Great Expectations

Editorial

BBC One Oxfordshire 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

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 HD

BBC One Nightlight

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

BBC One 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 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 East Midlands HD

BBC One North West HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One East HD

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

BBC One South

BBC One West Midlands

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

BBC One West 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 South West

BBC One Cambridgeshire HD

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One South HD

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

BBC One London

London

BBC One Channel Islands HD

BBC One Yorkshire 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 HD

BBC One South East

BBC One West

BBC One North West

BBC One West Midlands HD

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Wales

Wales

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

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

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

BBC One Wales HD

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

BBC One Scotland HD

Fionn Whitehead

Shalom Brune-Franklin

Olivia Colman

Ashley Thomas

Johnny Harris

Trystan Gravelle

Rudi Dharmalingam

Matthew Needham

Owen McDonnell

Hayley Squires

Steven Knight

Brady Hood

Mark Kinsella

Minim UK Productions

Great Expectations: Series 1: Episode 3

Episode 3

BBC One - Great Expectations, Series 1, Episode 3

Pip is thrown to the beasts of London, while Estella discovers a plan for her future.

Having left his life in Gravesend, Pip has a brutal introduction to life working for Mr Jaggers. Meanwhile Estella discovers a plan of Miss Havisham’s.

Devastated at being denied entrance to Satis House, Pip is found in a sorry state by Mr Jaggers, who tells him he has been sent by Miss Havisham and Miss Estella. In fact, Estella doesn't want Pip to go with Mr Jaggers, but Pip knows nothing of this and is instead wowed by the worldly presence of Jaggers and the offer he provides: a cheque for £5,000, an apartment in London and a position in his legal chambers. 

Walking through the deserted corridors of the Old Bailey, Pip cannot help but be awed by the grandeur and meaning of the place, until they enter the judge’s chambers and find him hanging by the neck, no longer able to endure Jaggers’s blackmail. Overwhelmed and out of his depth, there is nothing Pip can do. Jaggers then leaves Pip in the hands of his assistant, Mr Wemmick. A plain-speaking clerk, Wemmick takes Pip to his new lodgings, which he will be sharing with Herbert Pocket. Wemmick tells Pip that Estella is due to be married to a very respectable man. 

While Pip tries to adjust to life in London, in Australia, Magwitch has managed to track down Compeyson. They fight and Magwitch is left for dead in the Australian outback as Compeyson rides off to find passage back to England.

Back in Gravesend, those who Pip left behind are thrilled to receive letters telling of his new life. However, Estella knows nothing of her upcoming nuptials until she reads of them in Pip’s letter. Jaggers introduces Pip to the repellent Mr Drummle, the man who is soon to be married to Estella.  If Pip will help Jaggers to ruin Drummle’s business, then Estella may be freed from her engagement.

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 3

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC One Oxfordshire HD

About BBC One