Don’t come at me, but Mr. Bean is without a doubt one of the best comedies ever. One man, no dialogues, endless opportunities – Rowan Atkinson gave us an absolute classic of a TV series that transcended age, race, nationality, or language. Everybody understood, laughed at, and adored Mr. Bean, which is what makes this LEGO set a fantastic trip down memory lane.
If you grew up with a TV in the 90s, this skit featuring Mr. Bean was probably iconic for you. The tight-lipped quirky character gets an armchair, only to find out he has to haul it back in his tiny Mini Cooper. Instead of folding down the rear seats and cramming it in the boot, Bean devised one of TV’s most brilliant MacGyver-style hacks – he drove the car while sitting in his armchair… Google Waymo had nothing on Mr. Bean’s pure genius.
Designer: TOMOELL
The whole skit, which was a few minutes long, saw Bean tie the armchair on top of his car and then figuring out how he would ‘drive’ from up there. A rope tied to the steering wheel, a brick on the gas pedal, and a mop hitting the brake when necessary – none of it was practical, but somehow he made it work. Stuff fell off, there were near accidents everywhere, but in the end, Bean made it home intact, along with his car and the new armchair. The LEGO set captures that journey in amazing detail.
The LEGO Ideas build comes from TOMOELL, a LEGO enthusiast and 90s TV lover who wanted to honor one of his all-time favorite TV characters. The show ran for only five years, but made a huge impact on our culture, including TOMOELL, who created the set for LEGO’s 90s Throwback challenge.
It’s not clear how many bricks are in this Mr. Bean set, but if you look closely, you’ll find a treasure-trove of details. The car is built to perfection, with everything from the vibrant lime green color combination (including the black hood) to the latch on the door, which was used by Bean to lock his car. Above is the armchair with the ‘Sold’ tag, Mr. Bean himself in his iconic outfit, and a face that really captures Bean’s uniquely funny expression – eyes, eyebrows, and all. You can move the Bean figure around, and the set even features the props from the episode like the broom, rope, and roller. Plus, Bean is also joined by Teddy, his stuffed toy companion.
TOMOELL’s submission can be found on the LEGO Ideas website along with a bunch of other submissions in LEGO’s “Build Your Nostalgia – 90s Throwback!” challenge, featuring scenes from X-Files, Beavis & Butthead, Captain Planet, and Jumanji to mention a few. Voting for the challenge begins on the 6th of January after the submission phase ends, so if you’re reading this then, consider placing a vote for your favorite LEGO Ideas build! I know which one I’m definitely gonna vote for…
