History Radio / BleakExpectations

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Parodied. Sir Phillip grumbles at having to use "PC" terms like loonie and opts for the supposedly proper word, "durbrain."

* EvilIsSexy:
** There must be a reason so many characters find Mr. Benevolent attractive...
** Invoked with the brief Mrs. Benevolent, whom Mr. Harshsmacker points out is "well hot".

* SimSimSalabim: Crossed with UsefulNotes/TheRaj, naturally.

* EvilLair:
** Gently Benevolent frequently has one in varying locations, such as a church, a volcano, and Antarctica. He frequently locks up the heroes in death traps right before the end of the episode.
** Harry Biscuit builds himself one out of ''cake''.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Possessed Pen of Penrith, which uses Satan's blood for ink. Even so, Pip contemplates using it to overcome a bout of WritersBlock, [[spoiler:but Harry beats him to it]].

* BadFuture: Pip and Benevolent ''create'' one in the final episode of series 4, [[spoiler:ruling over a vast empire together until the oppressed masses call their bluff, and the cheesebomb used to hold them at bay proves a dud. They die, but God -- [[spoiler:which is to say Harry Biscuit]] -- explains that this was simply one alternate outcome. He sends Pip back, Pip calls Benevolent's bluff, the cheesebomb splats, and the day is saved.]]

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Thomas Bin certainly thought so, even going as far as making a hotel made entirely from monkeys, who stacked together formed a 'rigid but flexible framework'. And it worked, too. Until ''someone'' set up a peanut-butter and banana treat factory just next door, causing the monkeys to go berserk and attack everyone.
-->'''Pippa''': "[[WhoWouldBeStupidEnough Who would be stupid and evil enough to do such a thing]]?"
-->'''Mr. Benevolent''': "[[BlatantLies No idea.]] Peanut-butter and banana treat, anyone?"

* BestialityIsDepraved:
** Both Harry and Benevolent find Juanita insanely hot, even after her mind has been transferred into a dinosaur. Harry is relieved when ''he'' becomes one because he can ogle her without wondering if it's weird.
** Evil!Harry infects some swans the same way he infects Pippa, by kissing. And not on the beak...

** Pip Bin is (aside from the standard Victorian-era flaws) kind, noble, and good (if a bit thoughtless). Sir Philip Bin is a miserable old jerk.

* BadFuture: Pip and Benevolent ''create'' one in the final episode of series 4, [[spoiler:ruling over a vast empire together until the oppressed masses call their bluff, and the cheesebomb used to hold them at bay proves a dud. They die, but God--which is to say Harry Biscuit--explains that this was simply one alternate outcome. He sends Pip back, Pip calls Benevolent's bluff, the cheesebomb splats, and the day is saved.]]

** God Himself outright admits to being one. It helps that He's [[spoiler: Harry Biscuit.]]

** Also subverted a couple of times, such as Pippa's "Today I put less postage on a letter than its weight demanded! [[EvilLaugh Mwa ha HA HA!]] Also, I killed a bishop."

** When she speaks Cockney for money, Ripely insists on being paid in ponies for the whole rhyming slang. Which in fairness isn't really this trope, as "pony" is itself Cockney slang for twenty-five pounds.

* {{Flanderization}}: Happens very early on with Harry Biscuit. In the first episode he is introduced as a parody of the "older student at the horrible school" and a fairly normal person (at least by ''Bleak Expectations'' standards), but from the second episode onwards he swiftly morphs into a full-fledged {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and BunglingInventor. A very nice example of TropesAreNotBad.

* LovableSexManiac: Ripely reveals herself as one after marrying Pip; not only do they go on to have a plethora of (seldom-seen) children, but she quite openly has a huge sexual appetite, a wandering eye and wandering hands. Somehow Pip always seem to buy her thinly-veiled excuses for spending an inordinate amount of time ogling or touching half-naked, handsome men. In season 5, Ripely discovers she is now too old to be a LoveableSexManiac. She looks forward to being old enough to be a DirtyOldWoman.

** Facing fiscal problems, Pip asks Harry and Pippa to stop waste the money he gives them. Harry therefore decides to build a money-saving machine. Out of gold and emeralds. And then it doesn't even work anyway. Harry and Pippa soon wind up being dragged off to debtor's prison.

The first season tells the tale of young Philip "Pip" Put-That-In-The Bin, who is separated from his insane mother and sent to a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors by his cruel guardian, but nonetheless manages to make his way in the world and come out on top, thanks to perseverance, intelligence, and a series of {{Contrived Coincidence}}s.

The adventures are presented as being told by the now-elderly Sir Philip Bin to a ''Times'' journalist he despises. In the second season, the journalist has become his son-in-law, which makes Sir Philip despise him even more.

* RunningGag
** : The lawyer's name, Mr Skinflint Parsimonious's obsession with giving people things, Pippa's anvil, Sourquil's recording devices (season 1); Mr Gently Benevolent's nose (season 2); [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood the bizarre methods of childcare]] employed by Sir Philip's daughter and Sourquil (season 3); Lily's various evening classes, Harry Biscuit's obsession with cake (season 4); Sourquil's timekeeping devices, the repeatedly denied FoeRomanceSubtext between Pip and Gently Benevolent (Season 5) amongst others.
** Also the way a member of one of the henchman families (Hardthrashers, Sternbeaters etc.) gets killed every episode. Particularly when done [[ForTheEvulz on a whim]] in season 4 episode 1.
** Good!Benevolent requesting a "man hug" from Pip in the end of series 3 and the start of series 4
** Harry Biscuit thinks swans are the answer to all life's problems, or at least most of them.

* DistressedDamsel: Although they'll put up a fight (even against zombies) in other scenes, whenever Gently Benevolent decides to kidnap Pippa or Ripley they're kidnapped, as though there's no possibility of resistance.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Thomas and Agnes Bin aren't mentioned after the series two opening.

* BestialityIsDepraved: Evil!Harry infects some swans the same way he infects Pippa, by kissing. And not on the beak...

* IronicHell: Shows up. Harry Biscuit is given memory cake, then ForcedToWatch Mr Benevolent and Pippa kissing, while [[LovableSexManiac Ripely]] is placed in from of an army of half-dressed men, who are just out of reach. Turns out Ripely isn't bothered by this. After all, the view's nice.

* MisBlamed: In-Universe: Pip Bin is rarely responsible for the death of the latest Harshsmacker / Sternbeater / Whackwallop / Grimpunch, but everyone acts like he is.

* PocketProtector: In episode 6.

* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: In episode 6.

* TakingTheBullet: Harry Biscuit and Aunt Lilly both take fatal injuries for Pip. Parodied in Aunt Lilly's case, as she mentions that now that had she known how much it hurts, she might not have done it, and subverted with Harry, who just slipped on a bit of custard beforehand (and he gets better anyway).

* CrazyPrepared: Ten years before the first series, Mister Benevolent built the church of St. Viles, and included in it a "special step", just in case he even fought someone in a duel there, so that they would fall over it. He claims this is proof of just how complicated his plan was, which Pip Bin had previously doubted.

* FailedASpotCheck: All the time. Case in point, the reunion between Pip Bin and the Reverend Fecund. Pip Bin doesn't recognise his father in-law, and the Reverend doesn't realise Harry is presently a ''dinosaur'' (he thought it was a new type of jacket).

* FluffyTheTerrible: Fifi, Mr Gently Benevolent's [[MixAndMatchCritters crocodile-elephant-hummingbird cross]]. Short for [[SubvertedTrope Fearfully Ferocious]].

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Miss Sweetly Delightful. The woodland animals are huge fans of hers.

* FullNameBasis: Everyone calls Pip "Pip Bin," including his best friend Harry. Only his family members (parents, sisters and wife) call him just "Pip," though Pippa tends to add "dear brother" to it.

* ARareSentence: If Chief Inspector Whackwallop had a shilling for every time he'd heard of someone possessing a pigeon... he'd have three shillings.

** When she speaks Cockney for money, Ripely insists on being paid in ponies for the whole rhyming slang. Which in fairness isn't really this trope, as "poney" is itself Cockney slang for twenty-five pounds.

** When she speaks Cockney for money, Ripely insists on being paid in ponies for the whole rhyming slang.