Great Expectations

Original version

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South HD

Drama: Classic & Period

Orphan Pip's life changes forever when he meets wealthy Miss Havisham and her daughter.

A twist of fate shows Pip a dark world of possibilities, but is he willing to pay the price? Steven Knight's chilling take on the Dickens classic, starring Olivia Colman.

Series 1

BBC One Nightlight

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

BBC One South

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One London

London

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One North West

BBC One North East & Cumbria HD

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Yorkshire HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire HD

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One North West HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

BBC One East Midlands HD

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Channel Islands HD

BBC One West Midlands HD

BBC One East HD

BBC One South East HD

BBC One Oxfordshire HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs HD

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region. Separated as BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One London HD

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One West HD

BBC One South West HD

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

Tom Sweet

Olivia Colman

Johnny Harris

Trystan Gravelle

Owen McDonnell

Hayley Squires

Matt Berry

Steven Knight

Brady Hood

Mark Kinsella

Minim UK Productions

Great Expectations: Series 1: Episode 1

Episode 1

BBC One - Great Expectations, Series 1, Episode 1

Ambitious orphan Pip changes forever when he meets dark souls Miss Havisham and Magwitch.

Through a twist of fate, Pip, an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life, meets the mysterious and eccentric Miss Havisham, who shows him a dark world of possibilities.

The cleverest boy in school, orphan Pip has yearned for a greater lot in life for as long as he can remember. With his parents and younger siblings long dead, he lives with kindly blacksmith Joe, who is married to Pip's eldest sister, Sara, a tough and unforgiving woman. Together they live in Gravesend, surrounded by the dark and foggy marshes whose tributaries lead to the great River Thames. Whenever Pip is not at the forge with Joe, he eagerly watches the Thames traffic go by - great ships of the British Empire heading out past his bedroom window to a life he can only dream of.

Sneaking out to visit his parents’ grave on Christmas Eve, Pip is accosted by an escaped convict, Magwitch. Bound for Australia, Magwitch has escaped the prison ship Redemption after his arch enemy, Compeyson, started a fire on board. With both men still trapped in leg irons on the freezing marshes, neither have much hope of getting far. Now only one thing occupies Magwitch's mind - revenge, in the form of murdering Compeyson - and he forces Pip to come to his aid.

During Christmas lunch at Joe's, one of the guests, Mr Pumblechook, has news concerning Pip. He has learned that the eccentric and vastly wealthy Miss Havisham is looking for a companion for her adopted daughter, Estella. As Estella is the same age as Pip, it has been suggested that Pip, as the cleverest boy in the school, could be a suitable candidate. Joe says he won’t let Miss Havisham take Pip away - he will need him in the forge soon enough. But Joe doesn’t see that Pip is desperate for the opportunity to become something more resembling a gentleman than a blacksmith.

Great Expectations: Series 1

BBC One

Once poor, orphaned Pip meets wealthy Miss Havisham and her daughter Estella, his life changes forever. Thrown into the dangerous city of London, he must battle to control his fate.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Great Expectations

Series 1

Episode 1

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC One South HD

About BBC One