Rowan Atkinson Live (1992 TV Special) User Reviews

Much more than "Mr. Bean".

[falconav46 · 8/10 · 3 July 2003]

I caught parts of this performance on cable and was very impressed. Then I was in Sun Coast Video and saw the entire show for sale on VHS and I immediately bought it. I was not disappointed.

Mr. Atkinson is trapped by his Mr. Bean character and it's a shame. I'm sure there are quite a few folks out there that would not bother to watch this type of performance thinking it will be filled with his somewhat gross line of comedy. There is some of that but for the most part, this video contains very thoughtful, and more importantly, very funny pieces of sketch comedy. In some places I laughed so hard I cried.

Get a few friends together and laugh till you pass out.

Behold the many facets

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 22 September 2017]

Rowan Atkinson had already proved his gift for physical comedy on "Mr. Bean", and it translates well in this special. The man makes terrific use of the theater space. But I have to admit that my favorite sketches are the proper ones, where he just addresses his audience with a bored contempt. It's very British, and he excels at this (he's just got the face for it).

This is one of the first stand-up specials I'd seen (on PBS, no less) and it's a riot. Obviously, if Mr. Been is all you've seen, then this will be an eye-opener (of the greatest kind), but the man can go from spaz to working blue at the drop of a hat. This is great stuff.

8/10

More than just slapstick...

[arnelvin · 9/10 · 17 February 2018]

Rowan Atkinson Live is the pinnacle of Rowan's stand up performances up to date. The brilliant acting Rowan brings especially in scenes where he doesn't even utter a single word were just phenomenally hilarious. A great example is a scene from "Elementary Dating" where he greets his date's parents in different manners, in a casual way and an overly-done way. Another strength here is his delivery in wordy sketches which, although he is famous for wordless slapstick sketches, was hilarious enough to make me appreciate him more as an overall comedian. "The Wedding From Hell" is a great example for this, especially the Father speech (it was funny as hell my eyes literally teared!). We all knew Rowan Atkinson as a physical, universal, or slapstick comedian for his most famous project (I don't even need to mention anything, I think you know) and we all take him as that. But this performance proves otherwise. It proves that he is a versatile entertainer that we should all look up to when it comes to pure comedy.

A Great Performance

[skorzeny · 20 June 1999]

This is one of the best stand-up/sketch comedy specials I have ever seen. Angus Deayton is the perfect straight man, and Rowan Atkinson is hilarious. The show is a combination of "Mr. Bean"-esque pantomime and sketch comedy. Some highlights:

"A Warm Welcome" -- The devil welcomes souls to hell.

"Pink Tights and Plenty of Props" -- A hilarious sendup of Shakespearean acting and dramatic conventions.

"Fatal Beatings" -- A principal explains to a father how a student was accidentally beaten to death for stealing library books.

"With Friends like these..." -- A great satire of a wedding gone horribly wrong.

I highly recommend the video version, as the version you occasionally see on Comedy Central has many lines (and a few entire sketches) entirely edited out.

A collection of brilliant stand-up sketches

[Bass2 · 10/10 · 30 July 1999]

These sketches show that there is much more to Rowan Atkinson than Mr. Bean! From an excellent portrayal of Lucifer, the devil to an actor who can't win an award, to an Indian waiter; he keeps the audience laughing.

The video lets you be amongst the audience and watch humour, some intelligent, some plain dirty. It doesn't matter because by the end of the last sketch you're sorry there isn't any more. Angus Deayton not only supports Rowan, but also delivers an excellent performance in his own right.

Worth its weight in Gold

[torsacis · 10/10 · 14 September 2001]

Unsurpassed in visual humour. This is Rowan Atkinson at his very best, with the possible exception of the best episodes of Blackadder. Gut-bustingly funny and so much more sophisticated than Mr Bean. If you can get hold of it, buy it and keep it safe. Worth its weight in gold

Brilliant Absolutely Brilliant, Rowan Atkinson Is Simply Put A Genius, It's Some Of The Funniest Sketches I Have Ever Seen!

[callanvass · 10/10 · 8 October 2005]

This is brilliant absolutely brilliant, Rowan Atkinson is simply put a genius, it's some of the funniest sketches i have ever seen!. Roawn is incredibly talented, as you will be laughing hard throughout!, plus my favorite sketch has to be No One Called Jones!. Angus Deayton is also very good as Rowan's partner, and Rowan is always so unpredictable you never know what he is gonna do or is gonna come up with next!, plus Rowan is incredibly versatile and can play any type of role!. This is a brilliant absolutely brilliant, Rowan Atkinson, is simply put a genius!, it's some of the funniest sketches i have ever seen!, and i say Go see it immediately!.

Here is what i think of the sketches!.

#1. It Started With A Sneeze. This is pretty funny, however we have seen it before with Mr. Bean in the church, however it's still pretty funny to watch, as there is plenty of laughter to be had. Grade B

#2 Warm Welcome. This is really funny, as Rowan plays the Devil, there is lots of funny stuff here, and while it is a bit too short, it has plenty of laughs, i especially loved the line in the end (i hope to see you all at the barbecue bye!). Grade B+

#3. Fatal Beatings. This is my 2nd favorite next to No One Called Jones, this is absolutely hilarious as Rowan plays a principal and meets with a student's father, it's a sick style of humor and may be an acquired taste for some but i found it absolutely hilarious , especially the ending Grade A

#4 And Now Nazareth The Amazing. This is decent, and had me chuckling a couple of times, however it's not as good as the rest,that being said it's still well worth checking out, as it is funny. Grade C+

#5 Invisible Man This is quite amusing, and while short, it still provides you with plenty of chuckles, as Rowan is incredible in this one!, i just wished it was longer. Grade B

#6 The Good Loser.This is very funny, as Rowan Plays a sore loser, but it's all very funny, as i found myself cracking up a lot during this one, and what really made me laugh is when the host picked someone else Rowan blurts out (Oh Sh*t), i liked it a lot!. Grade B+

#7 With Friends Like These. This is hilarious as it's tied for my 3rd favorite, Rowan plays a wacky priest, and it's very funny,, then he plays a kooky best man, who opens his big mouth one too many times, however the funniest of them all is the grumpy father in law, that had me in tears!. Grade A

#8. Pink Tights And Plenty Of Props. This is one is great, as Rowan shows his incredible versatility here, playing all sorts of crazy roles, i especially loved the villain with the physical defect!, the ending is also a scream! Grade B+

#9 No One Called Jones. This is one of the funniest things i have ever seen, as i couldn't stop laughing even afterwords!, the nasty names he used to call the students were just crazy, and Rowan played with a straight face!, i couldn't believe that, this is my favorite out of all of them, you will be laughing hard trust me!. Grade A+

#10. The Final Bash. This was a perfect way to end, as Rowan once again shows his incredible versatility, by pretending to be a drummer and playing musical instruments, and the sounds are really catchy, the end was especially great!. Grade A

Overall This is some of the funniest sketches i have ever seen, Rowan Atkinson is simply put a genius, and i say Go see it immediately!. ***** out of 5!

One of the greatest stand-up shows.

[davidsllieno · 10/10 · 23 December 2009]

I have always had a fascination with comedy having watched countless comedy stand up shows and even more comedians from all over the world. When I came across this again I remember watching this as a child and thinking it was funny then, and to watch it again 10-12 years later, it was ever more hilarious now. With his classic array of characters and his unique twist on humor of everyday scenarios matched only by his impeccable acting skills are a summation of a great comedy stand up show.

Mr. Beans beginnings are obviously in this show, but in my opinion, I actually thought it was one of the weaker sketches compared to other hilarious sketches in this show.

P.S. the opening it great

The best piece of comedy ever available

[schenko · 10/10 · 20 June 2004]

This summary of all of Mr. Bean's and Rowan's favorites make Rowan Atkinson live! the best comedy collection available in the world. I've seen a lot of comedy and nothing beats this one. It is witty, funny, smart and unexpected. If you've seen mr. bean before and don't like it because it seems a bit dumb, this collection has some sketches that may change the way you think about British comedy and about the mastermind and genius of Rowan Atkinson (don't anyone come and tell me about the genius of Tarantino!). This is the real genius and this will be a classic for years to come and something really difficult to beat for the young kids thinking of making comedy themselves (I'm 22, don't think I'm a bitter old man). Thank you Rowan Atkinson for making me laugh for so many years (I'm talking as if he were dead!).

A lot of fun

[ericksonsam60 · 8/10 · 15 May 2014]

Rowan Atkinson is one of Britain's greatest comedians responsible for giving us such brilliant creations as BlackAdder and Mr. Bean. Recorded in Boston in 1991, this one-man show proves that Atkinson can be funny not just on TV but simply just by himself. It showcases his true genius for verbal and silent physical comedy. Many of these sketches are hilarious and are as fresh as ever. Some of them are character vignettes while others are pantomime routines, which are very much in "Bean" style (in fact the "Sitting in Church" sketch was used in Mr. Bean). My favorites are "Welcome to Hell", "Invisible Drum Kit", "Amazing Jesus", and "No One Called Jones" just to name a few. A must watch for any fan of Atkinson or British humor in general.

Annoyingly uneven...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 March 2011]

This is a very frustrating DVD to watch--especially if you are a fan of Rowan Atkinson's comedy. That's because I have seen just about everything available this comic has done on DVD and it seems that this collection is not necessarily his best material. Some (such as "Welcome to Hell" and "The Fatal Beating") are wonderful, some reprises material already used in the Mr. Bean show (the first skit), some were good but not great ("The Wedding") and some just seemed like throw-away skits--things that fell flat and seemed inferior. In the latter category, I particularly note the skit involving the teacher who reads off a long list of kids with dirty names (I'd give them, but IMDb doesn't allow these words in the reviews). To me the problem was not . that the words were offensive but they just weren't the least bit funny. Perhaps a 12 year-old would laugh at the words, but that alone isn't funny and the skit never got any better. The extras on the DVD were all of questionable quality, by the way.

The bottom line is that this material was assembled over a very long period--from the early 80s to the early 90s. I would have MUCH preferred an entire concert/stand-up performance--not just bits and pieces seemingly strung together haphazardly. Worth seeing if you are a devoted fan but still a great disappointment. My advice is to grab the DVD set of his Mr. Bean TV show and of the Blackadder series--these are brilliant and sold comedy gold. This one, sadly, is more copper...

Simply a must-see for Rowan Atkinson fans!

[Beta_Gallinger · 9/10 · 5 December 2009]

This TV special was released when I was less than six years old, before I had ever seen comedian Rowan Atkinson in anything. It was later in the 90's when I first saw episodes of "Mr. Bean", with Atkinson's famous goofy, dimwitted alter ego. After that, I would later see the comedian in the role of the bitter, mean-spirited, sarcastic "Blackadder", and I think both characters are really funny, as different as they are. I had never heard of "Rowan Atkinson Live" until four years ago, in late 2005. It had not yet been released on DVD at the time, but I rented a VHS copy, and as I expected, it was hilarious! Late last month, I watched it on VHS again, for the first time since 2005, and finally this month on DVD. These second and third viewings didn't change my opinion.

Filmed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1991, this TV film shows Rowan Atkinson performing a series of comedy sketches before a live audience at the Boston University Theatre. It begins with "It Started with a Sneeze", which "Mr. Bean" fans are bound to recognize, but then expands into a variety of different sketches, often very different from that first one. There are more Beanesque sketches, such as "Invisible Man", plus a lot of dry humour in such sketches as "Fatal Beatings", "The Good Loser", and "With Friends Like These". The only other actor who ever joins Atkinson on stage for any of these sketches is Angus Deayton, who plays supporting roles in some of them. Whether Atkinson uses dry verbal humour or goofy, mime-like visual humour, none of the sketches fail to make the audience laugh!

My least favourite sketch here is probably "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props", which is a little tedious, but even that one is far from laugh-free. I would say most of the special is hilarious (which was just what I thought the first time), mainly thanks to the dry wit, though the sight gags are usually very funny as well. "Elementary Dating," "Guys After the Game," and "Tom, Dick and Harry" are apparently all sketches missing from the original version (I never saw them on VHS), but they are bonus features on the DVD release, which is good, since they definitely deserve to be seen as well! There's not much else to say about "Rowan Atkinson Live", except that if you're a fan of the comedian, and are old enough for some crude humour (especially in "No One Called Jones") and occasional swearing, I don't think calling this a must-see it too extreme! Even if you're one of his fans who don't like "Mr. Bean", then you wouldn't like every sketch here, but would probably still like the majority of them.

Rowan Atkinson Live

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 8 February 2009]

I had seen bits and pieces of this show on YouTube, and I was really glad when it came out on DVD, it was good to see both the familiar and unfamiliar. Rowan Atkinson, with the help of Angus Deayton, play at Boston Uiversity Theatre, Massachusetts (USA), and perform live sketches with the same style of humour seen in Blackadder and Mr. Bean. Sketches include a "Warm Welcome" by The Devil, a vicar reading about the amazing Jesus, the Invisible Man, Elementary Dating, the classic Mr. Bean sketch in church sneezing and falling asleep, a lesson in Shakespearean acting, and my favourite, the headmaster reading out the register of rude names. A funny show with great sketches from a great comedy writer, actor and performer. Very good!

Not really particularly funny...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 23 September 2016]

I must say that I had essentially expected more from Rowan Atkinson than what was presented to the audience on this 1992 DVD. Why? Well, because it was basically just like watching an extended version of a Mr. Bean sketch. There weren't all that many jokes or monologues, and I didn't really laugh at what was there.

Sure, Rowan Atkinson is a funny man, and he has lots of funny titles, characters and TV shows to his name. However, "Rowan Atkinson Live" just really wasn't one of them.

I assume that he might have been a big name in the stand-up comedy genre back in the early 90s, but when you watch this DVD now, it is just a flaccid experience.

There weren't a cohesive red line throughout the show, which lasted just under an hour. And as such, it was just too random to be overly enjoyable. It seemed like a failed attempt at catching his best moments.

I have seen this show only once, and I doubt that I will ever get around to watching it again, because it just didn't really appeal to me. And since it failed to make me laugh, why would I bother to sit through 55 minutes of it more than once?

I am rating "Rowan Atkinson Live" a less than mediocre rating, four out of ten stars. Personally, I am much more a fan of his TV series, such as "Black Adder" or "Mr. Bean", of course.

A hilarious Rowan Atkinson Treat

[Kai-18 · 3 November 1999]

All Rowan fans MUST own this! It has the humorous styles of Mr. Bean, Blackadder and even a hint of Monty Python (especially in Fatal Beatings) You'll laugh, you'll.... uh.... Laugh basically. But you'll laugh hard enough to chase the blues away.

Brilliantly Funny; I laughed so hard, I cried!

[shaadowlove · 12 June 2002]

What can I say about Rowan Atkinson that hasn't already been said? He is brilliantly asinine, wonderfully silly and a greater comedian I have yet to see... if he made you laugh in the "Black Adder" and "Bean" series, you'll love his blend of naughty humor in this live show. There are ten sketches in the show, and each one is a gem. My personal favorites are "The Good Loser", in which he is a bitter actor who has lost an award to a loathed castmate; "With Friends Like These", in which three of his 'near and dear ones' each give a toast at his wedding; and "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props", in which our man Rowan gives one of his most hilarious performances ever as an acting instructor (watch for when the evil brother is 'fatally' wounded and 'dies in character'. I screamed with laughter and tears ran down my face! I also had to run to the loo, 'cause I laughed so hard!) All in all, I just want to say: "DO NOT BUY THIS TAPE IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO LAUGH!"...and you might want to put a plastic cover over the couch cushions just in case! (smile!) ENJOY!

Brilliant

[Huw · 23 April 2000]

Absolutely brilliant physical / situational standup comedy. Nobody is spared ridicule from this fine presentation: Satan, The Catholic Church, Head Masters, Actors, Awards ceremonies, subway riders, It's all here. Fans of Mr. Bean will recognize a few sketches as well as revel in the new. This is a must for any fans collection.

If only they would release this on DVD!

[Linnium · 23 September 2004]

This is one of the funniest collections of skits I've ever seen. Atkinson's bits are original and well delivered on this tape. He plays everything from the devil, to masochistic school director, to a jealous actor. There is even a little Bean in this one! I only wish someone would distribute in on DVD. Tape looses its quality after a while, and I won't be able to replace it once it goes bad. We really need to get a petition going to get this on DVD in the states. It could have been a suggested sale item on the Johnny English DVD, but oh well.

Hilarious--but be warned

[msyordlax · 27 April 2003]

I agree with all the comments here; the tape, which now seems to be out of print, is great. However, I have a version that was released in 1997 by PolyGram, and it is missing three of the sketches listed here: Thomas, Richard and Harold; Elementary Dating; and Guys After the Game. It does have one sketch, A Final Bash, that the earlier version did not have. In this, Atkinson mimes playing an elaborate drum set. Still, I would give anything to see the 1991 version. I have no clue why these changes were made.