Bleak Expectations - Series 1 & 2
On Sunday 1st June 2008 GMT at 9:42 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I really do love this show, verily and forsooth. It's a Radio 4 sitcom-serial parodying Dickens (Bleak House, Great Expectations) etc., and the second series finished recording last week, so should be starting sometime in the next month or two.
I do rather highly recommend it - although might be worth hearing series one before two, if the linear episode structure is anything to go by. I'd guess it might be repeated on BBC 7 or somesuch... Anyway.
http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/bleak_expectations/
Oh wait, it's available on CD.
Anyway, does anyone else listen to it?
On Monday 2nd June 2008 GMT at 1:20 PM GMT, chipolata said:
I loved this show. It's one of the radio highlights of the past year and proves that radio can match TV in terms of unmissable comedy. Can't wait for the second series, and hopefully it features the Hardthrasher family again.
(And not one to disagree with the the Anal Retentive Comedy Guru, but isn't it a sitcom and should by rights be in the sitcom section of this forum?)
On Monday 2nd June 2008 GMT at 1:40 PM GMT, Afinkawan said:
I also loved this show. I saw the pilot being recorded and was pretty much pissing myself laughing from start to finish.
Apparently it almost didn't get commissioned. They had just commissioned Hut 33 and when presented with Bleak Expectations the response was "A show set in the past?But we've already got one of them."
Fortunately, someone else took a look a short while later and decided to commission it.
On Monday 2nd June 2008 GMT at 6:47 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Quote: chipolata @ June 2 2008, 10:20 AM BST(And not one to disagree with the the Anal Retentive Comedy Guru, but isn't it a sitcom and should by rights be in the sitcom section of this forum?)
I put it there originally, but moved it. Reasoning is that that's primarily aimed at TV, whilst this forum encompasses radio (check the forum descriptions on the board's front page), and a traditional sitcom is made up of isolated episodes whilst this is linear. Much like Gavin and Stacey which I also had in here, but Mark insisted on moving.
On Wednesday 10th September 2008 GMT at 8:35 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I shall bump this up a bit, as much love has been shown for it today elsewhere.
I've only listened to the first episode of series 2 so far. It's just so good, I can't wait a whole week for the next part, so am saving them up to listen to all at once.
On Wednesday 10th September 2008 GMT at 10:49 PM GMT, Tim Walker said:
Will have to get to this soon, considering all the praise.
Talking of period radio comedies, anyone ever used to listen to 'The Masterson Inheritance'? It was a semi-improvisional Victorian "melodrama" comedy starring amongst others Paul Merton.
BBC7 occasionally air repeats.
From what I remember it was very funny.
On Wednesday 10th September 2008 GMT at 11:04 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I'll try and keep an eye out for it. 
On Wednesday 10th September 2008 GMT at 11:09 PM GMT, Tim Walker said:
Quote: Aaron @ September 10 2008, 8:04 PM BSTI'll try and keep an eye out for it.
It featured a number of Comedy Store players of the time - I think it was the early-to-mid 90's? A complete script was improvised around a plot each week.
On Thursday 11th September 2008 GMT at 4:27 PM GMT, chipolata said:
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 10 2008, 8:09 PM BSTimprovised
Is there a more chilling word in the English language?
On Thursday 11th September 2008 GMT at 4:53 PM GMT, Afinkawan said:
Quote: chipolata @ September 11 2008, 1:27 PM BSTIs there a more chilling word in the English language?
Yes. Although technically two words, I find "John Sessions" marginally more chilling as he is usually also linked to the word 'improvised'.
On Thursday 4th December 2008 GMT at 12:19 AM GMT, matt insley said:
I freekin' love this show! I've listened to it several dozen times.
On Wednesday 16th September 2009 GMT at 12:56 AM GMT, juggler24960 said:
Hi Guys and Girls,
I was just reading your posts about Bleak Expectations and I thought you might like to know how to get the first two series as MP3s.
Go to site removed and register, you will find a treasure trove of radio broadcast material to download (using a suitable P2P client such as uTorrent etc.)
I have also heard that the third series is already in the can and going to be broadcast in October.
Happy listening,
juggler24960.
On Wednesday 16th September 2009 GMT at 1:06 AM GMT, Aaron said:
You can acquire it legally, and help support this site, through the following links:
Series 1
Series 2
Plenty of other radio programmes can be found through our comprehensive shop: http://www.comedy.co.uk/shop/
On Wednesday 16th September 2009 GMT at 12:32 PM GMT, swerytd said:
I just recently listened to all of this recently and it was very good. At first I thought it was trying to be too clever with all the different jokes, but once it was bedded in, I started to really enjoy it.
Looking forward to the third series now.
Dan
On Wednesday 16th September 2009 GMT at 1:09 PM GMT, chipolata said:
To me, one of the most consistently funny shows of recent years, either on TV or radio. Full of laugh out loud moments and I'm very excited about the third series.
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 12:18 PM GMT, matt insley said:
Once again another incredible series! Here's hoping for a fourth one!
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 7:56 PM GMT, Moonstone said:
I never bother with radio, but I'd love to hear this. Don't wanna start in the middle though, I'd like to start from 1.1. I wonder if there's a way, iPlayer or something?
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 7:59 PM GMT, Dolly Dagger said:
I dip in and out of it, when I remember it's on and I'm in the kitchen at the right time, and still find it enjoyable.
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 8:01 PM GMT, scratchyr said:
Listened to one of these as it was recommended on here. It was good indeed but I think I need to hear all the previous stuff. Really got into radio over the last year or so. Love that crazy iPlayer.
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 8:19 PM GMT, Moonstone said:
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 8 2009, 2:59 PM GMTI dip in and out of it, when I remember it's on and I'm in the kitchen at the right time, and still find it enjoyable.
That's word for word what I told my sex therapist.
On Tuesday 8th December 2009 GMT at 8:20 PM GMT, scratchyr said:
Quote: Moonstone @ December 8 2009, 3:19 PM GMTThat's word for word what I told my sex therapist.
On Thursday 17th December 2009 GMT at 7:47 PM GMT, Moonstone said:
Is this thing still on? It's not even listed on iPlayer, I'm a bit gutted about that I really wanted to have a listen. 
On Thursday 17th December 2009 GMT at 9:44 PM GMT, chipolata said:
Quote: Moonstone @ December 17 2009, 2:47 PM GMTIs this thing still on? It's not even listed on iPlayer, I'm a bit gutted about that I really wanted to have a listen.
You've missed a humdinger.
On Thursday 17th December 2009 GMT at 10:13 PM GMT, Moonstone said:
Pooshoots!
On Monday 11th January 2010 GMT at 3:14 PM GMT, swerytd said:
First series of Bleak Expectations is being repeated on Radio 7 on Fridays. Episode 1 is available on iPlayer for those that wanted to (re-)listen.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d06pc
Dan