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Bleak Expectations

The Complete BBC Radio 4 Series

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About this listen

The complete collected series 1-5 of the gloriously daft Victorian romp Bleak Expectations.

Gasp at the evil Mr Gently Benevolent, played by Mr Anthony Head! Weep at the trials of our young hero, Pip Bin, played by Master Tom Allen! Be moved to joy and sorrow by the remarkable narration of Mr Richard Johnson! Swoon at the fragile beauty of Pip's poor mama, played by Miss Celia Imrie! Wonder at the thespian prowess of Mr Geoffrey Whitehead as six different siblings! Follow the remarkable adventures of young Pip Bin as he struggles to rescue himself and his sisters from the schemes of his evil and badly named guardian, Mr Gently Benevolent, and the blood-curdling Hardthrasher family.

Immerse yourself in a timeless epic featuring terrifying schools, even worse prisons, opium dens, disguises, court cases, shipwrecks, underwater squirrels and swashbuckling long-lost aunts. Revel in the many fine quips, characters and scenarios written by Mr Mark Evans and produced by Mr Gareth Edwards, previously renowned for their craftsmanship on the works of Messrs Mitchell and Webb.

Series 1: Televised as The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff on the BBC. Episodes: 'A Childhood Cruelly Kippered', 'An Adolescence Utterly Trashed', 'A Youth Utterly Crocked', 'A Young Adult Bitterly Dismantled', 'A Young Love Mercilessly Dismembered', 'A Life Sadly Smashed Then Happily Restored a Bit'.

Series 2: 'A Happy Life Cruelly Re-Kippered', 'A Re-Kippered Life Smashed Some More', 'A Recovery Made Miserable', 'A Restoration Re-Ruined Only Even Worse', 'An Already Bad Life Made Worse but Sort of on Purpose', 'A Happy Life Broken' and 'Then Mended a Bit'.

Series 3: 'A Lovely Life Re-Kippered Again Once More', 'A Now Grim Life yet More Grimmified', 'A Sort of Fine Life De-Niced Completely', 'A Horrible Life Un-Ruined and Then Re-Ruined Again', 'An Evil Life Sort of Explained', 'Lives Lost', 'Ruined Wrecked' and 'Redeemed'.

Series 4: 'A Tolerable Life De-Happified', 'A New-Spoiled Life Smashed Some More', 'A Wretched Life Made Much, Much Sadder', 'A Painful Life Re-Miserablised', 'A Now Tricky Life Woefully Miseried Up', 'A Life Destroyed then Repaired and Re-Happied'.

Series 5: 'A Pleasant Yet Dull Life Re-Evilled', 'A Re-Excited Life Made Distinctly Dangerous', 'An Alrightish Life Savagely Frozen to Bits', 'A Writerly Life Made Dreadfully Different', 'A Terrifying Life Made Even Scarier a Bit Some More', 'A Loved-Up Life Potentially Totally Annihilated'.

Audio updated as of February 2020.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Classics Funny Witty Thought-Provoking Feel-Good
All stars
Most relevant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are 217 chapters!

Any additional comments?

What were they thinking in using chapter lengths of such short length??? Some chapters are less than 1 minute long while others stretch to a more normal 20+ minutes - the sheer amount of miniature chapters though results in a "blip" in playback , rather like an old record skipping. Really annoying , REALLY ANNOYING! Please fix it so we can download again and enjoy it properly.

Exellent but spoilt by the bizarre chapter length.

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After listening to the first few episodes I didn’t understand the raving positive reviews, but persevere to series 2 and you’ll be rewarded.

It’s recorded in front of a live audience and I found, in series 1, there were many people with loud laughs + some people who laughed at anything. Their sound level is just too high and started to annoy. Thankfully series 2 onwards it’s fine, and that is the same with the writing, it improves a lot.

To really appreciate it you need to enjoy silly; some characters remain, but are undead. People turn into dinosaurs. An authentic period drama it is not.

The audio is split into 217 chapters, some are an episode in length, but most are only a few minutes long. This is frustrating as you can’t use ‘sleep timer’ + ‘End of chapter’. Please Audible and BBC can we please have 1 chapter per episode, as can’t understand the logic why you would split chapters into 1-2 minutes chunks.

Also in Chapter 216 there is a 28 minute gap of nothingness, pure silence. What’s that all about?

Ignore the formatting, that’s not the fault of the programme (Bleak Expectations), it’s a grower and a bargain for all five series @ 1 credit.

5*

Can we please have 1 chapter per episode

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The finest work that Darles Chickens never wrote. Absolute corker, bang tidy. Do not hesitate for one moment to get this.

Bleak Expectations

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If “Bleak Expectations” was a meal it would consist of fifty two courses and be large enough to satisfy even the most well nourished cabinet minister!
My party piece is now a laugh similar to that so evilly enjoyed by evil guardian Mr Gently Benevolent.
It is for this reason I am no longer invited to parties. For this I am glad because it allows me more free time to listen to this most entertaining example of comedic radio theatre!
Thank you Mark Evans and all the cast!
I consider you my (only) friends!

A feast of Dickensian parody!

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Excellent series with lots of laugh out loud moments, well worth a listen, very recommended.

Brilliant!

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