Bleak Expectations

Episodes

A Childhood Cruelly Kippered

The idyllic life of young Pip Bin is ruined by the scheming of his exceedingly evil guardian, Mr Gently Benevolent, and his incarceration in Britain's most violent school, St Bastards.

An Adolescence Utterly Trashed

Pip meets a mysterious aged crone who can help him escape from Britain's most terrifying school and the clutches of his evil guardian.

A Youth Utterly Crocked

Pip must thwart the plans of his evil guardian Mr Gently Benevolent. Can underwater squirrels, oddly placed church bells and a stint in the workhouse foil him in his noble quest? Or will Aunt Lily and her Gloucestershire racing cows save the day?

A Young Adulthood Bitterly Dismantled

Pip finds himself saved from the workhouse with the arrival of a vast sum of money from a mysterious stranger.

A Young Love Mercilessly Dismembered

Pip falls in love with the beautiful but terminally feeble Flora Dies Early. Meanwhile Pippa and Mr Parsimonious flee to the continent. Will the evil Mr Benevolent catch them, or will Aunt Lily save the day again?

A Life Sadly Smashed...Then Happily Restored A Bit

Things look grim for Pip as he faces a lengthy and highly prejudicial court case. Is he to be hanged, or will there be a last-minute escape followed by a thrilling chase, several duels, a jar of exotic jam and at least two weddings?

Episodes

A Happy Life, Cruelly Re-Kippered

Pip Bin struggles against the cruel plotting of his evil guardian Mr Gently Benevolent, recently returned from the dead. A plot is afoot to steal Britain's loveliest school, St Lovely's.

A Re-Kippered Life Smashed Some More

Pip and Harry find themselves building an entire railway network in their bid to catch the evil Mr Gently Benevolent.

A Recovery All Made Miserable

Young Pip is nursed back to health by the Reverend Fecund and his hideously ugly daughter Ripley.

A Restoration Re-Ruined Only Even Worse

Pip is heavily in debt when he has to bribe the whole of the House of Commons not to hang him.

Already Bad Life Made Worse But Sort Of On Purpose

Full of self-loathing, Pip drinks some very strong gin, finds he is really quite keen on opium, and falls in with a gang of thieves. But is their leader Abraham Bagel, all he seems?

Happy Life Broken And Then Mended A Bit

The planet is in deadly peril when Gently Benevolent summons a massive Martian invasion. Is this the end for Pip, Harry and the rest of the human race, not to mention Pippa's goose sanctuary?

Episodes

A Lovely Life Re-Kippered Again Once More

Pip Bin's happiness is shattered once again. Fog-filled streets, murders, and ghastly apparitions from beyond the grave abound, and through it all echoes the terrible menacing coo of a possessed and evil pigeon.

A Now Grim Life Yet More Grimified

Pip Bin faces his most gruelling fate yet at the hands of his evil undead ex-guardian and an enormous quantity of cheese. But can the spirits of Harvest Festival past, present and future show him a way to redemption?

A Sort Of Fine Life De-Niced Completely

Pip Bin strives to improve working conditions in his Bin factory, and to end poverty once and for all using Harry Biscuit's anti-poverty cannon. But will his quest distract him from a dastardly plan to steal London and sell it to the French?

A Horrible Life Un-Ruined And Then Re-Ruined A Lot

Pip, Harry, Pippa and Ripely are reduced to abject poverty on the banks of the Thames. Will Pip and Harry be able to find work, or will they have to end their days eating mud and listening to the gloating of Mr Benevolent?

An Evil Life Sort Of Explained

Pip Bin, Harry Biscuit and Gently Benevolent find themselves trapped in the vast emptiness of space. As their doom looks increasingly inevitable, Mr Benevolent finally explains just why it is that he is so very very evil.

Lives Lost, Ruined, Wrecked And Redeemed

Pip and Ripely find themselves facing a vast and evil undead army. England has only one hope - that Miss Sweetly Delightful can melt Mr Benevolent's cruel, undead heart.

Episodes

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.

A Now Spoilt Life Smashed Some More

Pip and Harry journey to the Underworld to rescue Ripely, only to find the evil Mister Benevolent has got there first.

A Wretched Life Made Much Much Sadder

After an embarrassing disaster involving a bridge and a train full of puppies and orphans, Pip and Harry travel to America on the SS Massive Britain.

A Painful Life Further Re-Miserabled

Pip and Harry put to sea with Captain Beehab until they are shipwrecked. What secrets does the mysterious volcanic island hold?

A Now Tricky Life Woefully Miseried Up

Pip and Harry pursue the evil Mister Benevolent to France, to a dark and pungent fate awaits them. Guest starring David Mitchell.

A Life Destroyed, And Then Repaired And Re-Happied

Our hero Pip faces his nemesis Mister Benevolent for an epic Russian battle.

Episodes

A Pleasant Yet Dull Life Re-Evilled

Pip Bin is beginning to miss the conflict with his absent evil nemesis Mr Gently Benevolent, when he receives an intriguing invitation to a house party with Britain's poshest man.

A Re-Excited Life Made Distinctly Dangerous

Pip and his friends travel to India, in their quest to thwart the evil machinations of smooth but sinister genius Mr Gently Benevolent. Gasp as our heroes struggle with super-intelligent tigers, giant snakes, and secret gin!

An Alrightish Life Savagely Frozen To Bits

Pip races to Antarctica to thwart another fiendish plot by his evil ex-guardian, Mr Gently Benevolent.

A Writerly Life Made Dreadfully Different

Pip and Charles Dickens engage in a novel-writing showdown to find out who is the greatest writer in Britain.

A Terrifying Life Made Even Scarier A Bit Some More

A new and terrible danger threatens Victorian Britain, as Harry Biscuit becomes possessed by the evil Pen of Penrith, which turns his heart to inky black.

A Loved-Up Life Potentially Totally Annihilated

Mister Gently Benevolent unveils an advent calendar of evil that will culminate on Christmas day with the total destruction of the universe.

Cast

Tom Allen as 'Young Pip'
Anthony Head as 'Mr Gently Benevolent'
Richard Johnson as 'Sir Philip Bin'
James Bachman as 'Harry Biscuit'
Susy Kane as 'Pippa Bin'
Sarah Hadland as 'Lily'
Anthony Head as 'Sourquill'
James Bachman as 'Servewell'
Geoffrey Whitehead as 'Hardthrasher(Series 1)'
Geoffrey Whitehead as 'Sternbeater(Series 2)'
Geoffrey Whitehead as 'Wackwallop(Series 3)'
Geoffrey Whitehead as 'Grimpunch(Series 4)'
Geoffrey Whitehead as 'Clampvulture(Series 5)'
Laurence Howarth as 'Mr Parsimonious(Series 1 - 2)'
Perdita Weeks as 'Poppy Bin(Series 1)'
Mark Perry as 'Thomas Bin(Series 1)'
Celia Imrie as 'Aunt Lily(Series 1)'
Sarah Hadland as 'Ripely(Series 2 - 5)'
David Mitchell as 'The Reverend Godly Fecund(Series 2 & 4)'
Mark Evans as 'Ensemble Actor'