Bleak Expectations

Bleak Expectations is a BBC Radio 4 comedy series that premiered in August 2007. It is a parody of the works of Charles Dickens such as Bleak House and Great Expectations, from which it derives its name, including adventure, science fiction, and costume dramas set in the same period. Bleak Expectations parodies several of their plot devices whilst simultaneously tending toward surreal humour along the lines of The Goon Show. The series also demonstrated a fondness for allusions to parodies of the films of Alec Guinness, particularly the black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. Bleak Expectations is written by Mark Evans who plays minor characters in most episodes, and is produced by Gareth Edwards. Its opening and closing theme are the main theme of the Mazurka from Three Characteristic Pieces by Edward Elgar. The plot revolves around Philip "Pip" Bin, the fictitious inventor of the bin, and his various fantastic adventures as he attempts to thwart the machinations of his evil ex-guardian, Mr. Gently Benevolent. Pip narrates it as an old man to the journalist (and his eventual son-in-law) Sourquill, who brings various useless inventions to assist in recording the events.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0