Pompidou

Pompidou isn't a clone of Mr. Bean, but any fan of the silly, largely nonverbal Bean brand of comedy will warm to Pompidou instantly. The laughs are very British -- subplots involve fish, chips, and tea -- and the setups are of the time-honored slapstick variety. If you see a pool of water, chances are good that either Pompidou, or Hove, or both are going to take a tumble, and the more nicely dressed fellow actors are, the more likely they'll fall in, too. 

The nice thing about Pompidou for families is that the mostly dialogue-less (actors generally harrumph indistinctly to convey their thoughts) jokes are fathomable by even the very young, while parents are treated to over-their-heads jokes; for example, as Pompidou and his pet poodle sit at their dining table awaiting a meal, the dog reads a book entitled Your Twig, and How to Fetch It. When a doctor listens to Pompidou's chest with a stethoscope, kids will understand that the doctor's hearing music and voices inside -- and parents will understand that Pompidou is somehow receiving vintage European radio signals. It's all very light and lots of fun; give it a try for your next family TV night.