Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Bleak Expectations
- The Complete BBC Radio 4 Series
- Narrated by: Anthony Head, Celia Imrie, David Mitchell, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jane Asher, Raquel Cassidy, Richard Johnson
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
Bleak Expectations
Buy Now for £7.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
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.
More from the same
What listeners say about Bleak Expectations
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen Moffatt
- 01-08-17
An Absolute Joy....so clever, so funny!
What did you like most about Bleak Expectations?
From the first episode this radio series sparkles with with both with and broader too. The writing is very clever - the writer is clearly very fond of Dickens but paraodies his stories beautifully, gently mocking the Victorian values, the caricature characters and the fascinations of Britain's educated middle-class readers at the time.I loved the clear Goon Show references and all of the gentle references to contemporary pop culture - Darth Vader, Close Encounters of the Third Kind etc. And what acting...! Wonderful energetic performances throughout - all of the actors clearly loving the show and the script.Fabulous value too - would have forked our twice the price for such funny and original entertainment.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Elder Pip Bin - the pomposity and self-importance are so funny.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The moment when a character encounters alien life and reproduces the Theme to 'Close Encounters of the Third kind' will stay with me forever - sublime!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- G. Best
- 26-01-23
Swanalicious
Shame some of the editing was so intrusive, and sounded like badly stretched cassette tape.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason M. Webber
- 12-03-23
Brilliantly funny
Such a fabulous and joyous show. Silly in the best way, I highly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-07-19
A funny and enjoyable radio series.
This radio series was a lot of fun to listen to, an interesting story and concept with enjoyable voices and characters. I loved how the whole thing was a story making fun of Dickens and victorian life in general. On the whole this was a laugh from beginning to end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hitchhiker42
- 11-07-18
Hilarious, if you enjoy Black Adder humour.
A wonderful satire of the ilk of Bleak House and Great Expectations, it takes those tropes and runs with them. If you enjoy Black Adder don't hesitate. Genuinely laugh out loud funny.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- jsully
- 01-10-18
Brilliant
Possibly the funiest radio sitcoms I've ever listened too. If you've enjoyed things like Elven Quest and The Castle. This is another gem.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- chris
- 03-09-18
Very entertaining
Would have given it 5 stars all round if it weren't for the absurd amount of chapters (200+). Ideally it'd be split in to episodes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fitzy
- 29-04-18
14 hours of joy
A rip roaring roller coaster of a story as one man recalls his life with ever increasing absurdity.
The cast are fantastic, brilliantly comedic and with a ridiculous plot that has most twists and turns than your headphone cables, this is really is a must for anyone who loves comedy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- G Gosman
- 12-11-17
Great parody
Such fun...should listen to more BBC Radio series like this. Many famous voices and great characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Wragg
- 22-09-17
Very funny
This is one of the funniest things I've ever heard, if you like a good laugh then I recommend you download this book. Makes history what it is full of boasting lies and laughter..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful