A freshly minted comedy classic here, as the third series of Mark Evans's Dickensian spoof gets a full commercial release following its Radio 4 run. While strictly speaking it's a literary parody, keen scholars shouldn't expect too much in the way of donnish wit: the focus here is much more on balls-to-the-wall silliness with flourishes of surrealism. Bleak Expectations chronicles the struggles of orphan turned wealthy wastepaper-basket magnate Pip Bin (played by ebullient, talented newcomer Tom Allen) against the villainous activities of his legal guardian and tormentor-in-chief, the inappropriately named Mr Gently Benevolent (a who-knew comic performance of genius from Buffy's one-time mentor Anthony Head). While the show cocks plenty of snooks at costume-drama cliches, bigger laughs come from outlandish moments like the succession of bizarre and ineffectual inventions offered up by Bin's nice but useless engineer sidekick, Harry Biscuit.

James Kettle, The Guardian, 30th January 2010

Mark Evans's magnificent Dickensian pastiche reaches episode four, with Pip Bin (our hero) and his family going through yet more excruciatingly hard times and whole old shopfuls of curiosities. It really is very funny and has the added benefit of a first rate cast. How odd, though, for Radio 4 to schedule Mike Walker's 20-part adaptation of Dickens' own Our Mutual Friend in such close proximity (10.45am - the Woman's Hour Drama - and 7.45pm daily). It, too, has good acting and atmospheric production but if you hear it after Bleak Expectations it just seems hilarious.

Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph, 19th November 2009

Bleak Expectations, Radio 4's comedy Dickens pastiche, is back for its third series. This week Mr Benevolent tortured Pip Bin, beginning by overcooking the salmon and offering red instead of white wine. I hate that red wine with fish joke, but I did enjoy the subsequent cheese torture. "I must have a cracker, maybe some chutney?" begged Pip. Tightly punned and briskly acted, with some excellent sound effects, Bleak Expectations is expert stuff, in the manner of Blackadder. It just needs a bit more madness to become a real classic.

Miranda Sawyer, The Observer, 8th November 2009

Yesterday was dipped in honey and spread across the week like a special treat, for it saw the return for a third series of Mark Evans's wonderful parody of Victorian melodrama, Bleak Expectations (Radio 4, 6.30pm). This continuing story of Pip Bin, the inventor of the pedal bin, Harry Biscuit, Mr Gently Benevolent and the rest was everything we have come to love. Evans has long left behind the Dickensian templates that informed Bleak Expectations at the beginning - now, anything goes. The growth of the temperance movement means that Pip and Harry, pleasure bent, are forced to walk past alcohol-free pubs such as The Killjoy and Horses on their way to a low dive in the East End - The Jellied Eel and Murderer - that does serve strong drink.

Staggering out, they fall prey to a larcenous pigeon that steals Pip's handkerchief, murders some poor wretch (for the bird has been inhabited by the spirit of the evil Gently Benevolent, currently in a Voldemortian not-quite-himself state) and then drops it on the corpse to incriminate Pip. Inspector Whackwallop of Scotland Yard shows up to grill our hero: "The victim had hundreds of tiny wounds and was clutching your handkerchief." "Ah, that's easily explained. A pigeon stole it and must have dropped it there accidentally. Now, Inspector, you say the body had hundreds of tiny wounds."

"Aha! I never said it had hundreds of tiny wounds."

"Yes you did."

"Damn. That normally works. Aha! I never said he was an apprentice blacksmith."

"And nor did I."

"Didn't you? Damn again."

And so on. Existing lovers of Bleak Expectations will already know that the inspired lunacy of previous series is intact. Newcomers will doubtless be hopelessly confused, but eager to learn more. The BBC iPlayer is but several computer strokes away. Have at it.

Chris Campling, The Times, 30th October 2009

When last we heard from Pip Bin, he had thwarted the evil Mr Gently Benevolent and his equally evil plans for world domination. Now, to the great delight of all right-minded folk, Mark Evans's superlative parody of everything Victorian, but mostly its literature, is back for a third series. The older Sir Pip continues to tell his life story to his son-in-law, Sourquill, otherwise known as "the fly in the ointment, the dead rat in the vegetable soup, the pig-and-shellfish surprise at a kosher banquet". Surely now the young Pip can look forward to a quiet existence with Ripely Fecund? Alas, no, as a seance goes badly awry - and an inspector calls. Rich, ripe language, a hissable villain and a sublime cast, including Anthony Head, who is clearly having the most fun with this delicious silliness, make for the best radio known to man.

Frances Lass, The Radio Times, 29th October 2009

Third series of Mark Evans's artful Dickens parody in which old Sir Philip (Richard Johnson) recalls his inventive youth and rise to fame when he was young Pip Bin (Tom Allen), struggling against cruel blows of fate supported only by eternal optimism and innate stupidity. It's full of in-jokes, references to other comedies and much merry sport with neologisms and circumlocutions. It also, smartly, simultaneously both conjures and makes fun of a Victorian world of seances, temperance movements and murky crime. Dazzling cast. Slick production.

Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph, 29th October 2009

A third series of the splendid Victorian send-up. Sir Philip continues to tell his life story, which this week includes a seance gone wrong, an inspector calling, and a possessed evil pigeon.

Scott Matthewman, The Stage, 23rd October 2009

Volume Two of Pip Bin's adventures in the merry old land of Dickens pastiche. The splendid cast make the most of highly wrought lines. Marriage, says bluff Sir Phillip (Richard Johnson), the grown up Pip dictating vivid memoirs to his son in law, should be like a boxing match, "dangerous, occasionally painful and with absolutely no touching below the belt." The school he attended was St Bastard's which he later tore down and rebuilt as St Lovely's. A storm is brewing "like a pot of angry tea". If such jests appeal, they abound here.

Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph, 7th August 2008

Oh deep, deep joy. Mark Evans's comic homage to Dickens and 19th-century literature is back for a second volume as Sir Philip Bin, inventor of, er, the bin, continues to look back on a life "that has been an endless progression of trials, setbacks, and conveniently placed cliffhanger endings", where adventure has followed him "like a dog follows a man with bacon trousers and lamb-chop underpants".

His evil nemesis, Mr Gently Benevolent, dead at the end of the first series, is resurrected, à la Mary Shelley, to exact vengeance on his ward and his friends. There's no point trying to follow the plot, it would be like trying to explain a Monty Python sketch to someone with a humour bypass. Enjoy spotting the references, the rich language and the great rolling vowels from Richard Johnson as Sir Pip and some great ham carved by Anthony Head as the villain of the piece.

Frances Lass, The Radio Times, 7th August 2008

Last August a six-part comedy series began on Radio 4 that captivated most of those who heard it - and the people who didn't like it were just plain wrong. Written by Mark Evans, Bleak Expectations was a wonderful pastiche of Dickens - the two novels cannibalised for the programme title for a start - as well as other Victorian costume dramas, spiced with surrealistic devices such as underwater squirrels and a raft made up of trained tuna. Evans worked on the admirable principle of throwing so many jokes at the listener that even if they missed, some most would get through and, at times, listening to it was exhausting.

And now it's back. One doesn't want to spoil the tension by detailing any aspect of the plot but those who feared that we had seen the last of Gently Benevolent because Anthony Head, who played him, had more glamorous parts to play on TV need fear no longer. Richard Johnson again plays the elderly Sir Philip Bin, and Tom Allen his younger, accident and grief-prone self, while Geoffrey Whitehead plays all six members of the sinister Sternbeater family.

Chapter Three, incidentally, even has a guest star - David Mitchell. When the greats of modern comedy queue up to take part in your show in any capacity, however small, you know you're up there with The Muppets and Extras.

Chris Campling, The Times, 2nd August 2008

Written in the style of Dickens after one too many gins, Mark Evans's lively parody, starring Anthony Head and Celia Imrie, sends up the Victorian novelist. We are amused.

James Rampton, The Independent, 11th August 2007