"The Curse of Mr. Bean" is the third episode of the British television series Mr. Bean, produced by Tiger Television for Thames Television. It was first broadcast on ITV on 30 December 1990 and was watched by 13.81 million viewers during its original transmission. It won the 1990 International Emmy Award for Outstanding Popular Arts Programme.
Plot Part One Mr. Bean parks his Mini in a multistorey car park and visits a swimming pool. After being admonished by a lifeguard for using a children's slide, he decides to jump off the high diving board, but is overcome with fear upon realising its height. As two boys watch, Bean tries to climb off the edge of the board. When he is hanging by one hand, one boy stomps on his fingers, causing him to fall into the pool. The force of the fall rips off his swimming costume, and a girl at the poolside fishes them out just as the lifeguard orders everyone to leave. While trying to reach the changing room in his state of undress, Bean accidentally exposes himself to a women's swim team.
Later, Bean finds that he must pay £16 to exit the car park. To evade the fee, he pushes a rubbish bin in front of the entrance, tricking the ticket machine into dispensing a ticket to lift the gate. As Bean moves the bin out of the way and begins to drive out, another car pulls in, forcing him to reverse. He then notices the blue Reliant approaching the entrance. As the driver takes a ticket and the gate opens, Bean speeds towards the Reliant, forcing it out of his way and causing it to overturn.
Part Two On a park bench, Bean prepares his own sandwich and tea using an array of unconventional methods and tools (e.g. a credit card to spread butter, a sock to dry lettuce, and a hot water bottle for tea). However, when he attempts to eat it, the pepper-laden handkerchief causes him to sneeze, so he drops his sandwich and sprays tea everywhere. Witnessing the disaster, a man on the same bench offers Bean half of his own sandwich, which Bean accepts.
Later, Bean takes his girlfriend, Irma Gobb, to the cinema to see A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Before the film starts, Bean playfully scares Irma, but as the film progresses, he becomes increasingly frightened himself. He pulls his sweater over his head, causing Irma to scream, thinking he's been beheaded. Finally, Bean uses popcorn as makeshift earplugs and covers his eyes with the popcorn container. When the film is over, Bean, unaware that Irma has draped her coat over her shoulders, finds the sleeve empty, and the two scream.
Cast Rowan Atkinson − Mr. Bean Angus Deayton – Male pool lifeguard; man on the park bench Matilda Ziegler – Bean's girlfriend
Production notes The swimming pool sequence was filmed at the Hayes Pool and Fitness Centre, which was demolished in 2012 with the car park sequences at the Heathrow Bowling car park and the short traffic lights scene in Twickenham at the junction of Staines Road, Hospital Bridge Road and Sixth Cross Road.
This was the last episode to be produced with OB videotape for exterior scenes utilising OB7, a two-camera unit designated for drama and light entertainment shows by Thames. Studio sequences were recorded before a live audience at Thames Television's Teddington Studios. This also marked the first appearance of Bean's 1977 Leyland Mini 1000.
The Curse of Mr. Bean won the 1991 International Emmy Award for Outstanding Popular Arts Programme.
The remastered version of the episode replaces the original black and white opening title with the standard "street" version.
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