If VH1 ever does "The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Comedians... Ever!" Rowan Atkinson will rank ahead even of Carrot Top. The only think I ever liked him in was "Four Weddings and a Venereal. Funeral!"

Michael - Rowan Atkinson is staggeringly talented as a comedian, but I've not been completely sold by his film roles (Johnny English, and especially Bean). His "Devil" soliloque is one of the funniest monologues, ever. Please don't rate him only on the bits you've seen over in the States, and even better, see if you can find any ancient "Not the 9 O'Clock News" videos hanging round somewhere...
I was hopeful when I saw the title of this parody (after all, I've done a Mr Bean/Killer Queen parody), but IMO it could have been better.

9:00? Who the hell watches news at 9:00? 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, sure. But 9?

Yeah... but this was Not the 9 O'Clock News (at the time, the BBC news was on at 9... 21:00, that is).

PS.. have you watched any Blackadder, Michael?

yeah whatever you bean

What the crap is Mr.Bean?

@ Phil Alexander, Michael Pacholek: I ferreted out this five-year-old, rather lame parody because I've just submitted a shot at 'Billie Jean' myself, so was interested in other attempts. Your exchange caught my eye and I'd like to share a few thoughts.

@ Phil: I see you made vain attempts to explain the versatility and virtuosity of Rowan Atkinson, a great natural comic and unique talent, both verbally and visually. He has wisely retired the 'Mr Bean' phenomenon due to overexposure. One of the problems with this character is that he is accessible universally because the style is very visual and penetrates linguistic and cultural barriers, like Chaplin - rare for comedians. When I came to Japan 15 years ago Mr Bean was practically a household word, but no one knew anything about the articulate, mellifluous actor behind him. And because his material is family fare, kids especially loved him; they can't resist adults acting like idiots. I agree the character did not transfer well to the big screen. I think one of the problems was the script, not to mention the direction and the supporting cast. I thought the 'Johnny English' movies were better.

The first 'Blackadder' series was crap, but the subsequent ones were hugely acclaimed and popular, thanks to a brilliant supporting cast (Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, Tony Robinson, Brian Blessed, Patsy Byrne) and the riotous scripts of Ben Elton and Richard Curtis. 'The Thin Blue Line' was another great series. Though Atkinson's style is very individual, he seems to come up best when surrounded by other, different comic talents.

@ Michael: kudos for spotting Atkinson in 'Four Weddings'. You'll also find him as a child-detesting hotel manager in the Roald Dahl children's classic 'Witches', starring Angelica Houston. 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' was an inspired satirical series well worth checking out on the Tube, where quite a few episodes have been posted (Try the 'Constable Savage' sketch for starters). Though very topical (early 80s), it's brimming with originality and comedic talent (Mel Smith, Griff Rhys-Jones, Pamela Stephenson).

His live stage work is a textbook of timing and build. He doesn't do stand-up but performs in character, specializing in solemn pompous types like schoolmasters and ministers. Phil mentioned his 'Devil' routine. There's also 'Amazing Jesus' and 'A meeting with the Principal'.

Why bother with all this? Because one of my students told me 'I can't stand Rowan Atkinson!' Of course she meant I can't stand 'Mr Bean'! Well, who can? That's the general idea. Also, I find I have misjudged American comics based on what I've seen on TV or movies. You have to check out their live work to see what they're really about. British vs American humor can also be an issue with the parodies on this site. As most of them are by Americans, they're too 'ethnic' for me to get it half the time, though American pop culture and media are more widely disseminated than the Brit equivalent. Sorry so long - just some weekend reflections.