The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff

Spiritual Successor slash Sound to Screen Adaptation of the radio series Bleak Expectations, this is a Dickensian parody written by Mark Evans with an all-star cast including Mitchell and Webb, Stephen Fry and Johnny Vegas. It follows the story of Mr. Jedrington Secret-Past who tries to win his family and his business, The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, back from Amoral Attorney Malifax Skulkingworm.

"Mrs. Christmasham: I was due to be married on Christmas Day, and I waited at the altar for my beloved husband-to-be, and I waited and waited, and waited and waited, and I waited and waited, and I waited and waited, and waited and waited, and wait -- Jedringham: Did he basically not turn up? Mrs. Christmasham: How could you have possibly fathomed that?"
 * Alliteration: London's three great alliterative clocks, Big Ben, Massive Morris and Tiny Terry.
 * Affably Evil: Skulkingworm shifts drastically between being a horrible old bastard and being rather pleasant.
 * Amoral Attorney: Skulkingworm, the main villain of the pilot.
 * Androcles' Lion: The orphan Jedrington treats like any other customer at the begining of the Christmas episode.
 * The Artful Dodger: Parodied with the Artful Codger ("codger" being slang for an older person) who has had to spend his life with a gang of urchin kids because he failed the exam to graduate to "vagabond" or "ne'er-do-well".
 * Bazaar of the Bizarre: The eponymous shop of stuff.
 * Big No: Servegood delivers one at the end of Episode 2.
 * British Brevity: It aired starting with a one hour Christmas Special before Christmas 2011 with another three half hour episodes.
 * Deliberate Values Dissonance: Hatred of the French and extreme sexism. Both Played for Laughs.
 * G-Rated Drug: Treacle. Exagerated to the point where it's actually dangerous.
 * Evil Laugh: Skulkingworm seems to love them.
 * The Fundamentalist: Secret-Past's adoptive aunts.
 * It Will Never Catch On: Harmswell Grimstone considered trying to find a business partner by putting a group of candidates through demeaning weekly tasks and firing them one by one, but rejected the idea as ludicrous.
 * Meaningful Name: Almost every single character has one.
 * Man Behind the Man: Subverted.
 * May Contain Evil: "Contract may contain traces of evil."
 * Mook Face Turn: Fearshiver has one,
 * Nice Hat: A man is nothing without his! Special mention to Skulkingworm, who seems to have some sort of mechanism that can make his top hat extend to several times his own height.
 * The Nicknamer: Maggoty the treacle fiend, who calls people by the names of birds.
 * Overly Long Gag: Mrs. Christmasham, describing the circumstances of her wedding.


 * Punch Clock Villain: Skulkingworm's first scene has him act the part of an Amoral Attorney, interspersed with him apologising and saying he's just acting on behalf of his client (who's "a meanie").
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: When Grimstone is brought to trial, he arranges matters such that the jury is composed of his cousins, and his uncle is the judge.
 * Shout-Out: To Bleak Expectations. Harrumble indeed!
 * While Jedrington is having a sword firght with Skulkingworm he says "I have had enough of you." before disarming him.
 * Yet Another Christmas Carol: Deliberately invoked by Grimstone, who dresses up as the Rabbits of Easter Past, Present and Future in order to terrify Jedrington.
 * Yet Another Christmas Carol: Deliberately invoked by Grimstone, who dresses up as the Rabbits of Easter Past, Present and Future in order to terrify Jedrington.