"Mr. Bean: The Animated Series" is heading stateside as online video service Hulu has secured the exclusive rights to stream the beloved animated series in the United States from Endemol Shine.
Looks like a good news for Hulu as the video-on-demand service has picked up US streaming rights to the first two seasons, totaling 104 x 11 minutes of "Mr. Bean: The Animated Series." The series' production company Endemol Shine announced the deal on Monday, June 8. Each season includes 52 episodes of 11 minutes duration.
The show is based on the British live-action series of the same name, with Rowan Atkinson voicing the character he has played for over a decade in several live-action projects, Entertainment Weekly noted.
Since its debut on ITV, the popular British family show has already been licensed in more than 70 territories. The show is developed by the UK production arm Tiger Aspect Productions, and owned by Endemol Shine.
Cathy Payne, CEO, Endemol Shine International said, "Mr Bean: The Animated Series one and two truly capture the essence of the wonderful Mr Bean. We know that the US Hulu audience will enjoy them as much as the rest of the world."
With more than 1.37 billion views on his YouTube channel, Mr. Bean is a popular social media figure, and Mr. Bean's Facebook page has over 62 million likes, according to reports on Stream Daily.
The popular show centers on the characters including Mr. Bean, Irma Gobb, and Mr. Bean's Teddy. The series features little actual dialogue, with most either being mumbling or little sound bites.
Jon Glover, Rupert Degas, Gary Martin, Sally Grace and Lorelei King provide voices for other characters.
Since premiering in February, the show has been a ratings winner for CITV in the U.K., drawing international interest in the latest iteration of the popular comedy series.
The fan-favorite character is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.