BlackAdder was whole made and owned by the BBC.

Sorry, that was bad sentence construction on my part. I was trying to note that he also was affiliated with Black Adder, not that the Tiger Aspect logo was at the end of each Black Adder episode. The most recent incarnation of Black Adder, Back and Forth, was made by Tiger Aspect.