Bleak Expectations. Image shows from L to R: Hardthrasher (Geoffrey Whitehead), Aunt Lily (Celia Imrie), Young Pip (Tom Allen), Mr Gently Benevolent (Anthony Head), Sir Philip Bin (Richard Johnson), Harry Biscuit (James Bachman). Copyright: BBC
Bleak Expectations

Bleak Expectations

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2007 - 2012
  • 30 episodes (5 series)

Radio comedy following the adventures of Pip Bin as he struggles against the cruel plotting of his evil guardian Mr Gently Benevolent. Stars Tom Allen, Anthony Head, Richard Johnson, James Bachman, Susy Kane and more.

Episode menu

Series 4, Episode 1 - A Tolerable Life De-Happified

Pip must enlist the help of his former nemesis to fight a new evil spreading terror and cake-crumbs through the streets of London.

Further details

In Volume Four Chapter the First "A Tolerable Life De-Happified", our hero Pip sees his former nemesis - the badly named Gently Benevolent - thwarted and locked up in a prison within a jail within a gaol spelled the other way, and apparently repentant of his crimes. But late one foggy night when Pip is attacked with a bowl of sinister custard he realises a new form of evil is stalking the streets of London, and he is obliged to ask for help from his erstwhile foe. Can Benevolent now be trusted? And who is the sinister evil figure?

Meanwhile, Pip's wife Ripely has become obsessed with cutlery, and the purchase of some diamond-handled dodo knives looks likely to force Pip into bankruptcy. And his best friend Harry Biscuit claims to be having terrible problems with an angry badger, but is it all as it seems?

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 11th November 2010
Time
6:30pm
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Monday 23rd July 2012 11:30am Radio 4
Monday 21st January 2013 9:00am Radio 4 Extra
Tuesday 22nd January 2013 2:00am Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 27th January 2013 7:30am Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 27th January 2013 10:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Tuesday 9th September 2014 11:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Tuesday 29th March 2016 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Thursday 31st May 2018 11:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Monday 10th February 2020 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Wednesday 27th October 2021 11:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Saturday 30th October 2021 2:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 31st October 2021 2:00am Radio 4 Extra
Friday 5th May 2023 9:30am Radio 4 Extra
Friday 5th May 2023 2:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Friday 5th May 2023 7:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Saturday 6th May 2023 5:30am Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
Tom Allen Young Pip
Anthony Head Mr Gently Benevolent
Richard Johnson Sir Philip Bin
James Bachman Harry Biscuit
Susy Kane Pippa Bin
Sarah Hadland Lily
Geoffrey Whitehead Grimpunch
Mark Evans Ensemble Actor
Writing team
Mark Evans Writer
Production team
Gareth Edwards Producer

Share this page