What do you think?
Rate this book
Bleak Expectations: The Complete BBC Radio 4 Series
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.
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.
- GenresHistorical FictionHumor
Audible Audio
Published July 3, 2017
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Mark Evans
7 books9 followersMark Evans is a Welsh comedian, actor, and writer.
He has written for many U.K. radio and television programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006), The Late Edition (2006), That Mitchell and Webb Sound (2003, 2005), Popetown (2005), and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002-2003). The pilot of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series Bleak Expectations was recorded in 2006, and the full series, starring Anthony Head and Celia Imrie, was recorded in April 2007 and broadcast in August 2007. The second series was recorded in May 2008 and the third in June 2009. He has also appeared in That Mitchell and Webb Look, notably as David Mitchell's chiropractor; Saxondale (2006); and in several other television and radio programmes and commercials.
He has often written and performed with James Bachman. On 6 May 2008 they recorded the pilot of their BBC Radio 4 comedy Zoom, starring David Soul, Carla Mendonca and Jon Glover with a special guest appearance by Nicholas Parsons as himself.
He read Classics at Cambridge University, where he was president of Footlights.
From Wikipedia
He has written for many U.K. radio and television programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006), The Late Edition (2006), That Mitchell and Webb Sound (2003, 2005), Popetown (2005), and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002-2003). The pilot of his BBC Radio 4 comedy series Bleak Expectations was recorded in 2006, and the full series, starring Anthony Head and Celia Imrie, was recorded in April 2007 and broadcast in August 2007. The second series was recorded in May 2008 and the third in June 2009. He has also appeared in That Mitchell and Webb Look, notably as David Mitchell's chiropractor; Saxondale (2006); and in several other television and radio programmes and commercials.
He has often written and performed with James Bachman. On 6 May 2008 they recorded the pilot of their BBC Radio 4 comedy Zoom, starring David Soul, Carla Mendonca and Jon Glover with a special guest appearance by Nicholas Parsons as himself.
He read Classics at Cambridge University, where he was president of Footlights.
From Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 11, 2020
I have actually lost count of how often I've listened to this. It is my absolute favorite! Probably over a hundred times by now, as I used to listen to this every night while trying to fall asleep (had noisy dorm neighbours that I needed to drown out and I can't fall asleep with music on). The characters are amazing and hilarious, I cannot pick a favorite, but Anthony Head is glorious in anything he does.
After 8 years and the fact that I know it by heart, it still makes me laugh. So five stars and swans all around!
After 8 years and the fact that I know it by heart, it still makes me laugh. So five stars and swans all around!
December 29, 2021
This is awesome!
Mark Evans' writing is top notch!
The cast;
Tom Allen
James Bachman
Mark Evans
Sarah Hadland
Anthony Head
Richard Johnson
Susy Kane
Geoffrey Whitehead
Well performed!
HARUMBLE!!
Mark Evans' writing is top notch!
The cast;
Tom Allen
James Bachman
Mark Evans
Sarah Hadland
Anthony Head
Richard Johnson
Susy Kane
Geoffrey Whitehead
Well performed!
HARUMBLE!!
October 13, 2019
Pretty hilarious at times and jolly good, comedic acting.
Read
June 6, 2023What in the name of the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog was this??
lol
lol
June 4, 2024
This book was fantastic. A topsy-turvy but compelling parody of a Dickens novel, the story is hilarious. The acting and sound effects were great too. Can’t recommend it highly enough. Huzzah!
August 25, 2018
Listened to the whole series twice now, just as funny the second time around.
Harumble!
Harumble!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews