Rowan Atkinson deplores the cancellation of the culture; Talks about Mr Bean and Blackadder – Deadline

Mister Bean and Johnny English Actor Rowan Atkinson lamented the rise of cancellation culture, comparing Keyboard Warriors to a “medieval mob roaming the streets looking for someone to burn.”

In an interview with Radio Times, the multi-hyphenated British star blamed social media platforms for increasing levels of polarization, which he said makes him fearful for the future of free ‘expression.

“The problem we have online is that an algorithm decides what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic and binary view of society. It becomes a case where you are with us or against us. And if you’re against us, you deserve to be ‘canceled’, ”Atkinson said.

“It’s important that we are exposed to a wide range of opinions, but what we have now is the digital equivalent of the medieval crowd roaming the streets looking for someone to burn. So it’s scary for anyone who falls victim to this crowd and it makes me fear for the future.

Atkinson also hinted at plans to relaunch his iconic BBC comedy Black viper and revealed that he finds playing Mr. Bean “stressful and exhausting”.

On the first, he said it was “certainly not impossible” for Black viper to return after more than 30 years and confirmed that there has been talk of a new series. “It’s about as optimistic as it gets and I’d rather not speculate on when this might be sorted out,” he said.

Black viper was written by Atkinson, Ben Elton, and Richard Curtis and the Rocket Days comedy starred Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Atkinson acknowledged that it would be difficult to regain the creative energy of the 1980s show. Elton has previously ruled out a comeback.

Atkinson added that he was “on the foothills” of the development of an animated Mister Bean movie, but said he doesn’t like playing the character in a live-action setting. “It’s easier for me to interpret the character vocally than visually,” he says. “I don’t really like playing with him. The burden of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting and look forward to the end.

Atkinson is currently working with Netflix on a series called Man vs bee. The 10-part series of shorts centers on a man who finds himself at war with a bee while staying in a luxurious mansion. The show is produced by Atkinson’s production vehicle, HouseSitter Productions.